<s>
Balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
help	O
system	O
introduced	O
by	O
Apple	O
Computer	O
in	O
their	O
1991	O
release	O
of	O
System	B-Operating_System
7.0	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
leadup	O
to	O
System	B-Operating_System
7	I-Operating_System
,	O
Apple	O
studied	O
the	O
problem	O
of	O
getting	O
help	O
in	O
depth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
this	O
problem	O
that	O
Apple	O
decided	O
to	O
attack	O
,	O
and	O
after	O
extensive	O
testing	O
,	O
settled	O
on	O
Balloon	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
as	O
the	O
solution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
was	O
Apple	B-Protocol
Guide	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
would	O
be	O
added	O
to	O
System	O
7.5	O
in	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
was	O
activated	O
by	O
choosing	O
Show	O
Balloon	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
from	O
System	B-Operating_System
7	I-Operating_System
's	O
new	O
Help	O
menu	O
(	O
labelled	O
with	O
a	O
Balloon	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
icon	O
in	O
System	B-Operating_System
7	I-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
Apple	B-Protocol
Guide	I-Protocol
icon	O
in	O
System	O
7.5	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
word	O
Help	O
in	O
Mac	O
OS	O
8	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
was	O
active	O
,	O
moving	O
the	O
mouse	O
over	O
an	O
item	O
would	O
display	O
help	O
for	O
that	O
item	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
was	O
deactivated	O
by	O
choosing	O
Hide	O
Balloon	B-Protocol
Help	I-Protocol
from	O
the	O
same	O
menu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
underlying	O
system	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
resources	B-Operating_System
included	O
in	O
application	O
software	O
,	O
holding	O
text	O
that	O
would	O
appear	O
in	O
the	O
balloons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
balloon	O
content	O
when	O
displayed	O
in	O
text	O
typically	O
was	O
sourced	O
entirely	O
from	O
resources	B-Operating_System
,	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
be	O
added	O
fairly	O
easily	O
using	O
Apple	O
's	O
Rez	O
resource	O
compiler	O
or	O
third-party	O
software	O
like	O
Resourcerer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
subsequently	O
introduced	O
the	O
similar	O
"	O
tooltips	O
"	O
in	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
,	O
which	O
serves	O
a	O
similar	O
purpose	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
are	O
generally	O
smaller	O
and	O
appear	O
without	O
being	O
specifically	O
turned	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
similar	O
system	O
called	O
""	O
was	O
used	O
in	O
OPENSTEP	B-Operating_System
and	O
retained	O
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
concept	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
adopted	O
as	O
an	O
optional	O
alternative	O
to	O
tooltips	O
in	O
later	O
versions	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
,	O
which	O
uses	O
balloons	O
to	O
highlight	O
and	O
explain	O
aspects	O
of	O
various	O
programs	O
or	O
operating	O
system	O
features	O
(	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
is	O
also	O
highly	O
visible	O
in	O
the	O
Squeak	B-Operating_System
Smalltalk	I-Operating_System
environment	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
Enlightenment	B-Application
window	I-Application
manager	I-Application
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
AmigaOS	B-Application
's	O
MUI	B-Library
.	O
</s>
<s>
Incidentally	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
add	O
their	O
own	O
embodiment	O
of	O
Balloon	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
by	O
acquiring	O
the	O
original	O
patent	O
among	O
many	O
purchased	O
from	O
Apple	O
Computer	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
