Retro Computing: The Dynabook Concept
In this new article series - Retro Computing, The Exvo Weblog will feature vintage products, retro computers and influential concepts that has changed the computing industry over the years. For this week, we will start the series off with an article about The Dynabook, a concept on portable tablet computers developed by Alan Kay in the late 60's. He envisioned a product that was thin, portable, wireless network capability and with a touch sensitive flat screen.
Small laptop computers are known as tablet personal computer. Its functional features are similar to the laptop but there are some additional features too. It has a rotatable touch screen and works as a normal PC that has Linux or Windows. Today the meaning has changed a little in terms of function, a tablet now is a computer device that is functions touch but is not built to work like a regular PC.
The growth of tablets has increased rapidly during the last few years. In 2002, Bill Gates of Microsoft first released the tablet PC known as the Microsoft Tablet PC, which he had established earlier in 2001. The national release of this technology had many followers and soon many companies adopted this technology. Apple iPhones had embedded this technology of touch screen. Then in 2007, other mobile phone companies also launched phones that use this technology and in which Nokia was the trendsetter. Apple stepped ahead and introduced a music player with WiFi and Amazon.
The concept of tablets was first introduced in the last century. Alan Kay was the one who developed this idea of tablet computers and he named it the Dynabook concept. This technology looked similar to what is today known as the iPad, but it was conceived in 1968. It was built for educational purpose was targeted towards children as mentioned in a research article “Personal Computer for Children of All Ages” written in 1972.
In his research article, Alan had described the use of Dynabook by its consumers and it was very similar to how people use the iPad today. The article that was written almost 40 years back portrayed the use of technology of the present world; this proved the intelligence and farsightedness of the great computer scientist Alan Kay. It was an idea that was far ahead of its time.
He envisioned the Dynabook as a notebook that can easily be carried along. This device was programmed to display text and graphics similar to the way used in books. He envisioned the use of this technology for its target market and it can easily be operated by young children. The Dynabook of Kay had the remarkable ability to be connected to internet, a flat screen and a virtual keyboard. The concepts for Dynabook is strikingly similar to iPad that Steve Jobs and Apple developed in late 2009.
This device could store audio and video files of long hours and can download books also. The iTunes App Store of today resembles this same technology. It was marketed at a price of $ 500. Steve Jobs had marked iPad as a groundbreaking device but if looked closely, it is tied back to the technology that was introduced decades back. It has combined different technologies like multitouch introduced by Fingerworks and other group of features that were found in Dynabook concept of Alan Kay.
Steve Jobs had close relations with Alan Kay and it is accepted worldwide that Jobs knew about the idea of Dynabook. It is also argued that Steve Jobs had stolen the idea of Dynabook for his iPad, but Alan had always refused of such a thing and maintains that Dynabook had inspired Steve Jobs.
The iPad has revolutionized our world. It has changed the interaction between the society and technology. Apple is credited for its development, but one must not forget the roots of this technology and that Alan Kay should be recognized for conceiving such an idea that has changed the world today.
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