William D. “Bill” Atkinson, a pioneering engineer integral to the early development of the Macintosh’s graphical user interfaces, passed away on June 5 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. His family shared this sad news via a Facebook post, revealing that he died at home in Portola Valley, surrounded by loved ones. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, stepson, stepdaughter, two brothers, four sisters, and his beloved dog, Poppy. Atkinson’s career at Apple spanned from 1978 to 1990, where he made significant contributions that still impact technology today.
Notably, he invented the menu bar, the selection lasso, and the iconic “marching ants” animation used for item selection. Additionally, he discovered a midpoint circle algorithm that facilitated the fast drawing of circles on-screen. Recruited as Apple Employee No. 51 by Steve Jobs, he contributed to the development of the first Macintosh and served as the principal designer of the Lisa’s graphical user interface—an innovative concept at the time.
One of Atkinson’s hallmark achievements was the creation of HyperCard, a groundbreaking hypermedia tool he likened to a “software erector set.” Introduced in 1987, HyperCard revolutionized Macintosh software development. After leaving Apple in 1990, Atkinson joined General Magic alongside other notable figures, including Andy Hertzfeld and Marc Porat. In 2007, he became involved with Numenta, a company focused on artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, he pursued his passion for nature photography, with his works still available through a personal website. Colleagues and friends remember Atkinson fondly, particularly through Hertzfeld’s folklore.org, which documents his time at Apple. His family summed up his life by stating, “He was a remarkable person, and the world will be forever different because he lived in it.”
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