Twenty years ago, Apple released its first experiment in tablet computing, the Apple Newton MessagePad. While it proved to be a financial disappointment for the company, Apple's first touchscreen device paved the way for future innovations in mobile technology, including the wildly successful iPhone and iPad.
The tablet also served as the cornerstone of a new market of personal digital assistants (PDAs), a term Apple coined to describe a handheld computer that functioned as a mobile complement to, rather than a replacement of, the desktop PC. Apple envisioned PDAs as pocket secretaries and communicators, incorporating a notepad, an address book, and organizer software, and emphasizing networking through modem accessories and short-range IR ports.
At a base price of $699 (about $1129 when adjusted for inflation), the MessagePad was a pricey gadget at launch, but one that pushed the technological boundaries of the day. Packed inside the 1-pound, 7.25-by-4.50-by-0.75-inch device were a 32-bit ARM 610 CPU running at 20MHz, with 640KB of RAM, and a 1-bit, 336-by-240-pixel LCD. Apple's choice of a battery-sipping ARM CPU was novel at the time, as the architecture had not yet become the mobile stalwart it is today.
Jared EarleNewton MessagePad 120
But as with most Apple products, raw technical specs weren't what drew users to the Newton platform. Instead, it was the pen-based touchscreen interface that made the MessagePad distinctive. Lacking a keyboard, the MessagePad depended on handwriting recognition for text-based user input—a futuristic feature that captivated the public's imagination when trumpeted by Apple marketing, but one that fell far short of expectations when the product actually shipped.
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