FRESS, File Retrieval and Editing SyStem [Dam, 75.].

FRESS, like NLS [Engelbart, 73], has cross- reference facilities that allow any part of a document to reference or actually access any other part of It or another document. It has been used in large document preparation [Strandberg, 76.], including the preparation of a richly interconnected, multi-author "communal text" [Cateno, 79.].data structure. Pictures are displayed through calls to a 2D graphics package [Trent, 80.] based on the proposed CORE graphics standard [GSPC, 79"]. (presenting complex computer-based documents, steven feiner, sandor nagy, andries van dam, 1981, acm)

their work on "an integrated system for creating and presenting complex computer-based documents" was supported in part by the office of naval research and strongly influenced by fress.

We envision a portable maintenance aid for the 1990's in the form of a suitcase-sized device containing a high-resolution color screen for the display of pictures and text, a touch-sensitive overlay, voice input/output, and a mass storage device [Gurwitz, 79]. Sophisticated repair and test equipment would be built into (or directly interfaced to) the system. Thus, the technician's role would be minimized, whenever possilble, to mechanically attaching test leads to equipment and operating automated repair equipment.

live before power point and others.

Most links on that FRESS page are dead. But Nielsons preweb Hypertext '87 Trip Report gives a very nice overview of where the discussion stood (very anti Apple) before the web. Non of them expected www to come along so soon. I guess they would have expected "company intranets" earlier than that. And Nelson who was involved in HES, mother of FRESS, called the Mac a stupid paper simulator even then. Many of those old guys sure hated PCs. Funnily hardware hardly ever failed on me, save AirExtreme last year. And it was all there then, the augmenting, the data discussion, web 2.0 - 7.1.
My favourite quote in the Nielson Paper is about Engelbarts NLS:
The Augment system [originally called NLS (12)] is still being used and now has about 100,000 articles stored online after 17 years of use by a total of about 2000 people.
So there's a difference. Cheap hardware is molto importante.
Thx for that wonderful link that I never detected in so many visits to useit.com