Did the Office Copier Inspire the iPhone?

Xerox lent Apple operating system concepts in 1983 which may have been the iPhone's inspiration.

When you use your company’s copier, does your iPod or iPhone come to mind? Probably not as many don’t realize that Xerox, the company that makes office copiers, was the inspiration for Apple's first user-friendly operating system. This system became the catalyst for innovations like the iPhone and iPod which have become today’s “must-have” gadgets. While Xerox still focuses today on their core competence in printing, one of their previous operating systems, Xerox Alto, lent concepts to Apple which paved the way for one of the world’s most innovative companies.

In 1983, Apple was offered concepts from Xerox’s Alto operating system in exchange for shares of its stock at favorable rates. Apple then utilized Xerox’s concepts to form a revolutionary operating system which offered a more user-friendly experience in comparison to Microsoft’s DOS system. Although the LISA computer was a commercial failure, the operating system’s innovative features were then used by Microsoft to develop today’s popular operating system, Windows. While it is a debate whether Microsoft stole Apple’s ideas, the rivalry continues today.

Apple has continued to create innovations to become one of the top technology companies in the country. They continue to change the way people work and play by creating inventions that offer products completely different than what’s expected or currently available. Next time you are using one of your office’s digital copiers, think about Apple and how their products have affected you. Whether it is your cell phone or computer, Apple is a company that will continue to surprise us for years into the future.

Zack Winder is a writer based in San Diego, California. He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as phone systems & business copiers at Resource Nation.