Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) came up with the idea of a mouse that moves the cursor around the screen to click on icons. You're probably using one now. Xerox invented the mouse and the idea of little pictures, file folders, documents, etc. because they thought it would help computer illiterate executives.
The powers that be at Xerox basically said, "Cute, but there's no market for it. Why would executives want to use a computer?" Over strong objections of its engineers, Xerox gave Jobs a look at the technology. The rest is history...
...oh yeah, Jobs being Jobs, couldn't resist bragging about the concept he stole from Xerox. And Gates being Gates couldn't resist stealing it for Microsoft.
I'd have thought the same thing the Xerox execs did, it took years before I got a computer, and then only over my "better judgement."
But what a tragedy for Xerox.