History of tablet computers
Encyclopedia
The tablet computer
and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing
technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots.
The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products. For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888.
The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915.
The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.
In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept
, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus were among the best known of a crowded field. Later, GO Corp.
brought out the PenPoint OS
operating system for a tablet computer product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.
technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots. The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products. For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888.
The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915.
The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956. Alan Kay
attempted to formulate his Dynabook
concept as a tablet as early as 1968; to this day, his concept has not yet been fully realized.
In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept
, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus
were among the best known of a crowded field. Later, GO Corp.
brought out the PenPoint OS
operating system for a tablet product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.
In 1987 Apple Computer started its tablet project, which considered release of devices of three sizes, with the one eventually released in 1993, Apple Newton
, being the smallest (yet it was quite substantial device with 6" screen and 800 grams
of weight).
In 1996, The Webbook
Company announced the first Internet-based tablet, then referred to as a Web Surfboard, that would run Java and utilize a RISC processor. However, it never went into production.
One early implementation of a Linux
tablet was the ProGear
by FrontPath. The ProGear used a Transmeta chip and a resistive digitizer. The ProGear initially came with a version of Slackware Linux, but could later be bought with Windows 98.
Palo Alto Research Center, to the project.
In 2000 Microsoft coined the term Microsoft Tablet PC
for tablet PCs built to Microsoft's specification, and running a licensed specific tablet enhanced version of its Microsoft Windows OS. Microsoft Tablet PCs were targeted to address business needs mainly as note-taking devices, and as rugged
devices for field work. In the health care sector, tablet computers were intended for data capture – such as registering feedback on the patient experience at the bedside.
Tablet PCs failed to gain popularity in the consumer space because of unresolved problems. The existing devices were too heavy to be held with one hand on extended periods, the specific software features designed to support usage as a tablet (such as finger and virtual keyboard support) were not present in all contexts, and there were not enough applications specific to the platform - legacy applications created for desktop interfaces made them not well adapted to the slate format.
device in 2010. While the iPad places restrictions on the owner to install software thus deviating it from the PC tradition, its attention to detail for the touch interface is considered a milestone in the history of the development of the tablet computer that defined the tablet computer as a new class of portable device, different from a laptop PC or netbook. A WiFi-only model of the tablet was released in April 2010, and a WiFi+3G model was introduced about a month later, using a no-contract data plan from AT&T
. Since then, the iPad 2
has launched, bringing 3G support from both AT&T and Verizon Wireless
. The iPad has been characterized by some as a tablet computer that mainly focuses on media consumption such as web browsing, email, photos, videos, and e-reading, even though full-featured, Microsoft Office-compatible software for word processing (Pages), spreadsheets (Numbers
), and presentations (Keynote) were released alongside the initial model. One month after the iPad's release Apple subsidiary FileMaker Inc.
released a version of the Bento
database software for it. With the introduction of the iPad 2 Apple also released full-featured first party software for multi-track music composition (GarageBand
) and video editing (iMovie
). As of the release of iOS 5 in October 2011 iPads no longer require being plugged in to a separate personal computer for initial activation and backups, eliminating one of the drawbacks of using a non-PC architecture-based tablet computer.
On May 20, 2010, IDC
published a press release defining the term media tablet as personal devices with screens from 7 to 12 inches, lightweight operating systems "currently based on ARM processors" which "provide a broad range of applications and connectivity, differentiating them from primarily single-function devices such as ereaders". IDC also predicted a market growth for tablets from 7.6 million units in 2010 to more than 46 million units in 2014. More recent reports show predictions from various analysts in the range from 26 to 64 million units in 2013. On March 2, 2011 Apple announced that 15 million iPads had been sold in three fiscal quarters of 2010, double the number that IDC had predicted.
, released in June 2010, and the original 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab
, released in September 2010.
At the Consumer Electronics Show
in January 2011, over 80 new tablets were announced to compete with the iPad. Companies who announced tablets included: Motorola
with its Xoom tablet
(Android 3.0), Samsung
with a new Samsung Galaxy Tab
(Android 2.2), Research in Motion
demonstrating their BlackBerry Playbook
, Vizio
with the Via Tablet, Toshiba
with the Android 3.0 – run Toshiba Thrive, and others including Asus
, and the startup company
Notion Ink
. Many of these tablets are designed to run Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google
's mobile operating system for tablets, while others run older versions of Android like 2.3, or a completely different OS such as the BlackBerry Playbook's QNX
. Other than the Motorola Xoom, by the time most competitors managed to get devices of comparable size and price to the original iPad on the market, though, Apple in March 2011 had already released their second generation iPad 2.
Hewlett-Packard
announced its TouchPad
based on the WebOS system in June 2011. HP released it a month later in July, only to discontinue it after less than 49 days of sales, becoming the first casualty in the post-PC tablet computer market. The fire sale
on TouchPad tablets when its price was dropped from U.S. $499 to as low as $99 after it was discontinued resulted in a surge of interest. This dramatic increase in its popularity potentially raised its market share above all other non-Apple tablets, at least temporarily.
In September 2011 Amazon.com
announced the Kindle Fire
, a 7" tablet deeply tied into their Kindle
ebook service, Amazon Appstore
, and other Amazon services for digital music, video, and other content. The Kindle Fire runs on Amazon's own custom fork of v2.3 of the Android operating system, and with its use of Amazon's cloud services for accelerated web browsing and remote storage Amazon has set it up to have very little other connection back to Google, aside from supporting Gmail as one of the several webmail services it can access. At a cost of only U.S. $199 for the Kindle Fire it has been suggested that Amazon's business strategy is to make their money on selling content through it, as well as the device acting as a storefront for physical goods sold through Amazon.
As of August 2011, the iPad and iPad 2
have continued to dominate sales, outselling Android and other rival OS tablets by a ratio of eight to one. Apple's iPad held 66 percent of the global tablet market in Q1 of 2011, but the share is predicted to drop to 58 percent by the end of the year due to the influx of new products, mostly Android tablets. Technology experts suggest that Apple is getting court injunctions to stop the slide, although these injunctions are only preliminary measures as Apple has to provide more substantial evidence in subsequent court proceedings that the design of competing products infringed its patents or copied their designs in order to make any bans permanent. These cases take months or even years to come to court, unless there is no settlement, and if Apple loses it will be liable for the business lost by a competitor due to the injunction. Although risky, experts say that this kind of strategy gives time for Apple to hold off rivals and grab even greater market share with their iPad, since it is a market that is developing fast where Apple leads, regardless of the damages that they have to pay if they lose the case. Google's David Drummond complained "They (Apple) want to make it harder for manufacturers to sell Android devices. Instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation."
On September 14, 2011 IDC announced that in the second calendar quarter of 2011 the market share of the iPad increased to 68.3% from 65.7% in the previous quarter, while market share for Android-based tablets decreased from 34.0% the previous quarter down to 26.8% in the second quarter. Besides being affected by the introduction of the iPad 2 in March 2011 this can also be partially attributed to the introduction of RIM's PlayBook tablet, which took 4.9% share of the market in the quarter.
On September 22, 2011 Gartner lowered their forecast for sales of tablet computers based on the Android OS by 28 percent from the previous quarter’s projection, explaining that "Android’s appeal in the tablet market has been constrained by high prices, weak user interface and limited tablet applications." Further, they state that they expect the iPad to have a "free run" through the 2011 holiday season and that Apple will "maintain a market share lead throughout our forecast period by commanding more than 50 percent of the market until 2014." Gartner revised their projection of Apple's worldwide tablet market share at the end of 2011 up to 73.4% after their previous projection of 68.7% for the year.
In October 2011 at the Launch Pad conference Ryan Block
from gadget site gdgt showed slides identifying the makeup of the site's users who bought tablets in 2011 consisting of 76% iPad (39% iPad 2, 37% original iPad), 6% HP TouchPad, and no other tablet at over 4%. He noted that the numbers did not include previous purchases of the iPad or other tablets in 2010. In a breakdown by platform he showed a chart indicating Apple's iOS at 76%, Google's Android at 17%, HP's webOS at 6%, and RIM's PlayBook OS at 2%.
In China, according to an AlphaWise survey of 1,553 Chinese consumers across 16 cities over the summer of 2011, Apple's iPad currently holds a 65% share of that nation's tablet market. When asked about future purchases, 68% of those surveyed indicated an intent to buy an iPad, versus other brands' shares of 10% for Asus, 8% for Lenovo, 6% for Samsung, and 3% or less for any other brand.
According to Forbes & eMarketer, Advertisers will spend nearly $1.23 billion on mobile advertising in 2011 in the US, up from $743 million last year.By 2015, the US mobile advertising market is set to reach almost $4.4 billion. This includes spending on display ads (such as banners, rich media and video), search and messaging-based advertising, and covers ads viewed on both mobile phones and tablets.
Tablet computer
A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...
and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing
Pen computing
Pen computing refers to a computer user-interface using a pen and tablet, rather than devices such as a keyboard, joysticks or a mouse....
technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots.
The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products. For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888.
The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915.
The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.
In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept
Pencept
Pencept, Inc. was one of a small number of pioneering companies in the 1980s developing and marketing technology known as Pen computing, prior to the entry of larger companies such as Microsoft and GO Corporation....
, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus were among the best known of a crowded field. Later, GO Corp.
GO Corp.
GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.Though the...
brought out the PenPoint OS
PenPoint OS
The PenPoint OS was a product of GO Corporation and was one of the earliest operating systems written specifically for graphical tablets and personal digital assistants...
operating system for a tablet computer product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.
Early tablets
The tablet computer and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computingPen computing
Pen computing refers to a computer user-interface using a pen and tablet, rather than devices such as a keyboard, joysticks or a mouse....
technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots. The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products. For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888.
The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915.
The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956. Alan Kay
Alan Kay
Alan Curtis Kay is an American computer scientist, known for his early pioneering work on object-oriented programming and windowing graphical user interface design, and for coining the phrase, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."He is the president of the Viewpoints Research...
attempted to formulate his Dynabook
Dynabook
The Dynabook concept, created by Alan Kay in 1968, described what is now known as a laptop computer or a tablet or slate computer with nearly eternal battery life and software aimed at giving children access to digital media...
concept as a tablet as early as 1968; to this day, his concept has not yet been fully realized.
In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept
Pencept
Pencept, Inc. was one of a small number of pioneering companies in the 1980s developing and marketing technology known as Pen computing, prior to the entry of larger companies such as Microsoft and GO Corporation....
, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus
were among the best known of a crowded field. Later, GO Corp.
GO Corp.
GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.Though the...
brought out the PenPoint OS
PenPoint OS
The PenPoint OS was a product of GO Corporation and was one of the earliest operating systems written specifically for graphical tablets and personal digital assistants...
operating system for a tablet product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.
In 1987 Apple Computer started its tablet project, which considered release of devices of three sizes, with the one eventually released in 1993, Apple Newton
Apple Newton
The MessagePad was the first series of personal digital assistant devices developed by Apple for the Newton platform in 1993. Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was done in Japan by the Sharp Corporation...
, being the smallest (yet it was quite substantial device with 6" screen and 800 grams
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
of weight).
In 1996, The Webbook
Webbook
A webbook is a portmanteau of web and notebook computer, and is a generic class of laptop computers such as the litl, Elonex and Coxion webbook computers....
Company announced the first Internet-based tablet, then referred to as a Web Surfboard, that would run Java and utilize a RISC processor. However, it never went into production.
One early implementation of a Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
tablet was the ProGear
Progear
is an arcade video game developed by CAVE and published by Capcom on the CPS-2 arcade system board in 2001. This was Cave's only horizontal scrolling shooter until DeathSmiles in 2007. The game features a steampunk-like style and art design...
by FrontPath. The ProGear used a Transmeta chip and a resistive digitizer. The ProGear initially came with a version of Slackware Linux, but could later be bought with Windows 98.
Microsoft Tablet PC
In 1999, Microsoft attempted to re-institute the by-then decades-old tablet concept by assigning two well-known experts in the field, from XeroxXerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
Palo Alto Research Center, to the project.
In 2000 Microsoft coined the term Microsoft Tablet PC
Microsoft Tablet PC
A Microsoft Tablet PC is a term coined by Microsoft for tablet computers conforming to a set of specifications announced in 2001 by Microsoft, for a pen-enabled personal computer, conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition...
for tablet PCs built to Microsoft's specification, and running a licensed specific tablet enhanced version of its Microsoft Windows OS. Microsoft Tablet PCs were targeted to address business needs mainly as note-taking devices, and as rugged
Rugged computer
A rugged computer is a computer specifically designed to reliably operate in harsh usage environments and conditions, such as strong vibrations, extreme temperatures and wet or dusty conditions...
devices for field work. In the health care sector, tablet computers were intended for data capture – such as registering feedback on the patient experience at the bedside.
Tablet PCs failed to gain popularity in the consumer space because of unresolved problems. The existing devices were too heavy to be held with one hand on extended periods, the specific software features designed to support usage as a tablet (such as finger and virtual keyboard support) were not present in all contexts, and there were not enough applications specific to the platform - legacy applications created for desktop interfaces made them not well adapted to the slate format.
Apple's iPad
The tablet computer market was reinvigorated by Apple through the introduction of the iPadIPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
device in 2010. While the iPad places restrictions on the owner to install software thus deviating it from the PC tradition, its attention to detail for the touch interface is considered a milestone in the history of the development of the tablet computer that defined the tablet computer as a new class of portable device, different from a laptop PC or netbook. A WiFi-only model of the tablet was released in April 2010, and a WiFi+3G model was introduced about a month later, using a no-contract data plan from AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. Since then, the iPad 2
IPad 2
The iPad 2 is the second and current generation of the iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple. It serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, presentations and web content, and is available in black or white...
has launched, bringing 3G support from both AT&T and Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
. The iPad has been characterized by some as a tablet computer that mainly focuses on media consumption such as web browsing, email, photos, videos, and e-reading, even though full-featured, Microsoft Office-compatible software for word processing (Pages), spreadsheets (Numbers
Numbers (software)
Numbers is a spreadsheet application developed by Apple Inc. as part of the iWork productivity suite alongside Keynote and Pages. Numbers 1.0 was announced on August 7, 2007 and thus it is the newest application in the iWork Suite. Numbers runs on Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger" or newer...
), and presentations (Keynote) were released alongside the initial model. One month after the iPad's release Apple subsidiary FileMaker Inc.
FileMaker Inc.
FileMaker Inc. is a computer software company formed in 1998 from the vestiges of Claris as a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple Inc.FileMaker develops, supports and markets two relational database programs; FileMaker and Bento. FileMaker is available for both Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows operating...
released a version of the Bento
Bento (database)
Bento is a database application for Mac OS X made by FileMaker Inc. Bento differs significantly from the company's flagship product, FileMaker Pro, in that it relies heavily on templates and integration with other applications...
database software for it. With the introduction of the iPad 2 Apple also released full-featured first party software for multi-track music composition (GarageBand
GarageBand
GarageBand is a software application for Mac OS X and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. It is developed by Apple Inc. as a part of the iLife software package on Mac OS X.-Audio recording:...
) and video editing (iMovie
IMovie
iMovie is a proprietary video editing software application which allows Mac, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 users to edit their own home movies. It was originally released by Apple in 1999 as a Mac OS 8 application bundled with the first FireWire-enabled consumer Apple...
). As of the release of iOS 5 in October 2011 iPads no longer require being plugged in to a separate personal computer for initial activation and backups, eliminating one of the drawbacks of using a non-PC architecture-based tablet computer.
On May 20, 2010, IDC
International Data Corporation
International Data Corporation is a market research and analysis firm specializing in information technology, telecommunications and consumer technology. IDC is a subsidiary of International Data Group...
published a press release defining the term media tablet as personal devices with screens from 7 to 12 inches, lightweight operating systems "currently based on ARM processors" which "provide a broad range of applications and connectivity, differentiating them from primarily single-function devices such as ereaders". IDC also predicted a market growth for tablets from 7.6 million units in 2010 to more than 46 million units in 2014. More recent reports show predictions from various analysts in the range from 26 to 64 million units in 2013. On March 2, 2011 Apple announced that 15 million iPads had been sold in three fiscal quarters of 2010, double the number that IDC had predicted.
Non-Apple post-PC tablet computers
Early competitors to Apple's iPad in the market for tablet computers not based on the traditional PC architecture were the 5" Dell StreakDell Streak
Dell Streak 5 is a smartphone/tablet PC hybrid from Dell that uses the Android operating system. It comes with a capacitive touchscreen and two cameras, a 5MP one with dual-LED flash on the back and a VGA-resolution one on the front for video calling; both are capable of video.The development...
, released in June 2010, and the original 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is an Android-based tablet computer produced by Samsung introduced on 2 September 2010 at the IFA in Berlin.The Galaxy Tab has a TFT-LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi capability, a 1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 Samsung Exynos 3110 processor, the Swype input system, a 3.2 MP rear-facing...
, released in September 2010.
At the Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
in January 2011, over 80 new tablets were announced to compete with the iPad. Companies who announced tablets included: Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
with its Xoom tablet
Motorola Xoom
The Motorola Xoom is an Android-based tablet computer by Motorola, introduced at CES 2011 on January 5, 2011. It was the first tablet to be sold with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The Verizon branded Xoom was the first tablet to run Android 3.1 Honeycomb, however the 3.1 update has not yet been provided...
(Android 3.0), Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
with a new Samsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is an Android-based tablet computer produced by Samsung introduced on 2 September 2010 at the IFA in Berlin.The Galaxy Tab has a TFT-LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi capability, a 1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 Samsung Exynos 3110 processor, the Swype input system, a 3.2 MP rear-facing...
(Android 2.2), Research in Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
demonstrating their BlackBerry Playbook
BlackBerry PlayBook
The BlackBerry PlayBook is a tablet computer by Research In Motion , best known for the BlackBerry smartphone. It competes against Apple's iPad and a slew of Android-powered tablets....
, Vizio
Vizio
Vizio is a privately held producer of consumer electronics, based in Irvine, California, USA. It was founded in October 2002 as V Inc. Vizio's major partner in the consumer electronics arena is AmTran Technology, a Taiwan-based OEM/ODM that manufactures more than half of the televisions sold...
with the Via Tablet, Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
with the Android 3.0 – run Toshiba Thrive, and others including Asus
ASUS
ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated is a multinational computer technology and consumer electronics product manufacturer headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Its product range includes motherboards, desktops, laptops, monitors, tablet PCs, servers and mobile phones...
, and the startup company
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
Notion Ink
Notion Ink
Notion Ink is an Indian company that designs tablets PCs and other computing products. The company announced its prototype Adam tablet on December 18, 2009.- History :...
. Many of these tablets are designed to run Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
's mobile operating system for tablets, while others run older versions of Android like 2.3, or a completely different OS such as the BlackBerry Playbook's QNX
QNX
QNX is a commercial Unix-like real-time operating system, aimed primarily at the embedded systems market. The product was originally developed by Canadian company, QNX Software Systems, which was later acquired by Canadian BlackBerry-producer Research In Motion.-Description:As a microkernel-based...
. Other than the Motorola Xoom, by the time most competitors managed to get devices of comparable size and price to the original iPad on the market, though, Apple in March 2011 had already released their second generation iPad 2.
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
announced its TouchPad
HP TouchPad
The HP TouchPad is a tablet computer which was developed and designed by Hewlett-Packard. The HP TouchPad was launched on July 1, 2011, in the United States; July 15 in Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany; and August 15 in Australia....
based on the WebOS system in June 2011. HP released it a month later in July, only to discontinue it after less than 49 days of sales, becoming the first casualty in the post-PC tablet computer market. The fire sale
Fire sale
A fire sale is the sale of goods at extremely discounted prices, typically when the seller faces bankruptcy or other impending distress. The term may originally have been based on the sale of goods at a heavy discount due to fire damage...
on TouchPad tablets when its price was dropped from U.S. $499 to as low as $99 after it was discontinued resulted in a surge of interest. This dramatic increase in its popularity potentially raised its market share above all other non-Apple tablets, at least temporarily.
In September 2011 Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
announced the Kindle Fire
Kindle Fire
The Kindle Fire is a tablet computer version of Amazon.com's Kindle e-book reader. Announced on 28 September 2011, the Kindle Fire has a color 7" multi-touch display with IPS technology and runs a forked version of Google's Android operating system. It includes access to the Amazon Appstore,...
, a 7" tablet deeply tied into their Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
ebook service, Amazon Appstore
Amazon Appstore
The Amazon Appstore is a mobile application store for the Google Android operating system and was opened on March 22, 2011. It was launched with around 3,800 applications both free or paid. Developers are paid either 70% of the sale price or 20% of the developer's list price, whichever one is...
, and other Amazon services for digital music, video, and other content. The Kindle Fire runs on Amazon's own custom fork of v2.3 of the Android operating system, and with its use of Amazon's cloud services for accelerated web browsing and remote storage Amazon has set it up to have very little other connection back to Google, aside from supporting Gmail as one of the several webmail services it can access. At a cost of only U.S. $199 for the Kindle Fire it has been suggested that Amazon's business strategy is to make their money on selling content through it, as well as the device acting as a storefront for physical goods sold through Amazon.
Post-PC tablet market share
According to IDC, Apple's iPad accounted for 83% of all "media tablet" sales in 2010. At the unveiling of the iPad 2 in March 2011 Steve Jobs claimed that the iPad held more than 90% market share, but the difference between the figures could be explained by the difference between the amount of hardware shipped into the channel versus the number that have been actually sold.As of August 2011, the iPad and iPad 2
IPad 2
The iPad 2 is the second and current generation of the iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple. It serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, presentations and web content, and is available in black or white...
have continued to dominate sales, outselling Android and other rival OS tablets by a ratio of eight to one. Apple's iPad held 66 percent of the global tablet market in Q1 of 2011, but the share is predicted to drop to 58 percent by the end of the year due to the influx of new products, mostly Android tablets. Technology experts suggest that Apple is getting court injunctions to stop the slide, although these injunctions are only preliminary measures as Apple has to provide more substantial evidence in subsequent court proceedings that the design of competing products infringed its patents or copied their designs in order to make any bans permanent. These cases take months or even years to come to court, unless there is no settlement, and if Apple loses it will be liable for the business lost by a competitor due to the injunction. Although risky, experts say that this kind of strategy gives time for Apple to hold off rivals and grab even greater market share with their iPad, since it is a market that is developing fast where Apple leads, regardless of the damages that they have to pay if they lose the case. Google's David Drummond complained "They (Apple) want to make it harder for manufacturers to sell Android devices. Instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation."
On September 14, 2011 IDC announced that in the second calendar quarter of 2011 the market share of the iPad increased to 68.3% from 65.7% in the previous quarter, while market share for Android-based tablets decreased from 34.0% the previous quarter down to 26.8% in the second quarter. Besides being affected by the introduction of the iPad 2 in March 2011 this can also be partially attributed to the introduction of RIM's PlayBook tablet, which took 4.9% share of the market in the quarter.
On September 22, 2011 Gartner lowered their forecast for sales of tablet computers based on the Android OS by 28 percent from the previous quarter’s projection, explaining that "Android’s appeal in the tablet market has been constrained by high prices, weak user interface and limited tablet applications." Further, they state that they expect the iPad to have a "free run" through the 2011 holiday season and that Apple will "maintain a market share lead throughout our forecast period by commanding more than 50 percent of the market until 2014." Gartner revised their projection of Apple's worldwide tablet market share at the end of 2011 up to 73.4% after their previous projection of 68.7% for the year.
In October 2011 at the Launch Pad conference Ryan Block
Ryan Block
Ryan Block is a technology journalist and critic. He was the editor-in-chief of AOL’s Engadget before he co-founded the popular community site gdgt....
from gadget site gdgt showed slides identifying the makeup of the site's users who bought tablets in 2011 consisting of 76% iPad (39% iPad 2, 37% original iPad), 6% HP TouchPad, and no other tablet at over 4%. He noted that the numbers did not include previous purchases of the iPad or other tablets in 2010. In a breakdown by platform he showed a chart indicating Apple's iOS at 76%, Google's Android at 17%, HP's webOS at 6%, and RIM's PlayBook OS at 2%.
In China, according to an AlphaWise survey of 1,553 Chinese consumers across 16 cities over the summer of 2011, Apple's iPad currently holds a 65% share of that nation's tablet market. When asked about future purchases, 68% of those surveyed indicated an intent to buy an iPad, versus other brands' shares of 10% for Asus, 8% for Lenovo, 6% for Samsung, and 3% or less for any other brand.
According to Forbes & eMarketer, Advertisers will spend nearly $1.23 billion on mobile advertising in 2011 in the US, up from $743 million last year.By 2015, the US mobile advertising market is set to reach almost $4.4 billion. This includes spending on display ads (such as banners, rich media and video), search and messaging-based advertising, and covers ads viewed on both mobile phones and tablets.
Before 1950
- 1888: U.S. Patent granted to Elisha GrayElisha GrayElisha Gray was an American electrical engineer who co-founded the Western Electric Manufacturing Company...
on electrical stylus device for capturing handwriting. - 1915: U.S. Patent on handwriting recognition user interface with a stylus.
- 1942: U.S. Patent on touchscreen for handwriting input.
- 1945: Vannevar BushVannevar BushVannevar Bush was an American engineer and science administrator known for his work on analog computing, his political role in the development of the atomic bomb as a primary organizer of the Manhattan Project, the founding of Raytheon, and the idea of the memex, an adjustable microfilm viewer...
proposes the MemexMemexThe memex is the name given by Vannevar Bush to the hypothetical proto-hypertext system he described in his 1945 The Atlantic Monthly article As We May Think...
, a data archiving device including handwriting input, in an essay As We May ThinkAs We May ThinkAs We May Think is an essay by Vannevar Bush, first published in The Atlantic Monthly in July 1945, and republished again as an abridged version in September 1945 — before and after the U.S. nuclear attacks on Japan...
.
1950s
- Tom Dimond demonstrates the Styalator electronic tablet with pen for computer input and software for recognition of handwritten text in real-time.
1960s
- Early 1960s
- RAND Tablet invented. The RAND Tablet is better known than the Styalator, but was invented later.
- Late 1960s
- Alan KayAlan KayAlan Curtis Kay is an American computer scientist, known for his early pioneering work on object-oriented programming and windowing graphical user interface design, and for coining the phrase, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."He is the president of the Viewpoints Research...
of XeroxXeroxXerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
PARC proposed a notebook computer, optionally using pen input, called the DynabookDynabookThe Dynabook concept, created by Alan Kay in 1968, described what is now known as a laptop computer or a tablet or slate computer with nearly eternal battery life and software aimed at giving children access to digital media...
: however the device is never constructed or implemented with pen input.
- Alan Kay
- 1966
- In the science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star TrekStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, crew members carry large, wedge-shaped electronic clipboardClipboardA clipboard is a thin, rigid board with a clip at the top for holding paper in place. A clipboard is typically used to support paper with one hand while writing on it with the other, especially when other writing surfaces are not available.-Other uses:...
s, operated through the use of a stylus.
- In the science fiction
- 1968
- Filmmaker Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
imagines a flatscreen tablet device wirelessly playing a streaming video broadcast in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey (film)2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
.
- Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick
1980s
- 1982
- PenceptPenceptPencept, Inc. was one of a small number of pioneering companies in the 1980s developing and marketing technology known as Pen computing, prior to the entry of larger companies such as Microsoft and GO Corporation....
of Waltham, MassachusettsWaltham, MassachusettsWaltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
markets a general-purpose computer terminal using a tablet and handwriting recognition instead of a keyboard and mouse. - Cadre System markets the Inforite point-of-sale terminal using handwriting recognition and a small electronic tablet and pen.
- Pencept
- 1985
- PenceptPenceptPencept, Inc. was one of a small number of pioneering companies in the 1980s developing and marketing technology known as Pen computing, prior to the entry of larger companies such as Microsoft and GO Corporation....
and CIC both offer PC computers for the consumer market using a tablet with handwriting recognition instead of a keyboard and mouse. Operating system is MS-DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
.
- Pencept
- 1987
- The Knowledge NavigatorKnowledge NavigatorThe Knowledge Navigator is a concept described by former Apple Computer CEO John Sculley in his 1987 book, Odyssey. It describes a device that can access a large networked database of hypertext information, and use software agents to assist searching for information.Apple produced several concept...
concept piece by Apple ComputerApple ComputerApple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
.
- The Knowledge Navigator
- 1989
- The first commercially available tablet-type portable computer was the GRiDPad from GRiD Systems, released in September. Its operating system was based on MS-DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
. - Wang Laboratories introduces Freestyle, an application that captured a screen from a DOS application, and let users add voice and handwriting annotations. It was a sophisticated predecessor to later note-taking applications for systems like tablet computers. The operating system was MS-DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
- In partnership with Fujitsu, the Poqet Computer Corporation announced the arrival of the Poqet PCPoqet PCThe Poqet PC is a very small, portable IBM PC compatible computer, introduced in 1989 by Poqet Computer Corporation with a price of $2000. The computer was discontinued after Fujitsu Ltd. bought Poqet Computer Corp. It was the first subnotebook form factor IBM-PC compatible computer that ran...
.
- The first commercially available tablet-type portable computer was the GRiDPad from GRiD Systems, released in September. Its operating system was based on MS-DOS
1990s
- 1991
- The Momenta Pentop was released.
- GO CorporationGO Corp.GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.Though the...
announced a dedicated operating system, called PenPoint OSPenPoint OSThe PenPoint OS was a product of GO Corporation and was one of the earliest operating systems written specifically for graphical tablets and personal digital assistants...
, with control of the operating system desktop via handwritten gesture shapes. - NCR released model 3125 pen computer running MS-DOS, Penpoint OSPenPoint OSThe PenPoint OS was a product of GO Corporation and was one of the earliest operating systems written specifically for graphical tablets and personal digital assistants...
or Pen Windows. - The Apple NewtonApple NewtonThe MessagePad was the first series of personal digital assistant devices developed by Apple for the Newton platform in 1993. Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was done in Japan by the Sharp Corporation...
entered development; although it ultimately became a PDAPersonal digital assistantA personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
, its original concept (which called for a larger screen and greater sketching abilities) resembled the hardware of a tablet computer.
- 1992
- GO CorporationGO Corp.GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.Though the...
shipped the PenPoint OSPenPoint OSThe PenPoint OS was a product of GO Corporation and was one of the earliest operating systems written specifically for graphical tablets and personal digital assistants...
for general availability and IBM announced IBM 2125 pen computer (the first IBM model named "ThinkPad") in April. - MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
releases Windows for Pen ComputingWindows for Pen ComputingWindows for Pen Computing was a software suite for Windows 3.1x, that Microsoft designed to incorporate pen computing capabilities into the Windows operating environment...
as a response to the PenPoint OSPenPoint OSThe PenPoint OS was a product of GO Corporation and was one of the earliest operating systems written specifically for graphical tablets and personal digital assistants...
by GO CorporationGO Corp.GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.Though the...
.
- GO Corporation
- 1993
- FujitsuFujitsuis a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
releases the Poqet PC the first pen tablet to use an integrated wireless LAN - Apple Computer announces the Newton PDA, also known as the Apple MessagePad, which includes handwriting recognition with a stylus.
- The IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
releases the ThinkPadThinkPadThinkPad is line of laptop computers originally sold by IBM but now produced by Lenovo. They are known for their boxy black design, which was modeled after a traditional Japanese lunchbox...
, IBM's first commercialized portable tablet computer product available to the consumer market, as the IBM ThinkPadThinkPadThinkPad is line of laptop computers originally sold by IBM but now produced by Lenovo. They are known for their boxy black design, which was modeled after a traditional Japanese lunchbox...
750P and 360P - BellSouth released the IBM SimonIBM SimonThe IBM Simon Personal Communicator was an advanced cellular telephone, created by a joint venture between IBM and BellSouth. Simon was first shown as a product concept in 1992 at COMDEX, the computer and technology trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Launched in 1993 it combined the features of...
Personal Communicator, an analog cellphone using a touchscreen and display. It did not include handwriting recognition, but did permit users to write messages and send them as faxes on the analog cellphone network, and included PDA and email features. - AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
introduced the EO Personal CommunicatorEO Personal CommunicatorThe EO was an early commercial tablet computer created by GO/Eo and released in April 1993. Eo was the hardware spin-out of GO. Officially named the AT&T EO Personal Communicator, it was similar to a large personal digital assistant with wireless communications, and competed against the Apple...
combining PenPoint with wireless communications.
- Fujitsu
- 1996
- The Digital Equipment CorporationDigital Equipment CorporationDigital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
releases the DEC Lectrice.
- The Digital Equipment Corporation
- 1999
- The "QBE" pen computer created by Aqcess Technologies wins ComdexCOMDEXCOMDEX was a computer expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada, each November from 1979 to 2003. It was one of the largest computer trade shows in the world, usually second only to the German CeBIT, and by many accounts one of the largest trade shows in any industry sector...
Best of Show.
- The "QBE" pen computer created by Aqcess Technologies wins Comdex
- 2000
- PaceBlade develops the first device that meets the Microsoft's Tablet PC standard and received the "Best Hardware" award at VAR Vision 2000
- The "QBE Vivo" pen computer created by Aqcess Technologies ties for ComdexCOMDEXCOMDEX was a computer expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada, each November from 1979 to 2003. It was one of the largest computer trade shows in the world, usually second only to the German CeBIT, and by many accounts one of the largest trade shows in any industry sector...
Best of Show.
- 2001
- Bill GatesBill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
of Microsoft demonstrates the first public prototype of a Tablet PC (defined by Microsoft as a pen-enabled computer conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of the "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" operating system) at ComdexCOMDEXCOMDEX was a computer expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada, each November from 1979 to 2003. It was one of the largest computer trade shows in the world, usually second only to the German CeBIT, and by many accounts one of the largest trade shows in any industry sector...
.
- Bill Gates
- 2002
- MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
releases the Microsoft Tablet PCMicrosoft Tablet PCA Microsoft Tablet PC is a term coined by Microsoft for tablet computers conforming to a set of specifications announced in 2001 by Microsoft, for a pen-enabled personal computer, conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition...
.
- Microsoft
- 2003
- PaceBlade receives the "Innovation des Jahres 2002/2003" award for the PaceBook Tablet PC from PC Professional Magazine at the CebitCeBITCeBIT is the world's largest and most international computer expo. CeBIT is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology...
- Fingerworks develops the touch technology and touch gestures later used in the Apple iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
- PaceBlade receives the "Innovation des Jahres 2002/2003" award for the PaceBook Tablet PC from PC Professional Magazine at the Cebit
- 2005
- Nokia launches the Nokia 770 Internet TabletNokia 770 Internet TabletThe Nokia 770 Internet tablet is a wireless Internet appliance from Nokia, originally announced at the LinuxWorld Summit in New York City on May 25, 2005...
.
- Nokia launches the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
- 2006
- Samsung introduces the Samsung Q1Samsung Q1Samsung Q1 is an Ultra-Mobile PC with a 7" LCD and exists in several different versions.- Samsung Q1 :*Intel Celeron M ULV 353 running at 900 MHz*40GB 1.8" Hard Drive*512MB DDR2 533*Max memory 2GB DDR2 533...
UMPC. - Windows VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
released for general availability. Vista included the functionality of the special Tablet PC edition of Windows XPWindows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
. - On Disney Channel Original Movie, Read It and Weep, Jamie uses a Tablet PC for her journal.
- Samsung introduces the Samsung Q1
- 2007
- Axiotron introduces Modbook, the first (and only) tablet computer based on Mac hardware and Mac OS X at Macworld.
- Archos launches Archos 605 WiFi, a PMP with WiFi. Virtually a tablet pc.
- Apple launches iPod touchIPod touchThe iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
, an mp3 player with WiFi. It took Apple two years to turn this concept into a tablet pc.
- 2008
- In April 2008, as part of a larger federal court case, the gesture features of the Windows/Tablet PC operating system and hardware were found to infringe on a patent by GO Corp.GO Corp.GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.Though the...
concerning user interfaces for pen computer operating systems. Microsoft's acquisition of the technology is the subject of a separate lawsuit. - HP releases the second multi-touch capable tablet: the HP TouchSmartHP TouchSmartHP TouchSmart is a series of tablet PC laptops and touchscreen all-in-one desktop computers designed by HP. It features various Intel or AMD processors and runs Windows Vista or Windows 7 as standard.-HP TouchSmart Crossfire:...
tx2 series.
- In April 2008, as part of a larger federal court case, the gesture features of the Windows/Tablet PC operating system and hardware were found to infringe on a patent by GO Corp.
- 2009
- Asus announces a tablet netbook, the EEE PC T91 and T91MT, the latter with a multi-touchMulti-touchIn computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
screen. - Always Innovating announced a new tablet netbook with an ARM CPU.
- Motion ComputingMotion ComputingMotion Computing is a developer of slate Tablet PC computers located in Austin, Texas. Motion Computing focuses on vertical markets such as healthcare and government, though they have released home-oriented systems like their M-series which was also sold through Gateway Inc...
launched the J3400.
- Asus announces a tablet netbook, the EEE PC T91 and T91MT, the latter with a multi-touch
2010s
- 2010
- MobileDemandMobileDemandMobileDemand is a provider of rugged Tablet PC mobile computer systems headquartered in Hiawatha, Iowa with manufacturing facilities in Taiwan. The products are built for use by mobile workers in harsh environments to survive falls, extreme temperatures and exposure to liquids...
launches the xTablet T7000 Rugged Tablet PC which runs a full Windows OS and includes an integrated numeric keypad. - Fusion Garage releases the JooJoo, running LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. - Apple unveils the iPadIPadThe iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, running Apple iOS. - Samsung unveils the Galaxy Tab, running GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
Android. - Neofonie releases the WeTabWeTabWeTab is a MeeGo-based tablet computer announced by German producer Neofonie in April 2010.The specifics include a 11.6" TN-panel touch screen , a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor with fan, 16 GB NAND memory and a total weight of the device of an announced , but actually .Currently most...
, a MeeGoMeeGoMeeGo is a Linux-based open source mobile operating system project. Primarily targeted at mobile devices and information appliances in the consumer electronics market, MeeGo is designed to act as an operating system for hardware platforms such as netbooks, entry-level desktops, nettops, tablet...
-based slate tablet PC, featuring an 11.6 inch multi-touch screen at 1366×768 pixels resolution. - MobileDemandMobileDemandMobileDemand is a provider of rugged Tablet PC mobile computer systems headquartered in Hiawatha, Iowa with manufacturing facilities in Taiwan. The products are built for use by mobile workers in harsh environments to survive falls, extreme temperatures and exposure to liquids...
launches the xTablet T7000 Rugged Tablet PC which runs a full Windows OS and features include an integrated numeric keypad, bar code scanner, credit card reader, etc. - Quaduro Systems unveils the 10" QuadPad 3G Plus, a 900 gram Microsoft Windows based 3G tablet PC with 8 hours of battery life.
- bModo launches the bModo12 which runs the Windows 7 OS and features include 11.6" TFT-LCD display, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, USB2.0, SDHC slot, unlocked SIM card Slot, miniHDMI connector, OMTP Jack, a webcam, a mic, etc.
- Dixons Retail plc unveils the Advent VegaAdvent VegaThe Advent Vega is an Android-based compact tablet computer produced by Dixons Retail plc that was released on 19 November 2010 in the UK...
, a 10" tablet PC running Android 2.2, having a 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra chipset, 512 Mb of RAM and ROM, 1.3 MP camera, WiFi b/g connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1, a micro SD card slot, a USB port and a 16h battery life for audio playback and 6.5h for 1080p video. - Dell Announces the Inspiron Duo A flip screen Netbook and Tablet PC hybrid
- HP releases the Slate 500, running a full-version of Windows 7
- MobileDemand
- 2011
- Motorola releases XoomXOOMXoom was an early dot-com that used to primarily provide free unlimited space web hosting, similar to GeoCities.-History:Xoom was founded by Chris Kitze in September 1996 as a download website offering free clipart and a productivity suite including a word-processing application, centering around a...
a 10 inch tablet running Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) - RIM releases BlackBerry PlaybookBlackBerry PlayBookThe BlackBerry PlayBook is a tablet computer by Research In Motion , best known for the BlackBerry smartphone. It competes against Apple's iPad and a slew of Android-powered tablets....
running BlackBerry Tablet OSBlackBerry Tablet OSBlackBerry Tablet OS is an operating system based on the QNX Neutrino real-time operating system designed to run Adobe AIR and BlackBerry WebWorks applications...
, based on QNX Neutrino - MobileDemandMobileDemandMobileDemand is a provider of rugged Tablet PC mobile computer systems headquartered in Hiawatha, Iowa with manufacturing facilities in Taiwan. The products are built for use by mobile workers in harsh environments to survive falls, extreme temperatures and exposure to liquids...
announces the high-performance xTablet C1200 Rugged Convertible Tablet PC running a full Windows 7 OS featuring a 12" sunlight-readable display, keyboard and finger touch data entry, full color camera, and meets MIL-STD 810G standards for ruggedness. - Asus announces the EEE Pad MeMO (7 inch tablet), EEE Slate EP121 (Windows 7 tablet), EEE Pad TransformerASUS Eee Pad TransformerThe ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer announced at CES 2011 and launched on March 30, 2011. The Transformer design includes an optional docking keyboard.- Features :...
(10 inch tablet with Android and docking keyboard that transforms it into a laptop form factor) and EEE Pad Slider (10 inch tablet with sliding screen over the QWERTY keyboard) [all tablets use IPS display] - Dell showcases the Streak 7 tablet and says it's working on the 10 inch Streak 10
- ZTEZTEZTE Corporation formerly Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation is a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company headquartered in Shenzhen, China...
announces the ZTE V11 that runs Android 3.0, and the Z-pad. - AppleAppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
announces the iPad 2IPad 2The iPad 2 is the second and current generation of the iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple. It serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, presentations and web content, and is available in black or white... - ToshibaToshibais a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
announces the Toshiba Tablet, a 10 inch tablet powered by a Tegra 2 process and Android 3.0 Honeycomb - SamsungSamsungThe Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
announces Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 series is an Android-based tablet computer produced by Samsung, introduced on 13 February 2011 at its Samsung Unpacked event in Barcelona....
and 8.9, the world's thinnest tablets, running Android 3.0 Honeycomb with TouchwizTouchWizTouchWiz is a touch interface developed by Samsung Electronics with partners, featuring a full touch user interface. It is sometimes incorrectly identified as an operating system. TouchWiz is used internally by Samsung for sophisticated feature phones, and is not available for licensing by external...
UX User Interface. - HP releases the HP TouchPad with webOS [HP Touchpad] & withdraws it in August 2011 (a couple of months later).]
- Motorola releases Xoom