Bill Atkinson, the innovative computer engineer, has passed away at the age of 74. Renowned for his creative genius in developing Apple's early Macintosh computers, Atkinson died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Portola Valley, California, on June 5th, as announced by his family on Facebook.

Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, paid tribute to Atkinson, who contributed to the company during the 1970s and 1980s. Atkinson was instrumental in the creation of groundbreaking applications like MacPaint and HyperCard, which laid the groundwork for the World Wide Web. Cook described him as a true visionary whose creativity and pioneering work inspire generations to come.

Before the launch of Macintosh in 1984, software required complex commands for operation. Atkinson's ingenuity made computers accessible to millions without a technical background, revolutionizing user interaction with features like drop-down menus and the double-click.

The QuickDraw revolution was another testament to Atkinson's brilliance. This 2D graphics library defined the pixel as the core unit of graphic information, as opposed to vector-based systems reliant on mathematical attributes. Atkinson's work paved the way for the Macintosh's graphical interface.

Steven Levy, editor of Wired magazine, highlighted Atkinson in his book "Insanely Great," not only as a person with "fiery blue eyes" and a "Pancho Villa mustache," but as someone determined to reinvent the wheel and ultimately succeeded in doing so.

QuickDraw was the invisible engine powering the Macintosh. Without it, MacPaint, interactive graphic windows, and a user-friendly visual experience wouldn't have existed. Atkinson's contributions defined technological advancements in the 1980s and beyond.