“What you’re looking at [on the left] might seem like an early to mid-90’s predecessor to the iPad, but you might be surprised to learn that the device, called the Dynabook, was conceptualized in 1968 by famed computer scientist Alan Kay,” Edible Apple explains. “The device was envisioned as an educational tool and was naturally geared towards children, as evidenced by a 1972 research paper titled ‘A Personal Computer for Children of All Ages’ that Kay published while working at the legendary Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.”
“In a somewhat famous exchange, after Jobs intro’d the iPhone, Jobs approached Kay (who used to work at Apple in the mid 80’s) and asked him if the device was ‘good enough to criticize.’ Kay responded, ‘Make the screen at least 5″x8″ and you will rule the world,'” Edible Apple reports. “With the iPad, Apple has heeded that advice.”
Edible Apple writes, “The iPad has the potential to change the way we as a society use and interact with technology, and while Apple deserves credit for bringing the iPad to life, we should at least be aware that the idea for such a device didn’t magically appear on a whiteboard in an Apple boardroom out of thin air.”
Full article here.
