Apple

Apple was established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, as Apple Computers, but on January 9, 2007, removed “computers” from their name to reflect the company’s ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. That transition into consumer electronics began in 1993 with the Newton handheld tablets, which were like PDAs, but did not reach a critical mass until the release of the iPod in 2001 and it was not cemented until the release of the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010.

A Brief History of Apple Mobile Devices

Apple’s first tablet computer was the Newton MessagePad 100, introduced in 1993, which led to the creation of the ARM6 processor core with Acorn Computers. Apple also developed a prototype PowerBook Duo-based tablet, the PenLite, but in order to avoid hurting MessagePad sales, Apple decided not to sell it. Several more Newton-based PDAs were created and sold, the last being the MessagePad 2100, in 1998.

Apple re-entered the mobile-computing market in 2007 with the iPhone. Smaller than the iPad but featuring a camera and mobile phone, it pioneered the multitouch finger-sensitive touchscreen interface of Apple’s mobile operating system—iOS. By late 2009, the iPad’s release had been rumored for several years. Mostly referred to as “Apple’s tablet”, iTablet and iSlate were among the speculated names, but on January 27, 2010 the iPad was announced by CEO, Steve Jobs.

The iPad

Apple designed and developed the iPad, a web tablet computer marketed as a platform for audio and visual media such as ebooks, emagazines, and enewspapers; movies, music, and games, as well as web content. At about 700 grams (25 ounces), its size and weight are between those of most contemporary smartphones and laptop computers. Apple released the iPad in April 2010.