Bill Atkinson at Pi

Bill Atkinson — original Macintosh team member, author of QuickDraw + MacPaint + HyperCard — visited Washington Apple Pi for a special meeting in late 1987, covered in 1987-12 — V09 N12.

Coverage

• "HyperCard Author at Special Meeting" by Cynthia Yockey (p56) — meeting recap
• "Q & A with Bill Atkinson" by Robert C. Platt (p57) — formal Q&A transcript

Context

The visit came: - 4 months after HyperCard's August 11, 1987 launch - 2 months after Pi's HyperCard SIG launched (1987-10 — V09 N10) - 1 month after the HyperCard News column launched (1987-11 — V09 N11)

Pi's institutional response to HyperCard was fast, and Atkinson's visit consummated it.

Significance

One of the most historically significant Pi guest appearances, in the company of:

• Steve Wozniak in-person Pi meeting 1981-06 — V03 N06
• Steve Wozniak unveiling the Mac at Departmental Auditorium 1984-01 — V06 N01 — January 28 1984
• Steve Wozniak in DC for Apple Computer Clubs International awards 1986-08 — V08 N08
• Andy Hertzfeld bylines (MoneyWorks 1986-01 — V08 N01, Business Accountant 1985-11 — V07 N11)
• Walt Mossberg "Apple II News and Notes" column from 1987-03 — V09 N03

Three of the four original Macintosh team architects (Wozniak, Hertzfeld, Atkinson) connected directly to Pi during 1984-1987.

Connections

• Bill Atkinson — person page
• HyperCard Launch — what brought him to Pi
• Pi Original Mac Team Connections — recurring theme