Today’s tablet computers evolved from pen computing technology, which started as a way to capture handwriting with stylus devices. Here is a timeline of major events in the evolution of tablets.1888: A U.S. patent was granted to Elisha Gray for an electrical stylus device for capturing handwriting.
1915: A U.S. patent was granted on a handwriting user interface with a stylus.
1942: A U.S. patent was granted on a touchscreen used for handwriting input.
1957: The Styalator electronic tablet with pen is invented; it is the first tablet that resembles the tablet computers we use today.
Early 1960s: The RAND tablet (also known as Grafacon) was invented; this is often misidentified as the first tablet device. It sold for $18,000.
1966: Crew members on Star Trek carried large, wedge-shaped electronic clipboards, operated through the use of a stylus.
1982: Pencept introduces a general-purpose computer terminal using a tablet with handwriting recognition.
1989: The GRiDPad from GRiD Systems was introduced, running on MS-DOS.
1991: GO Corp. developed the PenPoint OS for tablet coputers. NCR released the Model 3125 pen computer running on MS-DOS and the new PenPoint OS.
1993: Apple Computer releases the Newton PDA. IBM releases the ThinkPad, its first commercial portable tablet PC. AT&T releases the EO Personal Communicator with wireless communications.
2002: Motion Computing ships its first tablet on Microsoft’s Tablet OS.
2003: PaceBlade releases the PaceBook Tablet PC. Fingerworks develops the touch technology and gestures that are later used in the Apple iPhone.
2006: The Samsung Q1 UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) is released.
2008: The touch interface becomes mainstream as HP releases its multi-touch capable TouchSmart tx2 series.
2009: The Asus tablet netbook EEE PC is released with a multi-touch screen. Always Innovating introduces a tablet netbook with an ARM CPU.
2010: Apple debuts the iPad.
2011: At the Consumer Electronics Show, more than 80 new tablets are announced.
