Invoice Atkinson, a legendary Apple programmer, let the world know Tuesday he’s in therapy for pancreatic most cancers, the identical illness that killed his boss, Steve Jobs, in 2011. Atkinson printed a put up on Fb asking for prayers.
Recruited by Jobs and Macintosh developer and person interface guru Jef Raskin, Atkinson turned worker quantity 51 at Apple. He’s a major architect of the unique Mac. You possibly can see a few of his appreciable accomplishments and his Fb put up under.
Apple legend Invoice Atkinson in therapy for similar illness that killed his boss, Steve Jobs
Atkinson labored at Apple from 1978 to 1990, lured at first by Raskin to go to and satisfied by Jobs to depart a PhD program in neurochemistry on the College of Washington. He’s immortalized on Wikipedia because the man behind Macintosh QuickDraw and Lisa LisaGraf (having found the midpoint circle algorithm), Marching ants, the double-click, Menu bar, the choice lasso, MacPaint (FatBits), HyperCard, Atkinson dithering and the app PhotoCard, which he demo’d at MacWorld in 2010, his first time again there in 23 years.
Right here’s extra about what Atkinson did at Apple:
- Principal designer and developer of the graphical person interface (GUI) of Apple Lisa.
- Grew to become one of many first 30 members of the unique Macintosh improvement group and served as major designer of its UI.
- Created MacPaint.
- Designed and applied QuickDraw, the toolbox Lisa and Macintosh used for graphics.
- Conceived, designed and applied HyperCard, an early and influential hypermedia system. HyperCard enabled nonprogrammers to program in addition to design databases.
- In 1994, Atkinson acquired the EFF Pioneer Award for his contributions.
After working at Apple, Atkinson cofounded software program and electronics firm Normal Magic, which contributed to USB improvement, amongst different improvements. In 2007, he labored as a contract developer for computer-intelligence startup Numenta. And later he turned identified for his extreme-close-up nature pictures utilizing a digital printing course of he helped create.
Picture: Flickr
Atkinson’s November 12 Fb put up
Right here’s the complete content material of Atkinson’s Fb put up:
I’m asking pals and well-wishers to hope for me.
I imagine that group intention can truly make a distinction.
On October first, I used to be identified with pancreatic most cancers. Due to vascular involvement, surgical procedure shouldn’t be potential. I’m taking weekly chemo therapies to shrink the tumor earlier than surgical resection. I’m tolerating the chemo fairly nicely, and I’m in good spirits. On daily basis I make some extent of getting out within the solar and strolling with Cai and Poppy.
I’m receiving wonderful look after my bodily physique from a group of docs and nurses at Stanford and UCSF. I’m additionally receiving a number of completely different modalities of holistic therapies for my emotional and non secular well being. The therapies are serving to, and I’m feeling a lot much less ache now. I’m even regaining slightly of the burden that I misplaced.
From my Iboga expertise seven years in the past, I do know for sure that my consciousness and reminiscences will proceed after I go away my bodily physique. I’ve no existential concern of dying. Really extra anticipation and curiosity.
At 73 years, I’ve already lived an incredible and great life. I’ve beloved and been beloved, starting with my outstanding mom who believed in me. With my work at Apple and Normal Magic I’m grateful that I might make optimistic contributions to the lives of many thousands and thousands of individuals, and even have an effect on the course of human evolution.
However I need extra high quality time to share life and experiences with Cai and with my family and friends. My bucket checklist shouldn’t be stuffed with locations to journey, however as an alternative with high quality time with these I like and those that love me.
I’m residing my life stuffed with gratitude. Every day is a particular reward to be unwrapped, loved, and cherished.
Thanks for praying for me.
Invoice Atkinson
