Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Bill Atkinson, Architect of the Macintosh Interface, Dies at 74

His innovations reshaped the Mac interface, laying the groundwork for modern visual computing.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Bill Atkinson died June 5, 2025, at age 74 from pancreatic cancer at his home in Portola Valley, California.
  • Recruited by Steve Jobs in 1978 as Apple’s 51st employee, he became a core member of the original Macintosh development team.
  • His QuickDraw engine and innovations such as the menu bar, double-click gesture and selection lasso formed the backbone of the Mac’s user-friendly design.
  • Atkinson created MacPaint in 1984 and HyperCard in 1987, pioneering digital drawing tools and hypermedia authoring that presaged the World Wide Web.
  • Apple CEO Tim Cook paid tribute to Atkinson as a "true visionary," praising his groundbreaking work and lasting influence on modern computing.