While Apple stated that they were the first creators of tablet computers, Microsoft comes to argue the same. Thorn Holwerda (2010) however states that neither of the two it monoliths were the creator of tablet PC. "Well, no. They're both wrong. Both Microsoft and Apple were late to the game when it comes to tablet computing, and so far, neither of the two companies have been able to popularize the paradigm in any meaningful way - but boy, did they try" (Holwerda, 2010).
In understanding the history of the tablet computer, it is first necessary to differentiate between the concept of the tablet computer and the resulting final product. The concept of the tablet computer was introduced by Alan Kay and the generic name of the computer would be DynaBook. Kay developed the concept throughout the 1960s and 1970s decades. The DynaBook was designed as a tablet style, hand held computer. It would contain a hardware keyboard and a screen; the screen would be constructed using liquid crystals, a recent innovation of the days. The DynaBook was of the size of a notebook and its purpose would be that of gathering information. The creator of the concept believed that the DynaBook would be able to wirelessly connect to an information storage center and retrieve the data required by the user from the respective information center. It would also be able to play audio files or record audio messages.
The DynaBook, source: Thorn Holwerda (2010)
Aside the traditionally accepted elements of the tablet PC, namely the touch screen and the mobile shape, Kay also referred to another string of functionalities which would only be up for implementation several decades in the future. It was initially created as a product for children in order to support their educational processes. Nevertheless, it became much more as it raised new ideas and set the basis for the development and growth of the tablet computers sector.
Thorn Holwerda (2010) mentions that it cannot be believed that the DynaBook was the single concept for the tablet computer, but it nevertheless was the most popular one. Ideas of tablet computers or other specific applications have been present long before Kay developed the DynaBook concept. References to stylus usage for instance date back as far as 1888 (Holwerda, 2010). Elisha Gray's Telautograph -- the predecessor of the fax machine -- of 1888 is widely recognized as the "forerunner of the modern tablet" (Smith, 2010).
Despite early on efforts, the first tablet computers were only created during the 1950s and 1960s decades. A relevant example in this sense is constituted by the 1964 RAND, also known as Grafacon or Graphic Converter. It used a stylus which transmitted impulses through a fine grid of conductors in the drawing surface. It was sold for $18,000.
The Rand Tablet. Source: Catharine Smith, 2010
By 1972, a new tablet was created under the name of Digital Graphic. It was sold to educational institutions and to research laboratories, but due to technological advent, it soon became obsolete. The Apple Graphics Tablet was introduced in 1979 and it allowed users to draw on the surface and then have the drawings transferred on computers. Despite the consumer friendly price of $650, the device was unsuccessful and unpopular.
The Apple Graphics Tablet, Source: Catharine Smith, 2010
By the end of the 1980s decade, portable computers came to be developed. Among the very first ones was the GridPad, which weighted 5 pounds and was sold for $2,370. It was well received by both consumers as well as technicians, but the manufacturer encountered difficulties and the product was lost. Then came the 1991 NCR System 3125 which used the PenPoint operating system and which was recognized as a "computer that is truly ahead of its time" (Smith, 2010, quoting the New York Times in 1991).
Two years later, the at&T EO PC was introduced and it integrated a series of developments and improvements relative to its predecessors. It for instance integrated a cellular telephone, a modem, a fax, speakers, a microphone and a hard drive. The company then changed its direction and strived to develop smart phones, but soon enough renounced its objectives.
The at&T EO PC, Source: Catharine Smith, 2010
In 1995 a new tablet computer was released. It was the slimmest to be produced by that time. It retailed at a price of $1,399 and it was entitled the Zenith CruisePad. In 1998, the Fujitsu Stylistic 2300 was launched; it was in fact one...
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