In 1888, the American inventor Elisha Gray was granted a patent for the teleautograph, a device that captured handwriting on an electronic tablet.
That technology was the beginning of what has today become one of the most innovative and dynamic sectors in the electronic technology industry.
Although its prominence was shadowed by the laptop computer, the tablet was thrust to the forefront of the tech wars last year after speculation mounted that Apple was about to announce a mobile device that would be similar to the iPod in its impact.
True to form, when Steve Jobs, the company's chief executive, unveiled the iPad in January, he silenced all the critics who had said that a tablet would prove to be an unnecessary gadget.
With many features borrowed from Apple's popular iPhone, the iPad turned out to be a huge hit, selling just over 300,000 units on the first day and 7.5 million to date.
It has generated about US$5 billion (Dh18.36bn) for the company, a remarkable figure for a gadget that went on sale only in March.
The iPad's success has created a technology gold rush that has drawn dozens of new players into the market with tablet devices of their own.
Figures vary, but the technology analysis company Gartner predicts that worldwide media tablet sales will reach 19.5 million this year and could grow to 208 million by 2014.
Jawad Abbassi, the founder and general manager of Arab Advisors, says: "The popularity of the tablets is that the design that Apple launched with the iPad was so different than anything else on the market. It single-handedly [persuaded] other vendors to jump into the space and develop tablets of their own."
The secret to the popularity of the iPad has been the wide variety of content available and its user-friendly touchscreen.
"It's a device that non-tech savvy people can be comfortable with," Mr Abbassi says. "The keyboard is actually comfortable and wide enough to use. It's like a laptop without all the problems of a laptop."
Indeed, when the tablet was about to be introduced, many industry analysts thought it would be dead on arrival. Variations were released previously, but none had offered the user experience that the iPad delivered. Now, tablets are expected to be the first choice for many consumers looking to replace obsolete laptops this holiday season.
Mike Abramsky, a technology equity analyst with Royal Bank of Canada, says: "We agree tablets may cannibalise some [personal computers], but perhaps not completely.
"The category seems to us to sit between a laptop, an iPod and a mobile phone, with some uniqueness of its own, along with a modest overlap of all three. [But] we fear some shakeout coming in tablets. There are too many vendors vying for the pie, with little differentiation."
Many technology companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Acer, LG and Nokia, are expected to move into the growing tablet market. But only a couple will mount a serious challenge to Apple's dominance.
Since October, Samsung has sold more than 1 million units of its Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch device based on Google's Android operating system and featuring a camera facing the user for video phone calls.
Android-based models such as the Galaxy Tab will chip away at Apple's market share and will account for about 15 per cent of all tablet sales next year, according to the technology consultancy IMS Research.
But perhaps the greatest threat to the iPad comes from Research In Motion (RIM), the company whose BlackBerry smartphone has fiercely squared off against Apple's iPhone during the past three years.
RIM is preparing to enter the market early next year with the PlayBook, a 7-inch tablet that is geared towards business users and will feature an ultra-fast processor that can play back high-definition video while sending an e-mail.
Early reviews have been promising. The Boy Genius Report, a prominent technology blog, called the PlayBook experience "fluid, quick and downright impressive".
The PlayBook will be priced at about $399, below the iPad's starting price of $499 and the Galaxy Tab's $599. The timing of its release may be auspicious, however, with Apple expected to announce an upgraded version of the iPad in February, reports have suggested.
Regardless of how many players are in the market, the tablet is here to stay. "If it's something my grandmother can use, you know it's going to be a hit," Mr Abbassi says.
dgeorgecosh@thenational.ae
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Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Zayed Sustainability Prize
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now