Alan Kay

Alan Kay is a prolific computer scientist known by many as the “father of personal computers." He's best known for his work on object-oriented programming languages, windowing graphical user interface design (also known as GUIs) and for leading the team that developed Smalltalk.

Alan Kay, co-creator of the Dynabook, and Adele Goldberg discuss the benefits of visual programming, exploring glitches in Game Boy, physical book design concepts, communication in software systems, societal complexities, computers as a meta medium, balancing present usability with future potential, children's computer preferences, computer animation evolution, creativity of kids using Smalltalk, limitations in paper evaluation and music composition tools, and the challenges in early music software.

Alan Kay, inventor of Dynabook, discusses his visionary concept for modern laptops, tablet computers, and e-books. Explore the history of dream machines, the development of the Dynabook, and its influence on portable computers. Discover Kay's vision for the future, the challenges in realizing it, and his concerns about current technology usage.