--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Steve Jobs toured Xerox PARC and saw…" description: "\"When Steve Jobs toured Xerox PARC and saw computers running the first operating system that used Windows and a mouse, he assumed he was looking at a ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5a/douglas-rushkoff-2188_bills_when-steve-jobs-toured-xerox-parc-and-sa_1817052.png" --- # When Steve Jobs toured Xerox PARC and saw computers… ![“When Steve Jobs toured Xerox PARC and saw computers running the first operating system that used Windows and a mouse, he assumed he was looking at a new way to work a personal computer. He brought the concept back to Cupertino and created the Mac, then Bill Gates followed suit, and the rest is…” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5a/douglas-rushkoff-2188_bills_when-steve-jobs-toured-xerox-parc-and-sa_1817052.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5a/douglas-rushkoff-2188_bills_when-steve-jobs-toured-xerox-parc-and-sa_1817052.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5a/douglas-rushkoff-2188_bills_when-steve-jobs-toured-xerox-parc-and-sa_1817052.png) > “When Steve Jobs toured Xerox PARC and saw computers running the first operating system that used Windows and a mouse, he assumed he was looking at a new way to work a personal computer. He brought the concept back to Cupertino and created the Mac, then Bill Gates followed suit, and the rest is history.” [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observing Xerox PARC’s GUI inspired Jobs to rethink personal computing, leading to the Mac and later Windows, reshaping the industry. **In simple terms:** Seeing a new interface sparked a revolution in PCs. Key Takeaway Learn from others’ innovations to drive your own. Themes innovation technology competition leadership Mood inspired reflective Type historical analytical When to use this quote - product development - startup strategy - technology education - industry analysis Key Concepts human-computer interaction diffusion of ideas strategic adoption Questions to Reflect On - What can you adopt from rivals without copying? - How do you adapt ideas to your own vision? A Different Perspective Adopting ideas without understanding context can lead to missteps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Operating systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operating-systems/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [As Apple continues to release new styles of netbooks, laptops, and even desktops with untold movie-watching and game-playing capabilities, I wouldn't be surprised to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/as-apple-continues-to-release-new-styles-of-netbooks-laptops-and-even/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Technology has moved away from sharing and toward ownership. This suits software and hardware companies just fine: They create new, bloated programs that require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/technology-has-moved-away-from-sharing-and-toward-ownership-this/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [The iPad - contrary to the way most people thought about it - is not a tablet computer running the Apple operating system. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-ipad-contrary-to-the-way-most-people-thought-about-it-is-not-a/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [It feels as if ever since the iPhone was released, the Macintosh computer has become just another leverage point in this other operating system's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/it-feels-as-if-ever-since-the-iphone-was-released-the-macintosh/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Unlike the Tea Party, who see themselves as the customers of government, people in the Occupy Wall Street movement understand that we are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/unlike-the-tea-party-who-see-themselves-as-the-customers-of/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [The crucial legacy of the personal computer is that anyone can write code for it and give or sell that code to you -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-crucial-legacy-of-the-personal-computer-is-that-anyone-can-write/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Thus even as servers die or are put to sleep, even as operating systems come and go, I can carry the work forward-despite all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ford/thus-even-as-servers-die-or-are-put-to-sleep-even-as-operating/) [Paul Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ford/) > [To a programmer, an operating system is defined by its API.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-petzold/to-a-programmer-an-operating-system-is-defined-by-its-api/) [Charles Petzold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-petzold/) > [It is the fate of operating systems to become free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-the-fate-of-operating-systems-to-become-free/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [By the time Apple's Macintosh operating system finally falls into the public domain, there will be no machine that could possibly run it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/by-the-time-apple-s-macintosh-operating-system-finally-falls-into-the/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Technically, Windows is an "operating system," which means that it supplies your computer with the basic commands that it needs to suddenly, with no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/technically-windows-is-an-operating-system-which-means-that-it/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I started Linux as a desktop operating system. And it's the only area where Linux hasn't completely taken over. That just annoys the hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-started-linux-as-a-desktop-operating-system-and-it-s-the-only-area/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [EVERY MOMENT IN business happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/every-moment-in-business-happens-only-once-the-next-bill-gates-will/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [Culture is your operating system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/culture-is-your-operating-system/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Willpower is the fuel that runs human life; Like a driver in a computer application, Or Operating System in cyber programme, Willpower works life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/praveen-kumar/willpower-is-the-fuel-that-runs-human-life-like-a-driver-in-a/) [Praveen Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/praveen-kumar/) ## More by Douglas Rushkoff > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digital media are biased toward replication and storage. Our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on Facebook, and our most deleted e-mails tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digital-media-are-biased-toward-replication-and-storage-our-digital/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“And spend they did. Money circulated faster and spread wider through its communities of use than at any other time in economic history.8 Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/and-spend-they-did-money-circulated-faster-and-spread-wider-through/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/occupy-wall-street-is-meant-more-as-a-way-of-life-that-spreads/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Time has always been used against us on a certain level. 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