A graphical user interface, or GUI, lets users interact with devices using icons, buttons, and menus. Most devices and applications use GUIs, making them important to understand. Before GUIs, there were character user interfaces, or CUIs. The first consumer GUI was in the Xerox Star in 1981, followed by Apple’s Macintosh in 1984 and Windows 1.0 in 1985. Today, GUIs are standard, replacing text-based interfaces with visuals that show relevant information and actions to users.
GUI Basics
What is GUI and example?
A graphical user interface, or GUI, communicates with computers using graphical symbols. It lets you use pictures to tell the computer what you want.
What is GUI vs UI?
GUI, or Graphical User Interface, focuses on on-screen elements’ layout, like buttons and menus. UI, or User Interface, deals with how users interact with these elements. GUIs are about visuals, while UI encompasses both design and interaction. UI designers ensure intuitive, efficient navigation and responsive design.
What is the difference between GUI and desktop?
A desktop environment is a set of programs with a common GUI, acting as a graphical shell on computer systems. It uses the desktop metaphor, displaying icons and windows. DEs help access files but might not show all system features.
The most common DE is Windows Shell on Microsoft Windows. On tablets and smartphones, Unix-like systems dominate, while PCs mainly run Windows. Desktop environments are dynamic on Unix-family systems, with various options like IceWM and ROX Desktop available.