Bill Atkinson, creator of MacPaint and HyperCard, dies at 74

Bill Atkinson, a pioneering American computer engineer and programmer, passed away at 74 due to pancreatic cancer. Atkinson is best known for his groundbreaking work at Apple Computer, where he played a crucial role in shaping the graphical user interface (GUI) of the company's iconic Lisa and Macintosh computers.

Atkinson's contributions to Apple were significant, including designing and implementing Macintosh QuickDraw, a fundamental toolbox that enabled the Lisa and Macintosh computers to display shapes, text, and images efficiently. He also created MacPaint, one of the first graphics applications for personal computers, which introduced the concept of a "tool palette" and allowed users to create and manipulate images on the screen.

Additionally, Atkinson conceived and designed HyperCard, an early hypermedia system that enabled users to create interactive applications and databases.

During his time at Apple, Atkinson worked closely with Steve Jobs on the Macintosh project, joining the company in 1978 as employee No. 51. After leaving Apple in 1990, Atkinson co-founded General Magic and later pursued nature photography, focusing on close-up photographs of stones.

His legacy in the field of computing has been widely recognised, including receiving the EFF Pioneer Award in 1994 for his work on the Macintosh GUI.