Subj : Microsoft created a tablet years before Apple, but it never took
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Sat Nov 22 2025 11:30:08

Microsoft created a tablet years before Apple, but it never took off - here's 
why

Date:
Sat, 22 Nov 2025 11:27:00 +0000

Description:
Bill Gates proudly displayed a pioneering Microsoft tablet device way back in 
2000, but it never really took off.

FULL STORY
======================================================================

While Apple is synonymous with the iPad and touch-based devices, it couldve 
been a completely different world had Microsoft acted on its own ambitions in 
the tablet domain. 

In November 2000, a full decade before Steve Jobs blew everyone away with the 
iPad, Bill Gates showcased a prototype tablet device during a keynote at the 
Comdex computer expo trade show in Las Vegas. 

The prototype device paraded by Gates was a fully fleshed out PC which the 
company aimed to release globally and running on a dedicated Windows version 
- it even came with a pen, which Steve Jobs wouldve utterly detested. 

The Tablet takes cutting-edge PC technology and makes it available wherever 
you want it, which is why Im already using a Tablet as my everyday computer, 
Bill Gates said at the time, per reports from Computerworld . 

Its a PC that is virtually without limits  and within five years I predict it 
will be the most popular form of PC sold in America. 

Press materials published by the tech giant at the time noted it was a 
lightweight device that wouldve been perfect for workers on the go. 

The size of a legal notepad and half the weight of most of todays laptop PCs, 
the Tablet PC is a full-powered, full-featured PC that runs Windows XP and 
combines the power of desktop computing with the flexibility and portability 
of a pen and paper notepad, the company said. 

So what happened with the prototype tablet? Apple eventually stole the show 

A big talking point of Microsofts tablet device was the cost. It was very 
expensive, with consumers likely set back around $2,000 - thats a big price 
tag for a tablet. 

Moreover, while it was a flashy piece of kit, it really could match what 
users could get from a laptop. The bottom line is that it was a niche product 
that wasnt likely to take off. 

Of course, years later, Apple stole the show with tablet devices with the 
launch of its iconic iPad range. Notably, Jobs spoke ill of the use of a 
stylus on touchscreen devices, particularly when launching its iPhone range. 

What Apple got right in this regard, however, is that it targeted the iPad 
range specifically at consumers, and didnt frame it as a flashy workplace 
device that could replace a laptop or desktop computer. 

Apple stayed in its lane, and it worked. 

Microsoft has made big gains in the touchscreen market, however, particularly 
with its Surface device range. Offering a combination of touchscreen 
capabilities and packing the same punch as a typical business laptop, these 
have proven a huge success for the tech giant. 

Indeed, across the industry, tablets are now a dime a dozen, and consumers 
and businesses alike arent short of options on this front.



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-created-a-tablet-years-before-apple-bu
t-it-never-took-off-heres-why


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