Flipboard Tech Desk<p>Computer engineer and Apple veteran William "Bill" Atkinson has died of pancreatic cancer at age 74. Atkinson created the QuickDraw graphics engine, which made the Macintosh interface possible and, says <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>arstechnica</span></a></span>'s <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@benjedwards" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>benjedwards</span></a></span>, "transformed abstract computer science into intuitive visual experiences that millions would use daily." </p><p>"I say this with no hyperbole: Bill Atkinson may well have been the best computer programmer who ever lived," wrote veteran Apple analyst <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@gruber" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>gruber</span></a></span> on his Daring Fireball blog. "Without question, he's on the short list. What a man, what a mind, what gifts to the world he left us." Here's Edwards' story; find Gruber's full tribute at the second link.</p><p><a href="https://flip.it/UJO0cf" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">flip.it/UJO0cf</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://flip.it/ImgyIy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">flip.it/ImgyIy</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/ComputerScience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ComputerScience</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/BillAtkinson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BillAtkinson</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/SoftwareEngineering" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftwareEngineering</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Apple" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Apple</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Tech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tech</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Technology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Technology</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/RIP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RIP</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/InMemoriam" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>InMemoriam</span></a></p>