Author: Mike Knotts

EightBit_Atari font by Steve Boswell

Atari 8-bit Font for Windows and Mac Systems

Steve Boswell has painstakingly recreated classic 8-bit Atari font modern formats, originally developed for Windows and Mac systems by Mark Simonson.  Steve’s version has over a hundred variations, including for Adventure, as well as...

The About Finder window from Apple's GS/OS for the Apple IIGS

Apple IIGS Finder Window Wallpaper/Background

The Apple IIGS was intended to expand on the capabilities of the massively successful Apple IIe by adding enhanced graphics and sound, while also improving the system speed.  Central to the project was bringing...

The Welcome to Mac OS screen introduced in 1997 with System 8

Welcome to Mac OS Boot Screen Wallpaper/Background

In 1997, Apple released System 8 with a considerable makeover for the GUI emphasizing color.  Susan Kare updated her famous Welcome to Macintosh boot-up splash screen with another inspired design; the “2-face” Happy Mac....

The Hard Disk icon from TOS Operating System for Atari's ST, Mega and TT computers

Atari TOS Hard Disk Icon Background/Wallpaper

Representing the hierarchy of disks(volumes), directories, subdirectories, and files, presented a challenge when inventing graphical user interfaces for computers.  Today, we’ve settled on the folder/sub-folder/file paradigm for Windows and Macs.  Early GUIs had similar,...

Atari “About TOS” Window Screen

In September 1984, Atari sent a team of its best engineers to the offices of Digital Research in Monterey, CA.  The teams goal was to port Digital Research’s GEM graphical user interface to Atari’s...

The "Welcome to Macintosh" greeting, seen through System 7.5 of Mac OS

Welcome to Macintosh Screens

After the initial power-on chimes, and after Happy Mac (but not after Sad Mac), and just before the Finder is ready, the original Apple Macintosh computers would greet the user with this simple, and...

Don't worry, be happy

Happy Mac Screens

When booting up, the original Apple Macintosh computers would greet the user with one of two icons.  Happy Mac meant that your Macintosh was operating well and was ready-to-go.  As opposed to the Sad...