The iPad essentially revitalized a tablet market that was previously non-existent. That’s to say, the iPad wasn’t the first tablet to hit the market, but it was the first tablet to actually have a discernible impact on the marketplace.
The notion of tablet computing has been around for ages and can be traced back to Alan Kay’s Dynabook research paper from 1972 which details a large dynamic screen with a virtual keyboard, along with support for media files and even downloadable books.
Flash forward a couple decades to 1994 and we have this interesting video detailing Roger Fidler’s efforts to spearhead tablet computing as it pertains to newspaper consumption. The video below was created by newspaper publisher Knight Ridder and describes a tablet housing an interactive newspaper capable of blending text, video, animations, audio and graphics together.
While the tablet in the video appears to be geared solely for newspapers, some of the proposed features have lived on and subsequently appeared in the iPhone and the iPad. The video provides an interesting look back at what was then an interesting look towards the future.
via All Things D
August 21st, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Anyone notice the Mac Duo Dock in the background of that guy’s office? I always wanted one of those!
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:09 am
These guys so nailed it! Right down to the guy in the restaurant ignoring his date, engrossed in the oversized iPhone, er, iPad, er, Tablet. (5 minutes in…) And then when his date takes the thing and watches video in the newspaper, a la Harry Potter.
They should sue Apple! And J. K. Rowling!
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:16 am
Back during the days of the sugar water salecman Apple did a concept “ads” on the Knowledge Navigator. Very iPad like, but larger, with lots of voice interaction.
Wikipedia mentions 1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Navigator