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Alan Kay Demos GRaIL

Vincent Gable · demo · Watch on YouTube

GUI, HCI & interface historyHistory of computing

What it is

Alan Kay demonstrates GRaIL, a graphical input language system from around 1968 in which hand-drawn strokes become boxes, connections and dataflow-style programs.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN points to it as proof that the 1960s already had modeless, sketch-based interfaces that remain impressive today.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “Man, I love these old demos.”

    Old demo illuminates what Alan Kay meant by intimate systems.

    some-mthfka, 2023-01 · Strong recommendation · in “Emacs Is Not Enough”

  2. “Pretty amazing stuff, even today.”

    1968 GRAIL system remains amazing today.

    colllectorof, 2017-11 · Recommendation · in “Magic Paper”

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

Topics: alan kay, grail, visual programming, computing history, user interface

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