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Metaphor Computer Systems 1982-1992

A Xerox PARC spin-off that created an advanced workstation, database gateway, a unique graphical office interface, and software applications that communicate. The Metaphor machine was one of the first commercial workstations to offer a complete hardware/software package and a GUI. The company was acquired by one of its chief customers IBM in 1992. Although it achieved some commercial success, it never achieved the fame of the Apple Macintosh, or somewhat later Microsoft Windows.

The company was founded by David Liddle and Don Massaro. The head of engineering was Charles Irby.

Contents 1 Hardware 2 GUI Origins 3 DIS 4 Capsule 5 Patriot Partners 6 References

A Metaphor workstation was lightweight and efficient. It had a wireless keyboard, a wireless mouse, a wireless numeric pad, and a wireless 5 function keypad. All these input devices docked and were recharged automatically in the desktop workstation. Objects on the desktop and open applications had a uniform command set that could be controlled by the keypad which had "Copy, Move, Delete, Options, and (Create?). Workstations were connected with Ethernet. The industrial design of the workstation was done by Mike Nutall of Matrix Product Design. It won a gold medal from the IDSA. The worksation itself was engineered by James Yurchenco at David Kelley Design. Both Matrix and David Kelley Design were precursors of IDEO.

Two different workstations were designed and released. Workstation One had an external electronics enclosure. Worstation Two had integrated electronics.

Xerox PARC had in 1979 developed the Alto developed by Metaphor VP of Engineering Charles Irby. Alto was the first computer with a bitmap display, mouse and a desktop metaphor as a graphical user interface (GUI). Xerox commercialized it as the Star. David Liddle was head of Business Development at Xerox and obtained keen insights from customers. Although Xerox thought their GUI systems would sell more Xerox machines, businesses really wanted access to data bases.

The Metaphor GUI provided a unique visualization of end to end elements in an enterprise. In total, Metaphor branded this as a Data Interpretation System ^[1]

(DIS). It represented everything from database gateway, to desktop analysis application in the form of spreadsheet and charting, and finally to email and printing tools.

Because Metaphor applications were built so they communicated to each other, they could be moved into and automated in a "Capsule". The name taken from the manned space capsules of the time. Even in today's GUI designs, this concept has never been attempted because it requires the interoperation of every application, a uniform dataflow model, and a communication protocol useable by a supervisor in a programatic way.

As the company grew, it found it had an ideal product for brand managers at companies like Proctor and Gamble, who bought their systems hardware from IBM. Metaphor and IBM created a venture called Patriot Partners that eventually included Apple Computer. The attempt was to create an organization that could produce a solid business line of object-oriented software. Rather than capitalize the venture, IBM purchased Metaphor in 1992.

Metaphor was located at 1965 Charleston Road, Mountain View California.