Eazel

Last updated
Eazel
Industry Software development
FoundedAugust 1999;24 years ago (1999-08) in Mountain View, California
Founder Andy Hertzfeld
DefunctMay 15, 2001;22 years ago (2001-05-15)
FateDefunct
Headquarters
Mountain View, California
,
United States
Key people
 Andy Hertzfeld, Bud Tribble, Mike Boich, Darin Adler, Bart Decrem, Susan Kare
Number of employees
75 (2001)
Website Eazel.com at the Wayback Machine (archived May 10, 2000)

Eazel was an American software company operating from 1999 to 2001 in Palo Alto [1] and then Mountain View, California. [2] The company's flagship product is the Nautilus file manager for the GNOME desktop environment on Linux, which was immediately adopted and maintained by the free software movement. As the core of Eazel's business model, it is an early example of cloud storage services in the form of personal file storage, transparently and portably stored on the Internet. Renamed to Files, this application continues to be a centerpiece of some free Linux-based desktop environments.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History

Eazel was founded by Andy Hertzfeld in August 1999 in Mountain View, California. It had 22 initial employees and raised US$12 million from several venture capital investment companies. [3] [4] Initially, all the programmers worked on every aspect of the product and eventually specialized on its components. [5]

The company grew from 22 employees in 1999 [4] to 75 employees in 2001 [2] [6] and was named one of the top 10 companies to watch among "earsplitting buzz surrounding Linux", by Red Herring magazine. [4]

Staff consisted of former employees of many technology companies such as Apple, Netscape, Be Inc., Linuxcare, Microsoft, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems. Mike Boich was CEO, having been a major figure at Apple and co-founder of Radius; Bud Tribble was VP of Engineering, having been software manager and a designer of the original Macintosh project; Andy Hertzfeld was a principal designer, having been a lead software engineer and a designer of the original Macintosh project; Darin Adler led development, having been the technical lead for System 7 for the Macintosh; and Susan Kare designed new vector graphics-based iconography, having designed the original Macintosh icons. Other staff included programmer Maciej Stachowiak, who was a programmer and board member for GNOME; and board member Michael Homer, formerly of Apple, AOL, and Netscape. [1] [7] [8] [3]

Eazel's flagship product is the Nautilus file manager for the GNOME desktop environment. [9] [10] In this, the company faced several simultaneous challenges: creating a lot of intricate user-facing software from scratch or from existing code which must target all the disparate Linux environment versions; integrating a corporate personality into the existing and outspoken volunteer community of the GNOME desktop environment; building upon a very small nascent market of Linux desktop users among an already widely served and monopolized desktop computing market; and monetizing free software for individual consumers by creating essential business services. In other words, Eazel sought to switch a groundswell of users from Macintosh and Windows to a new and immature system that free software users would want to pay for. Of the two predominant free desktop environments for Linux, the choice to target GNOME instead of KDE was made largely because of the questionable legality of the Qt license upon which KDE was based. [11] [ failed verification ] [4]

One thing that's different from us and a lot of the Linux hackers is that on our team we have a lot of people with a lot experience coming up with user interfaces without any prior example. ... It's hard to decide how much to copy and borrow, how much to invent, and how to make it all consistent. ... This is an issue for the whole GNOME project. We don't want to make Nautilus this weirdo program that's different from the rest of the system. We really feel like something we've barely started on is helping ratchet up the whole community into understanding how to do better user interfaces. Right now, the numbers [of Linux desktop users] are so small, there's huge room for improvement. They're small for a reason. [Existing Linux desktop software] doesn't have the properties that would make it nice for the desktop, to make it an obvious choice. ... Some of the revolutionary work we do will not only make it possible, but compelling.

—  Darin Adler, project lead of Nautilus at Eazel [11]

In December 2000, Dell invested a "substantial stake" in Eazel [6] and committed to preloading Nautilus on its Linux-based desktop and laptop systems, while Eazel preannounced its core business services which were woven directly into the free Nautilus application. Described as the "network user experience", those services are the Software Catalog to aid users in locating and installing applications, and Eazel Online Storage for easily storing and browsing files via their desktop or web browser. [6] [12] [13]

The company failed to successfully monetize, or to secure more funding before venture capital ran out, and the technology market changed drastically in the two years of the company's lifespan. On March 13, 2001, Eazel simultaneously launched the first release of Nautilus (version 1.0), [13] and laid off most of its 75 employees in an attempt to secure funding in its final few months. [2] [3] The company attempted to sell its core development group but ceased operations on May 15, 2001. [3] [14] [15]

Hertzfeld arranged a meeting with Steve Jobs and most of Apple's high level management. [5] In June 2001, most of Eazel's final roster of senior engineers joined Apple's Safari team, [16] including Bud Tribble, Lisa Melton, Darin Adler, John Sullivan, Ken Kocienda, and Maciej Stachowiak.

Legacy

The Nautilus file manager was received positively, [13] and has been incorporated into GNOME since GNOME version 1.4. [17] GNOME has renamed Nautilus to Files and now refers to some of Eazel's early concept of "network user experience" as "cloud storage", which is provisioned by a variety of sources including the complimentary Google Drive. Files is continuously maintained by the free software movement as a centerpiece of some free Linux-based desktop environments.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNOME Files</span> File manager

GNOME Files, formerly and internally known as Nautilus, is the official file manager for the GNOME desktop. Nautilus was originally developed by Eazel with many luminaries from the tech world including Andy Hertzfeld (Apple), chief architect for Nautilus. The name "Nautilus" was a play on words, evoking the shell of a nautilus to represent an operating system shell. Nautilus replaced Midnight Commander in GNOME 1.4 (2001) and has been the default file manager from version 2.0 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Hertzfeld</span> American programmer (born 1953)

Andrew Jay Hertzfeld is an American software engineer who was a member of Apple Computer's original Macintosh development team during the 1980s. After buying an Apple II in January 1978, he went to work for Apple Computer from August 1979 until March 1984, where he was a designer for the Macintosh system software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">System 6</span> Sixth major release of the classic Mac OS

System 6 is the sixth major release of the classic Mac OS operating system for Macintosh computers, made by Apple Computer. It was released in 1988. It is a monolithic operating system, with cooperative multitasking based on an improved MultiFinder. The boxed version cost US$49, and it was included with all new Macintosh computers until 1991, when it was succeeded by System 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Kare</span> American artist and graphic designer

Susan Kare is an American artist and graphic designer, who contributed interface elements and typefaces for the first Apple Macintosh personal computer from 1983 to 1986. She was employee #10 and Creative Director at NeXT, the company formed by Steve Jobs after he left Apple in 1985. She was a design consultant for Microsoft, IBM, Sony Pictures, Facebook, and Pinterest. As of 2023 Kare was an employee of Niantic Labs. As a pioneer of pixel art and of the graphical computer interface, she has been celebrated as one of the most significant designers of modern technology.

Darin Adler is a senior engineering manager for Apple and a frequent speaker at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference and Stump the Experts panelist.

Guy L. "Bud" Tribble was Vice President of Software Technology at Apple Inc.

A menu bar is a graphical control element which contains drop-down menus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNOME Keyring</span>

GNOME Keyring is a software application designed to store security credentials such as usernames, passwords, and keys, together with a small amount of relevant metadata. The sensitive data is encrypted and stored in a keyring file in the user's home directory. The default keyring uses the login password for encryption, so users don't need to remember another password.

A desktop environment is a collection of software designed to give functionality and a certain look and feel to an operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of free and open-source software</span>

In the 1950s and 1960s, computer operating software and compilers were delivered as a part of hardware purchases without separate fees. At the time, source code, the human-readable form of software, was generally distributed with the software providing the ability to fix bugs or add new functions. Universities were early adopters of computing technology. Many of the modifications developed by universities were openly shared, in keeping with the academic principles of sharing knowledge, and organizations sprung up to facilitate sharing. As large-scale operating systems matured, fewer organizations allowed modifications to the operating software, and eventually such operating systems were closed to modification. However, utilities and other added-function applications are still shared and new organizations have been formed to promote the sharing of software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trash (computing)</span> Temporary storage for deleted files

In computing, the trash, also known by other names such as dustbin, wastebasket, and others, is a graphical user interface desktop metaphor for temporary storage for files set aside by the user for deletion, but not yet permanently erased. The concept and name is part of Mac operating systems, a similar implementation is called the Recycle Bin in Microsoft Windows, and other operating systems use other names.

Two major families of Mac operating systems were developed by Apple Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNOME</span> Desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like systems

GNOME, originally an acronym for GNU Network Object Model Environment, is a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maciej Stachowiak</span> Polish American software developer (born 1976)

Maciej Stachowiak is a Polish American software developer currently employed by Apple Inc., where he is a leader of the development team responsible for the WebKit Framework. A longtime proponent of open source software, Stachowiak was involved with the SCWM, GNOME and Nautilus projects for Linux before joining Apple. He is actively involved the development of web standards, served as a co-chair of the World Wide Web Consortium's HTML 5 working group and was a member of the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group steering committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinnamon (desktop environment)</span> Desktop environment

Cinnamon is a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems, which was originally based on GNOME 3, but follows traditional desktop metaphor conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNOME 2</span> Second major release of GNOME

GNOME 2 is the second major release of the GNOME desktop environment. Building upon the release of GNOME 1, development of GNOME 2 focused on a greater design-oriented approach that simplified and standardized elements of the environment. It also introduced modern font and image rendering, with improved accessibility and internationalization, and improved performance. It was released on June 26, 2002 at the Linux Symposium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classic Mac OS</span> Original operating system of Apple Mac (1984–2001)

Mac OS is the series of operating systems developed for the Macintosh family of personal computers by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1984 to 2001, starting with System 1 and ending with Mac OS 9. The Macintosh operating system is credited with having popularized the graphical user interface concept. It was included with every Macintosh that was sold during the era in which it was developed, and many updates to the system software were done in conjunction with the introduction of new Macintosh systems.

Comparison of user features of operating systems refers to a comparison of the general user features of major operating systems in a narrative format. It does not encompass a full exhaustive comparison or description of all technical details of all operating systems. It is a comparison of basic roles and the most prominent features. It also includes the most important features of the operating system's origins, historical development, and role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNOME 1</span> First major release of GNOME

GNOME 1 is the first major release of the GNOME desktop environment. Its primary goal was to provide a consistent user-friendly environment in conjunction with the X Window System. It was also a modern and free and open source software alternative to older desktop environments such as the Common Desktop Environment (CDE), but also to the K Desktop Environment (KDE). Each desktop environment was built-upon then proprietary-licensed widget toolkits, whereas GNOME's goal from the onset, was to be freely-licensed, and utilize the GTK toolkit instead.

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Lydia (February 24, 2000). "Linux in every lap". Salon. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Smith, JT (March 14, 2001). "Nautilus 1.0 is out, you're all fired, have a nice day". NewsForge . Retrieved September 26, 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Consumer-Linux company Eazel closes". CNET News. May 15, 2001. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Shafer, Scott Tyler. "10 to Watch". Red Herring. Archived from the original on May 11, 2000. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Ragan, Gene (February 20, 2018). "Working at Eazel – An Interview with Gene Ragan". Stories of Apple (Interview). Interviewed by Nicola D'Agostino. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Scannell, Ed (December 4, 2000). "Eazel shows off Linux client". InfoWorld : 10. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Nautilus' contributors" . Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Welcome To Silicon Valley's Twilight Zone In the nation's mecca of technology, they say they've learned to stop worrying and love the crash. Anyone care to take a lie detector test?". Fortune . March 19, 2001. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  9. ↑ John Ochwat (September 15, 2000). "Eazel's Business Model". O'Reilly Network. O'Reilly Media. Retrieved September 26, 2007.
  10. ↑ Butler, Timothy R. (May 30, 2008). "Got Vision?". Open for Business.
  11. 1 2 Hall, Michael (September 8, 2000). "A Sneak Peek at Nautilus from Eazel". LinuxPlanet. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Dell Signs Linux Deal". Computerworld . December 4, 2000. p. 6. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 Michael Hall (March 15, 2001). "Review: Nautilus 1.0: Has Eazel Earned Its Place in GNOME?". LinuxPlanet. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Sorry We're Closed". Archived from the original on May 16, 2001. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  15. ↑ Weiss, Todd R. (2001-03-15). "Eazel launches Nautilus software then lays off 40 workers". Computerworld. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  16. ↑ "(fwd) Greetings from the Safari team at Apple Computer" (Mailing list). Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  17. ↑ GNOME (April 2, 2001). "GNOME 1.4 Released – Desktop Environment Boasts Power, Stability, Polish and Integration". GNOME press release. Archived from the original on March 3, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.