The iPad and it’s predecessor, the Newton

Apr 27, 2010 - 2 Comments

ipad_vs_newton

Apple’s first tablet of sorts, the Newton, was introduced 17 years ago in 1993 but didn’t catch on. People weren’t ready for it, and the technology wasn’t as fancy or awe inspiring as when you fast-forward the iPad of today. Interesting how they’re so similar though, isn’t it? CheerfulSW summarizes the two devices as so:

1998: A revolutionary, lovable Apple PDA with little squareish icons, on-screen keyboard, common icons across the bottom, single-tasking, and the best compact keyboard of the decade, complete with an ungainly but functional fold-out case. The Newton.

2010: A revolutionary, lovable Apple PDA with little squareish icons, on-screen keyboard, common icons across the bottom, single-tasking, and the best compact keyboard of the decade, complete with an ungainly but functional fold-out case. The iPad.

When I see things like this I can’t help but wonder where the Mac, iPad, and iPhone are going to be years from now, as Apple continues to refine the user experience. Will the two platforms eventually merge?

If you’re interested in the iPad, the Newton, usability, and design, check out CheerfulSW’s enjoyable read on the iPad being a “work of obvious”.

.

Related articles:

Posted by: Paul Horowitz in iPad

2 Comments

» Comments RSS Feed

  1. marc says:

    More that 12 years. The Newton wasn’t introduced in 1998, it *ended* in 1998. Wikipedia says that development started in ’89. The product was introduced in ’93.

Leave a Reply

 

Shop on Amazon.com and help support OSXDaily!

Subscribe to OSXDaily

Subscribe to RSS Subscribe to Twitter Feed Follow on Facebook Subscribe to eMail Updates

Tips & Tricks

News

iPhone / iPad

Mac

Troubleshooting

Shop on Amazon to help support this site