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Alternate Reality Kit by Randall Smith at Xerox PARC 1986 (VPRI-0131)

Yoshiki Ohshima (大島芳樹) · demo · Watch on YouTube

GUI, HCI & interface historyHistory of computingCreative coding & generative art

What it is

A 12-minute demo of the Alternate Reality Kit, built by Randall Smith at Xerox PARC in 1986. It is a simulated physical world in which users manipulate objects and program by direct interaction.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN cites it as early evidence that visual and interactive programming can go well beyond wire diagrams, in a Smalltalk and Alan Kay tradition.

  • 1 people recommended it
  • 1 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2018, last 2021

What HN commenters said

  1. “here's a demo of something called "Alternate Reality Kit"[2] back in 1986. Brace yourselves.”

    1986 demo of Alternate Reality Kit from PARC.

    rgrau, 2018-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Soup – Alan Kay on Objects”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: xerox parc, visual programming, smalltalk, alan kay, direct manipulation

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