Bill Atkinson, Jenius Engineer Behind MacPaint And HyperCard, Dies At 74 Years Old

JAKARTA The world of technology mourns the passing of William D. "Bill" Atkinson, one of the most influential engineers in Apple's early history. Atkinson died on June 5, 2025 due to complications of pancreatic cancer. He breathed his last at his home in Portola Valley, surrounded by his beloved family.

In a family statement shared via Facebook, Atkinson is referred to as "an extraordinary figure who has changed the world with his whereabouts." She leaves behind a wife, two daughters, a boy's stepson, a stepdaughter, two brothers, four sisters, and her beloved dog, Poppy.

Graphic Interface Pioneer

Joining Apple in 1978 as the 51st employee, Atkinson is one of the main characters behind the development of Lisa's first mitigating computer and graphics system. He is known as the creator of a number of revolutionary innovations, including:

- Spread (upload menu)

- Selection wesso and animation "marchingants"

- Algorithm midpoint circle for drawing circles quickly on screen

- RoundRects, a rectangular design element with a rounding angle that is still used in Apple products today

As the main character behind MacPaint and creator of HyperCard a "hypermedia" platform that allows anyone to build apps such as compiling a lego block Atkinson paves the way for easier and more interactive software development in the early era of death.

After Apple: AI And Nature Photographs

Atkinson left Apple in 1990 and joined General Magic, a visionary technology company with Andy Hertzfeld and Marc Porat. He later joined the initial AI company, Numenta, in 2007 and expressed great interest in the future of artificial intelligence.

Outside the world of technology, Atkinson is widely known as a talented natural photographer. His books and printed works are still being sold through his personal website, and he has received many awards for the beauty and depth of his work.

Respect From His Colleagues

Memories of Atkinson are also immortalized on Andy Hertzfeld's folklore.org site, which contains the stories of Apple's pioneers. In one of the entries, Atkinson recalled when he was first recruited by Steve Jobs in 1979 and worked alongside big figures such as Susan Kare, Jef Raskin, and Jobs himself.

"He was fascinated by the awareness, and when he moved to another level of consciousness, we hoped for a meaningful journey when he was in our lives," his family wrote.

Bill Atkinson is not just an engineer he is an artist in the world of code, visionary thinkers, and creative souls who have left a lasting footprint in the history of technology and art. The world will always be different because it has lived in it.