SENG 310: Human-Computer Interaction
Notes for HCI History
Objectives
By the end of the class, you will be able to…
• Describe major milestones in the history of HCI and explain their impact in the
discipline.
• Explain why some historical products succeeded commercially while others did
not.
Agenda for Class
•
We will progress through time from the 1950’s to present day. We will discuss
interface ideas as they arose and view videos of key developments.
Reading Assignment
A Brief History of Human-Computer Interaction Technology by Brad Myers. Available
on the website.
Notes:
Memex (1945)
What was the Memex and why was it conceived? What modern technology achieves this
goal?
o “Memory expander” – a device that allows you to store & retrieve documents,
search by keyword, annotate
o Information storage & retrieval problem – information is expanding at a rapid rate
and new knowledge does not reach those who could benefit
o The WWW now achieves this goal.
SketchPad (1963)
What major contributions did “Sketchpad” make to HCI?
o Origin of interactive computer graphics - Ability to draw computer graphics on
the screen.
o Object-oriented concepts – components of a drawing could be edited and then all
instances would update.
Sketchpad introduces a pen-based interface, yet pen-interfaces did not become common
until much more recently. Why were the early pen interfaces not widely adopted?
o Uncomfortable ergonomics – especially because the display was vertical.
o Lack of widespread uses, outside of CAD?
o Other reasons?
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SENG 310: Human-Computer Interaction
Doug Englbart’s NLS (1968)
The most widely known contribution of NLS was the mouse, but this was only one part
of a complex system. What other new ideas were presented in the NLS system?
o Document processing (word processing operations, hypermedia)
o I/O (chording keyboard, multiple windows)
o Shared work (video conferencing, shared files, electronic messaging, internet)
o User testing
What are benefits & drawbacks of Englbart’s chording keyboard?
Benefits:
o Can keep one hand on the keyboard and the other on the mouse. Efficient.
Drawbacks:
o Not familiar
o Steep learning curve
o Limited number of characters possible
Personal Computerss
When was the laptop first imagined ?
o Kay’s Dynabook (1968). Could not be implemented at the time (cardboard
mockup).
The first personal computers were developed by Xerox (Xerox Alto and Xerox Star).
Many of the components of modern PCs were present in these systems (e.g. windows,
icons, desktop metaphor, Ethernet connectivity, etc). Why might these systems have
failed commercially?
o Cost ($40000 Alto, $16500 Star)
o Limited functionality & 3rd party vendors could not add applications
o Perceived as slow
The Apple Macintosh was the first commercially successful PC. What contributed to this
success?
o Aggressive price ($2500)
o Learnt from mistakes from Apple Lisa and Xerox
o Developer’s toolkit – enabled 3rd party software
What did Bill Gates mean when he said, “Hey, Steve, just because you broke into Xerox's
house before I did and took the TV doesn't mean I can't go in later and take the stereo”?
o Response to accusations by Steve Jobs that Microsoft had stolen the Mac
interface.
o Both mac and windows interfaces are largely based off of earlier Xerox Star
What forms of input & output were used in early computers? Are in common use today?
What forms do you think will be commonly used in the near future?
Input
Output
Early days
Keyboard
Lights on display
Paper tap & punch cards
Paper
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SENG 310: Human-Computer Interaction
Light pen
Today
Soon?
Keyboard
Mouse
Microphone
Touch
Natural language
Camera tracking
Improvements to natural
language, camera tracking?
Teletype
Eventually computer screens
Bitmapped screen
Audio
Ubiquitous computing
Key Concepts for Today:
1. Successful technologies were modeled after human needs (user centered design).
2. Evolution of ideas into commercially viable products took several iterations.
3. Computers have not always looked like the modern PC and do not need to look
that way. Think outside the box when doing design.
Sample Test Questions to Help You Study
1. In the NLS video shown in class, Doug Englbart demonstrated a 1-hand chording
keyboard in addition to the mouse.
a. Give two advantages of the chording keyboard.
b. Suggest 2 reasons that could explain why the chording keyboard did not
survive commercially.
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