Yeah Xerox really screwed up. Apple and Microsoft ran with it, but they didn't have the real ingenuity that went into the creation of the Alto and Star. Xerox gave us the mouse, the GUI, the personal computer and Ethernet all in one go but they just didn't realize what they had. That kind of ingenuity doesn't come around often and they squandered the opportunity they had. Though they may not have become synonymous with modern day computing, I still think they, or more specifically their talented thinkers, deserve an indelible place in computing history. They truly changed the world even if they didn't capitalize on it.
Oh, agreed. Just because they didn't capitalize on it doesn't meant that their contribution to humanity is any less significant. It's simply an incredibly poignant and recent cautionary tale against hubris and aversion to risk-taking. Like when you're in school and you know the right answer, but second-guess yourself and give the answer you think someone wants to hear— only to realize you were right the first time, but now someone else answered correctly and stole all the glory .
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