Back in November 1983, I had my first run-in with Bill Atkinson while reporting on the soon-to-launch Macintosh. You know, back when the personal computer wasn’t common dinner table talk. Everyone was buzzing about Bill and Andy—Atkinson and Andy Hertzfeld. Their work was apparently cracking the tech world wide open, or so we were told. When I met Atkinson, he showed me an over-the-top, bug-shaped joke on his screen—something that shouldn’t have run on a personal computer in those days. It was impressive, sure, but here’s what this really means: these guys wanted to break the mold, and they were doing it quietly in jeans and T-shirts, whispering reverentially about smashing barriers between words and pictures.
Atkinson was a big deal for the Macintosh with his fancy program, HyperCard, which predated the World Wide Web. His energy stayed high despite the circus around him. On June 5, 2025, he checked out of life after a long illness at 74, leaving a hole in the coding world. Here’s the lesson: Real talent doesn’t need to shout from the rooftops.
He stumbled into this tech pioneer gig. Studied neurobiology, fell in love with an Apple II, and that was that. At Apple, he was the one taking futuristic tech from Xerox PARC and making it consumer-ready. He invented QuickDraw and even the mundane Round-Rect, thanks to a walk with Jobs pointing out traffic signs. Atkinson’s work on the pricey Lisa made him the perfect poach for the Mac’s more wallet-friendly vision.
When the Mac launched, things came unglued for the team. Atkinson got the title of Apple Fellow—fancy words for “go do what you want”—and he tried to create the Magic Slate, an iPad twenty-five years too early. Spoiler: tech wasn’t there yet. Seeing the future doesn’t mean you can cash in on it.
Post-Slate, Atkinson hit a low. A walk under the influence got him rejigging concepts into what became HyperCard—virtual cards linking text, video, and audio. Anyone in tech knows it’s the hyperlinking game-changer. It showed John Sculley, Apple’s CEO, that it was time to get with the hyperlink program and he did, agreeing to ship it on every computer. Here’s the takeaway: sometimes you’re too early to the party, but hold your ground, and eventually, they catch up.
Atkinson left Apple in 1990 for General Magic with some big names. They aimed for an all-in-one handheld device—something like today’s iPhone, but too soon. Hard to sell a smartphone when the “smart” part isn’t around yet, and the tech’s too green to boot. Timing, folks. Miss it, and you’re toast.
Later, Atkinson pursued photography, capturing nature’s beauty—no tech required. I’ve got his photo book showing polished stones that’ll have you questioning reality. Last I saw him was at the Mac crew’s 40-year reunion, ebullient as ever, sharing stories and a laugh.
Atkinson’s body might’ve given out to cancer last year, but he left on his terms, saying he had a wonderful life. His free photography downloads, sailing trips, and family surrounds these past years just underline one thing: live it right; doesn’t matter if it’s too early or the tech’s catching up, what you leave behind is the real treasure. So take the walk after the storm, stare at the pixels in the sky, and see what you can salvage.
