Emerging tech notes/ ideas
History, present and future of:
Graphics tablets/Artistic software (both?)
Telautograph (1888)
Similar concept to drawing/graphics tablets but used for communication. Worked like a _____ but the machine detected pen movement, transmitted the movement into electrical signals, and recreated the movement on the other end similar to the concept of a drawing being recreated on a computer screen from a tablet.
Stylator (1957)
Used for handwriting recognition
RAND tablet (1964)
https://tedium.co/2017/09/21/wacom-tablet-history/
Summagraphic Bit Pad
Apple utopia graphics system (1979)
Rebranded Summagraphic Bit Pad, called a “digitizer” (graphics tablet). Sold by other manufacturers
Worked in collaboration with Summagraphics
Came with a stylus because mouses weren’t popularized until 1984 with the original Macintosh
Described by apple:
” The Apple Graphics Tablet turns your Apple II system into an artist’s canvas. The tablet offers an exciting medium with easy to use tools and techniques for creating and displaying pictured/pixelated?? information. When used with the Utopia Graphics Tablet System, the number of creative alternatives available to you multiplies before your eyes. “
At the time, it ran on the Apple II plus
Discontinued when FCC discovered it interfered with radio frequency
Koalapad (1983)/Koalapainter
Painted one pixel at a time and could draw simple shapes. Could be used with fingers as a touch screen, which the Apple graphics tablet (rereleased after radio disruption was fixed) could not.
Patent drawing of Wacom technology.
Microsoft Tablet PC (2001), Produced by Lenovo. Not successful, Hybrid of a touch screen tablet/ graphics tablet.
Grace's Blog 