<A target="_blank" href="http://news.techworld.com/sme/3214805/microsoft-boffin-wins-turing-award/?olo=rss">In 1974, while working at the Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), Charles P. Thacker</A> built a prototype desktop computer, the Alto. The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has now recognized his work by awarding him the 2009 AM Turing Award.