ThinkPad is a line of business-oriented laptop computers and tablets, the early models of which were designed, developed and marketed by IBM, starting in 1992. In 2005 IBM sold its PC business, including laptops to Lenovo. The Chinese manufacturer further developed the line, and is still selling new models in 2023.
A netbook is a small and inexpensive laptop designed primarily as a means of accessing the Internet. Netbooks were sold from 2007 until around 2013, when the widespread advent of smartphones and tablets eclipsed their popularity. Netbooks generally had lower-end hardware specifications than consumer laptops of the time, being primarily intended as clients for Internet services. While netbook has fallen out of use, these machines evolved into other products including Google's Chromebook, and mobile devices, particularly tablet computers, often running mobile operating systems such as iOS or Android.
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers, have similar capabilities, but lack some input/output (I/O) abilities that others have. Modern tablets largely resemble modern smartphones, the only differences being that tablets are relatively larger than smartphones, with screens 7 inches (18 cm) or larger, measured diagonally, and may not support access to a cellular network. Unlike laptops, tablets usually run mobile operating systems, alongside smartphones.
A mobile operating system is an operating system for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on them are generally not considered mobile ones, as they were originally designed for desktop computers that historically did not have or need specific mobile features. This line distinguishing mobile and other forms has become blurred in recent years, due to the fact that newer devices have become smaller and more mobile unlike hardware of the past. Key notabilities blurring this line are the introduction of tablet computers and light-weight laptops and the hybridization of the two in 2-in-1 PCs.
Cherrypal is a California-based marketer of Chinese-manufactured consumer-oriented computers. It markets a range of models with a diversity of CPU-types, structures, features, and operating systems. Commentators have observed that Cherrypal arguably beat the heralded and much-better financed one Laptop per Child (OLPC) project to its goal of a $100 "laptop".
This is a list of tablet computers, grouped by intended audience and form factor.
The JooJoo was a Linux-based tablet computer. It was produced by Singapore development studio Fusion Garage. Originally, Fusion Garage was working with Michael Arrington to release it as the CrunchPad, but in November 2009 Fusion Garage informed Arrington it would be selling the product alone. Arrington has responded by filing a lawsuit against Fusion Garage.
A smartbook was a class of mobile device that combined certain features of both a smartphone and netbook computer, produced between 2009 and 2010. Smartbooks were advertised with features such as always on, all-day battery life, 3G, or Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS in a laptop or tablet-style body with a screen size of 5 to 10 inches and a physical or soft touchscreen keyboard.
MeeGo is a discontinued Linux distribution hosted by the Linux Foundation, using source code from the operating systems Moblin and Maemo. Primarily targeted at mobile devices and information appliances in the consumer electronics market, MeeGo was designed to act as an operating system for hardware platforms such as netbooks, entry-level desktops, nettops, tablet computers, mobile computing and communications devices, in-vehicle infotainment devices, SmartTV / ConnectedTV, IPTV-boxes, smart phones, and other embedded systems.
The EXOPC is a Tablet PC, in slate form, that uses Windows 7 Home Premium as its operating system, and is designed by the company of the same name, based in Quebec, Canada. The EXOPC Slate is manufactured by Pegatron. The first EXOPC slate was launched in October 2010 directly from EXOPC Corp. on their website, and in Canada through the company Hypertechnologie Ciara. Hypertechnologie Ciara markets the slate under the name Ciara Vibe. Probitas markets the EXOPC as Mobi-One in Southern Europe and North Africa. RM Education markets the EXOPC in the UK as the RM Slate. Leader Computers markets the EXOPC in Australia. The EXOPC Slate is also currently available in the United States via the Microsoft Store, both online and in stores. Mustek markets it as the Mecer Lucid Slate in South Africa.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 or simply Samsung Galaxy Tab is an Android-based mini-tablet computer produced by Samsung. Available from 5 November 2010. The tablet was first introduced on 2 September 2010 at the IFA in Berlin. The Galaxy Tab was the first Samsung Android-powered tablet to be released.
The history of tablet computers and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots. The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1914. The first publicly demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is an Android-based tablet computer designed and manufactured by Samsung, introduced in 2011. It is part of the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, and features a 10.1-inch (260 mm) display and a 1 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.
A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based ChromeOS as its operating system. Initially designed to rely heavily on web applications for tasks using the Google Chrome browser, Chromebooks have since expanded to be able to run Android and full-fledged Linux apps since 2017 and 2018, respectively. All supported apps can be installed and launched alongside each other.
A 2-in-1 PC, also known as convertible laptop, 2-in-1 tablet, 2-in-1 laptop, 2-in-1 detachable, laplet, tabtop, laptop tablet, or simply 2-in-1, is a portable computer that has features of both tablets and laptops.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is an Android-based tablet computer designed and manufactured by Samsung, introduced on 22 March 2011 at CTIA wireless convention in its Samsung Unpacked event in Orlando. It is part of the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, and features an 8.9-inch display and a 1 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.
The Acer Iconia A500 is a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Acer Inc. The A500 launched with the Android Honeycomb operating system which is now upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3. The tablet is also sold in almost identical form as the Packard Bell Liberty Tab G100.
The Acer Iconia is a range of tablet computers from Acer Inc. of Taiwan.
The IdeaPad tablets from Lenovo were a brand of consumer-oriented tablet computers designed for home use or entertainment, as opposed to the business-focused ThinkPad Tablet series. Devices sold in certain countries, such as China, India and New Zealand, were sold under the LePad brand, similar to the LePhone series of smartphones. IdeaPad-branded tablets have been produced with the Android and Windows operating systems.
Atom is a system on a chip (SoC) platform designed for smartphones and tablet computers, launched by Intel in 2012. It is a continuation of the partnership announced by Intel and Google on September 13, 2011 to provide support for the Android operating system on Intel x86 processors. This range competes with existing SoCs developed for the smartphone and tablet market from companies such as Texas Instruments, Nvidia, Qualcomm and Samsung. Unlike these companies, which use ARM-based CPUs designed from the beginning to consume very low power, Intel has adapted the x86-based Intel Atom line of CPU developed for low power usage in netbooks, to even lower power usage.
