The first tablet computers appeared in 1989 with the introduction of the GRidPad, a pen-based tablet computer that ran on MS-DOS and was primarily used for data collection and fieldwork. However, the concept of a tablet dates back much earlier, with visionary computer scientist Alan Kay in 1972 proposing the idea of the "Dynabook," a personal computing device for children featuring a stylus and a screen capable of displaying a million pixels. Before the GRidPad, there were graphic tablets connected to computer workstations used for animation and drawing. Earlier forms of tablets and pen computing devices also included developments in the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Stylator electronic tablet demonstrated in 1956 and the RAND Tablet invented in 1963. The first true tablet running a modern operating system and resembling what we consider tablets today came in the early 1990s, with devices like the Apple Newton. The modern tablet market was revolutionized by the Apple iPad in 2010, which brought sleek design, multi-touch displays, and intuitive user interfaces to consumers. In summary:

• Conceptual tablet ("Dynabook") proposed in 1972.
• First commercial tablet computer, GRidPad, appeared in 1989.
• Early pen computing systems and tablets date back to the 1950s and 1960s.
• Apple Newton PDA in early 1990s was one of the first true tablet-like devices.
• Apple iPad in 2010 popularized the tablet as we know it today.