乔布斯传 第168期:图形用户界面之争

 The Battle of the GUI

图形用户界面之争

At that time, Microsoft was producing an operating system, known as DOS,

微软当时已经开发出了DOS操作系统，

which it licensed¹ to IBM and compatible computers.

并授权给IBM和兼容电脑使用

It was based on an old-fashioned command line interface² that confronted users with surly little prompts such as C:\>.

DOS系统采用老式的命令行界面，会显示出小而呆板的系统提示符，如C:\>。

As Jobs and his team began to work closely with Microsoft,

乔布斯及其团队开始和微软密切合作

they grew worried that it would copy Macintosh's graphical user interface.

同时他们担心微软会抄袭麦金塔的图形界面的思路。

双语有声读物 乔布斯传

Andy Hertzfeld noticed that his contact at Microsoft was asking detailed³ questions about how the Macintosh operating system worked.

安迪·赫茨菲尔德注意到，微软方面的联系人就麦金塔操作系统如何运作询问了太多细节问题，这令苹果更感忧虑。

"I told Steve that I suspected that Microsoft was going to clone the Mac," he recalled.

“我跟史蒂夫说，我怀疑微软打算抄袭Mac，”赫茨菲尔德回忆说，

They were right to worry.

他们的担忧不无道理。

Gates believed that graphical interfaces⁴ were the future,

盖茨相信，图形界面是未来的方向；

and that Microsoft had just as much right as Apple did to copy what had been developed at Xerox⁵ PARC.

他觉得，微软完全有权像苹果一样，仿照施乐PARC所开发的东西，开发自己的图形界面。

As he freely admitted later, "We sort of say, 'Hey, we believe in graphics⁶ interfaces, we saw the Xerox Alto too.'"

后来，盖茨坦率地承认：“我们多少是这么想的，‘嘿，我们也看好图形界面，我们也见识过施乐PARC的成果。’”

In their original deal, Jobs had convinced Gates to agree that

在双方最开始的合同中，乔布斯说服盖茨同意，

Microsoft would not create graphical software for anyone other than Apple

微软不得将任何图形软件卖给其他公司。

until a year after the Macintosh shipped in January 1983.

直到麦金塔于1983年1月发布的一年之后。

Unfortunately for Apple, it did not provide for the possibility that the Macintosh launch would be delayed for a year.

但对苹果来说不幸的是，他们没有想到麦金塔会推迟一年发布。

So Gates was within his rights when, in November 1983,

因此，1983年11月，完全在盖茨权力范围内

he revealed that Microsoft planned to develop a new operating system for IBM PCs

他宣布微软计划为IBM个人电脑开发一套新的操作系统，

featuring a graphical interface with windows, icons⁷, and a mouse for point-and-click navigation.

该操作系统采用图形界面，有窗口、图标和可以指向并点击的鼠标。

It would be called Windows.

它被称为Windows。

Gates hosted a Jobs-like product announcement,

盖茨主持了一次乔布斯风格的产品发布会

the most lavish⁸ thus far in Microsoft's history, at the Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York.

这是微软当时所举办的最豪华的发布活动。在纽约赫尔姆斯利大饭店举行。

1 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

2 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。

3 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

4 interfaces   

界面( interface的名词复数 )； 接口（连接两装置的电路，可使数据从一种代码转换成另一种代码）； 交界； 联系

参考例句：

• If the class needs to be reprogrammed, new interfaces are created. 如果class需要重新程序设计，新的interfaces创建。
• Interfaces solve this problem of evolving code. Interfaces解决了代码升级的问题。

5 xerox   

n./v.施乐复印机，静电复印

参考例句：

• Xerox and Lucent are two more high-tech companies run by women.施乐和朗讯是另外两家由女性经营的大科技公司。
• You cannot take it home,but you can xerox it.你不能把它带回家，但可以复印。

6 graphics   

n.制图法，制图学；图形显示

参考例句：

• You've leveraged your graphics experience into the video area.你们把图形设计业务的经验运用到录像业务中去。
• Improved graphics took computer games into a new era.经改进的制图技术将电脑游戏带进了一个新时代。

7 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。