The early 1990s saw the first flurry of tablet PCs, but back then it was known as "pen computing."
Side note: I recall reviewing one unit, and was fascinated at how my children (age 6-7 and younger at the time) immediately took to it -- because of the direct interface of using the pen on the notebook computer's screen.
The concept pretty much failed in the market place, until the PalmPilot came along with its small form factor, light weight, and ease of use.
Side note: Last week I bought an HP TX1220 convertible notebook computer that also operates as a tablet PC. Now I know why tablet PCs failed in the general marketplace: too heavy and too large! My primary difficulty in using it is that the screen is insensitive -- I find I have to punch the screen, rather than tap it, as on my Palm TX. Still, I like being able to sidestep the mouse or touchpad by hitting buttons directly on the screen. I've downloaded MoI, 3D CAD software designed for tablet PCs.
Fast forward 15 years, and we have the New Pen Computing: it consists of just a pen! CNET reports on this new type of digital pen: it keeps track of what you've been writing, and then later uploads it to the computer for storage. You can see a picture here.
I wonder if such a pen could be adapted for CAD, or even sketching -- thus giving architects and other conceptual designers the tablet-free CAD tool they've been looking for.
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