GRID PalmPAD Model 2350

GRiDPad was a trademarked name for a series of pen computing tablets built by GRiD Systems Corporation. The GRiDPad 1900, released in 1989, is regarded as the first commercially successful tablet computer. Jeff Hawkins went on to use the GRiDPad as a predecessor for his best known-invention, the Palm Pilot. The GRiD PalmPad Model 2350 was introduced in 1992. 

The GRiDPad 1900 measured 9 x 12 x 1.4 inches and weighed 4.5 pounds. The main distinguishing aspect was its touch-screen interface with a stylus, a pen-like tool to aid with precision in a touchscreen device. The stylus was able to use hand writing recognition software. The GRiDPad also included these features:

• • 10 MHz 80C86 processor

  • MS-DOS operating system – the popular operating system used by IBM PC-compatible personal computers

  • A monochromatic Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) display resolution of 640x400

  • 256KB or 512KB battery-backed RAM cards

  • 1MB or 2MB of system memory

  • One serial port, two ATA-FLASH slots, and an expansion bus connector