What were the primary technological and social drivers that led to the development of the personal workstation? Adele Goldberg, a key figure in the evolution of graphical user interfaces and object-oriented programming at Xerox PARC, compiles a historical account of the personal workstation. By leveraging the firsthand experiences of the engineers and researchers who built these systems, the book examines the transition from centralized mainframe computing to decentralized, individual-focused hardware. The text provides a framework for understanding how specific design philosophies shaped the modern computing landscape.

Experts recognize this work as a primary source for understanding the origins of modern desktop computing. Readers frequently note the technical depth and the value of the insider perspectives provided by the contributors.