While apple is synonymous with iPads and touchscreen devices, the world could have been a very different place if Microsoft had pushed through with its tablet ambitions.
In November 2000, ten years before Steve Jobs wowed everyone with the ipad, Bill Gates presented a prototype tablet during a keynote speech at the Comdex Computer Show in Las Vegas.
The prototype Gates showed off was a complete PC that the company planned to release worldwide, with a special version of windows and even a stylus that Steve Jobs reportedly absolutely hated.
“It’s a PC that knows virtually no boundaries, and I expect it to be the most popular type of PC sold in the US within five years.”
Press materials released by the tech giant at the time indicated that this was a lightweight device that would be perfect for workers on the go.
“At the size of a legal laptop and half the weight of most current laptops, the Tablet PC is a powerful, full-featured PC running Windows XP that combines the power of desktop computers with the flexibility and portability of a pen-and-paper notebook,” the company said.
Apple has finally stolen the show
One of the biggest debates about Microsoft’s tablet has been the cost. It was very expensive, consumers probably paid around $2,000, a high price for a tablet.
And while it was a flashy device, it certainly lived up to what users would expect from a laptop. Ultimately, this was a niche product that was unlikely to be a success.
Of course, Apple stole the tablet show years later with the introduction of its legendary iPad line. Jobs was particularly averse to the use of a stylus on touchscreen devices, especially when he introduced his iphone line.
What Apple did well in this regard, however, was to target the iPad line specifically at consumers, rather than presenting it as a flashy workstation that could replace a laptop or desktop computer.
Apple stuck to its path and it worked.
However, Microsoft has made great strides in the touchscreen market, especially with its line of surface devices. Offering a combination of touchscreen features and the same performance as a regular laptop, they have proven to be a big hit for the tech giant.
In fact, dozens of tablets are now sold across the industry, and consumers and businesses have no shortage of options in that regard.
