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Alto System Project: Dan Ingalls demonstrates Smalltalk

Computer History Museum · demo · Watch on YouTube

GUI, HCI & interface historyHistory of computingProgramming language design

What it is

A roughly two-hour demonstration by Dan Ingalls of Smalltalk running on the Computer History Museum's restored Xerox Alto. It shows the integrated environment and language designed at Xerox PARC as personal dynamic media.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended as a vivid look at live, interactive programming environments and what Xerox PARC built on very limited hardware.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “here's another great related video that is well worth watching”

    Smalltalk-76 on a restored Xerox Alto, impressive on limited hardware.

    peterkelly, 2022-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Stop Writing Dead Programs”

  2. “Here are some video sessions.”

    Dan Ingalls demonstrates Smalltalk on the Alto.

    pjmlp, 2020-05 · Recommendation · in “Advanced Programming Languages (2009)”

  3. “have really been enjoying this two hour long interview / demo with Dan Ingalls on Smalltalk and the Alto”

    Two hour interview and demo with Dan Ingalls on Smalltalk.

    MaxLeiter, 2022-03 · Recommendation · in “The wild world of non-C operating systems”

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

Topics: smalltalk, dan ingalls, xerox alto, live programming, computer history

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