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Tablet computer

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A tablet computer is a mobile device designed for portability and ease of use.

IPad Mini 6 - 1
IPad Mini 6 - 1

It typically consists of a thin, flat package containing a touchscreen display, processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery. While tablets are full computers, they differ from traditional desktop computers in their input/output capabilities. Most tablets run on a mobile operating system, which is software designed for handheld devices. They are often compared to smartphones, but tablets feature much larger screens. These screens generally measure between 7 and 13 inches when measured diagonally.

How a user interacts with a tablet depends on its specific hardware design. Most tablets are operated through gestures made with a finger or a digital pen, also called a stylus. This is a major departure from larger computers that rely on a mouse, touchpad, or physical keyboard. Tablets are often categorized into two main species: the slate and the booklet. Slates and booklets generally lack physical keyboards. Instead, they rely on a virtual keyboard that appears on the touchscreen for text input. To increase productivity, many users connect independent physical keyboards via Bluetooth or USB.

Asus Transformer Pad TF701T Tablet and Keyboard Dock
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T Tablet and Keyboard Dock

Some devices occupy a middle ground in the computer market. For example, 2-in-1 PCs feature built-in keyboards that distinguish them from standard tablets. Tablets have become essential tools for many different activities. People use them for viewing presentations and participating in video-conferencing. They are also popular for reading e-books, watching movies, and sharing digital photos. Because they are highly portable, they are widely used in personal, educational, and workplace settings.

Ziosk games
Ziosk games

The concept of the tablet has a long history in both fiction and science. In the mid-20th century, the idea of a handheld computer began to take shape. Science fiction writers helped people imagine these devices long before they were built. Isaac Asimov described a "Calculator Pad" in his 1951 novel, Foundation.

2001interview
2001interview

In 1961, Stanisław Lem wrote about a device called the Opton. The television series Star Trek featured PADDs, which used touchscreen interfaces. Even the film 2001: A Space Odyssey depicted a "newspad" in 1968. These stories helped spread the idea of portable, interactive screens to the public.

Real-world development also traces back many decades. As early as 1888, a device called the telautograph provided data input and output on a flat display.

Telautograph-1888 electronic writing device
Telautograph-1888 electronic writing device

It used a pen attached to electromechanical actuators and a sheet of paper as a display. In 1972, computer scientist Alan Kay proposed the "Dynabook." This was a concept for a personal computer for children that functioned much like a modern tablet. In 1979, a team in Japan at Hitachi patented a touchscreen that could detect external force. This paved the way for the many commercial prototypes that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s.

The 1990s saw a surge in pen computing and various experimental devices. In 1989, the GridPad became the first commercially successful tablet computer. Apple entered the market in 1993 with the Newton, a personal digital assistant using the Newton OS.

Apple Newton-IMG 0454-cropped
Apple Newton-IMG 0454-cropped

During this era, companies like Microsoft and Palm, Inc. also developed handheld technologies. Microsoft released Windows CE in 1996, while Palm released the PalmPilot. Other notable devices included the Fujitsu Stylistic 1000 and the Intel-branded WebPAD. Despite much hype, many early attempts, such as Microsoft's 2002 Tablet PC, struggled due to high prices and heavy weights.

A major turning point occurred in 2010 when Apple released the iPad. This device was the first mass-market tablet to achieve widespread popularity. Following this launch, tablets rapidly became a ubiquitous product category. The scale of this growth is massive. As of 2021, there were 1.28 billion tablet users worldwide.

Today, the market is dominated by a few major manufacturers. Apple holds the largest market share, followed by Samsung and Lenovo. Tablets continue to evolve, bridging the gap between the simple functions of a smartphone and the power of a laptop.

Laplet, Phablet and Cricket
Laplet, Phablet and Cricket
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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:IPad Mini 6 - 1.jpg
IPad Mini 6 - 1.jpg
File:Telautograph-1888 electronic writing device.png
Telautograph-1888 electronic writing device.png
File:2001interview.png
2001interview.png
File:Apple Newton-IMG 0454-cropped.jpg
Apple Newton-IMG 0454-cropped.jpg
File:Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook T3010.jpg
Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook T3010.jpg
File:N800 frontside2.jpg
N800 frontside2.jpg
File:Steve Jobs with the Apple iPad no logo.jpg
Steve Jobs with the Apple iPad no logo.jpg
File:Android os.png
Android os.png
File:Laplet, Phablet and Cricket.jpg
Laplet, Phablet and Cricket.jpg
File:IPad mini Air Pro.jpeg
IPad mini Air Pro.jpeg
File:1st gen Comparison iPad Mini & Google Nexus 7 & Kindle Fire Wikipedia screen 03 2013 6262.jpg
1st gen Comparison iPad Mini & Google...
File:Surface pro.jpeg
Surface pro.jpeg

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