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The Evolution of Tablet Computers

 

Tablet computers are extremely popular at the moment, with new models being released all the time. Although many people assume that tablets are a new idea, they have been around for many years. Tablets were not created overnight, they have evolved gradually over time to become the gadgets that we all love.

Touch Input

The way a user interacts with a computer can greatly affect their experience. Mice and keyboards are common user input devices; they allow users to interact by tapping icons on the screen. Most of us assume that, until recently, this was the ONLY way to interact with a computer screen, but the implementation of touch technology into computer screens isn’t as recent as we think. And when computers started to get smaller, it became possible to build a small touch screen monitor and computer into one package, and thus the tablet was born.

The iPad Wasn't First

Apple, in addition to being an industry leader, has a brilliant design and marketing team that expertly makes their products stand out from the crowd. For this reason, many people are under the impression that the iPad was the first tablet computer, when, in fact, tablet computers have been around since the late 80's. The first was GridPad, which was launched in 1989 and ran MS Dos. Though it was a revolutionary product, it was extremely expensive and very heavy. Many companies followed suit, including Microsoft, who started experimenting with tablets in 2000. In 2002, they launched the XP tablet Range, and Bill Gates predicted that tablets would become a huge market in the future.

Ultra mobile computers were around for many years before this. These were chunky and much less user friendly than the tablet computers we use today, but were essentially a tablet computer. What's more, many of these ran full versions of windows and had conventional hard drives instead of flash memory.

In 2010, Apple launched the first iPad, making tablets one of the most desired consumer products in the world.

Useful Devices

Tablet computers are extremely useful devices, and can be used for both business and leisure.

Tablet computers have made it easier than ever to access content and browse the Internet, especially at work or on the go. There's no longer a need to chain yourself to your desk; you can now browse, shop, check your emails, and work, right from the comfort of your couch, or even in the middle of nowhere.

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