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The iPad's Progenitor — 123 Years Ago

Posted by timothy on from the expensive-tic-tac-toe dept.

scurtis writes "All technology evolves from cruder predecessors, and tablets are no different. People have been playing with some of the technologies underlying tablet PCs for over a century: In July 1888, for example, inventor Elisha Gray received a US patent for an electrical stylus device that captured handwriting. According to his original application, this 'telautograph' leveraged telegraph technology to send a handwritten message between a sending and receiving station."

2 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Really? by guspasho · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Am I the only one annoyed that it's obvious from the summary that this device is nothing even remotely like an iPad? How is this even news?

  2. Seems more like the Newton's Progenitor by spagthorpe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The iPad doesn't do anything with handwriting.

    --

    WWJD -- What Would Jimi Do?
    (Smash amp, burn guitar, take home the groupies)