Paul Brainerd Dies at 78; Pioneered Desktop Publishing With PageMaker
The New York Times • • business
Key Points:
- Paul Brainerd, founder of Aldus Corporation and creator of PageMaker software, died at 78 on February 15 at his home in Washington, having lived with Parkinson’s disease and choosing to end his life under the Death With Dignity Act.
- PageMaker revolutionized publishing by enabling small-business owners, journalists, and others to design and print newsletters, brochures, and newspapers digitally, replacing the traditional, labor-intensive paste-up process.
- Brainerd coined the term "desktop publishing" to describe the software that combined word processing and graphics capabilities, effectively putting an entire publishing company on a user's desktop.
- Desktop publishing was a pioneering digital disruption that foreshadowed major technological shifts in industries like newspapers and books
