The History of the Tablet

📱 What Is a Tablet?

A tablet is a portable computer that is operated using fingers or a stylus via a touchscreen. It serves many functions such as reading books, watching videos, playing games, accessing the internet, and drawing. Due to its light weight and easy portability, it is widely preferred by children, students, and older adults.

🧠 Where Did the Idea of a Tablet Come From?

Scientists years ago began imagining ways to make computers smaller and more portable. In the 1960s, devices with touchscreens were envisioned primarily for simple tasks like sketching and note-taking.

As technology advanced, this idea became reality:

🔸 Smaller components,

🔸 More powerful processors,

🔸 Color screens — thanks to these, tablets entered our lives!

📜 What Were the First Tablets Like?

- 1989: The first tablet computer, called GRiDPad, was produced but was very expensive and not accessible to everyone.

- 1993: Apple introduced the Newton, its first touchscreen device.

- In the 2000s, Microsoft introduced tablet PCs designed for use with a stylus.

- But the real breakthrough came in 2010: Apple launched the iPad!

⚙️ How Do Tablets Work?

Tablets contain small but highly powerful computer components. Thanks to these:

- Touch inputs on the screen are detected,

- Applications run smoothly,

- Internet connections are established,

- Sound, images, and motion are sensed.

A tablet contains the following:

- Touchscreen

- Processor (brain)

- Camera

- Speaker and microphone

- Battery (power source)

- Wi-Fi (wireless internet)

🧪 Home Experiment: Design Your Own App!

Use your imagination!

🧩 A game app?

📚 An educational book?

🎨 A colorful drawing program?

Take a piece of paper and draw your envisioned tablet app. Give it a name and describe what it does.

→ Who knows, maybe one day your app will become real!

⏱️ Records in Tablet History

📆 Oldest tablet concept: Alan Kay’s “Dynabook” vision in 1968

📱 First actual tablet: iPad (2010)

🎮 Most downloaded tablet apps: Games and educational apps

💡 Largest tablet screen: Up to 20 inches!

🌍 Where Are Tablets Used Today?

- In schools for digital lessons

- By artists for digital drawing

- By doctors and engineers for data collection

- During travel for movies, maps, and books

- At home for entertainment, learning, and drawing

📚 Sources

- TÜBİTAK Bilim Genç – “The Development of Tablet Technology”

- Apple – “iPad Timeline”

- Microsoft – “Tablet PC Archives”