The Alto, built at (and named after) the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), was the first networked personal computer. Ethernet technology, also invented at PARC, was first used to connect Altos. Created by the team of Ed McCreight, Chuck Thacker, Butler Lampson, Bob Sproull and Dave Boggs to explore office automation, the Alto was the first production machine to have a bit-mapped display and a mouse.
Though Xerox was unable to market the Alto -- they cost $32,000 in 1979 -- the computer impressed many others who did push the technologies. For example, Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs was so impressed when he saw the Alto, he created the revolutionary Apple Macintosh in its image.