[lotsofmangos]

RiscOS had the x as well in the late 1980s

edit - Here's Arthur, the precursor to RiscOS in ~ 1986 - http://www.rougol.jellybaby.net/meetings/2012/PaulFellows/10... - It has nice x icons.

[LeoPanthera]

Here's a cleaner shot: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/Risc_OS_311_De...

Until the NewLook sprite set, it looks more like a weird flower shape than an X.

Here it is with NewLook: http://www.guidebookgallery.org/pics/gui/desktop/full/riscos...

Clearly now an X.

[gpvos]

That's RISC OS 3, which is several years later. Arthur already had the X in 1987, see for example http://mobile.osnews.com/story.php/18941/mobile-opt-out.php . (Later than the 1985 find in Atari OS of the original article, but still interesting.)

As far as I know, Acorn's RISC OS also pioneered the icon bar and the context menu.

[LeoPanthera]

I see that, but it's the same symbol as pre-NewLook RO3, and is only charitably described as an "X". It's more of a splat.