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Steve Jobs Envisioned the iPad in 1983

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Apr 12, 2001
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Visionary is one of the most frequently used words to describe Steve Jobs. Nearly a year after he passed away, historians are still digging up treasures from his life that confirm that assessment.

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The Next Web writes of a speech Jobs gave in 1983 at the Center for Design innovation. After that speech, he had a question-and-answer session that covered a wide range of topics, one of which was an incredibly detailed assessment of Jobs' vision for a "computer in a book" that one could learn how to use in 20 minutes.
"Apple's strategy is really simple. What we want to do is we want to put an incredibly great computer in a book that you can carry around with you and learn how to use in 20 minutes. That's what we want to do and we want to do it this decade," says Jobs. "And we really want to do it with a radio link in it so you don't have to hook up to anything and you're in communication with all of these larger databases and other computers."
Click to expand...
The full recording of the speech including the Q&A is available at LifeLibertyTech.com, with the Q&A starting about 21 minutes in.

Walter Isaacson also revealed some tidbits behind the development of the iPad in Steve Jobs' biography.

(Image courtesy Matt Buchanan)

Article Link: Steve Jobs Envisioned the iPad in 1983
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/02/steve-jobs-envisioned-the-ipad-in-1983/
b166er

b166er

macrumors 68020
Apr 17, 2010
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Not many of us live long enough to see our own dreams come true. Steve was a major exception.
 
J

Jasoco

macrumors 6502
May 28, 2006
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I wonder if they might have actually done it "this decade" if he hadn't been kicked out in 1985. He seems like the guy who could have pulled it off in some way or another. If not the '80s, quite possibly the '90s.
 
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pk7

macrumors 6502
Sep 27, 2011
441
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Visionary indeed :) Amazing. He was full of great ideas.

If only he were still here. We would've been able to see what else he had in store for us. Hopefully, he left some pretty exciting things behind for Apple. But I will miss the excitement with which he introduced his ideas to us.
 
Eso

Eso

macrumors 68020
Aug 14, 2008
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...and how long before that did they envision a tablet computer in a science fiction film/show?
 
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divinox

macrumors 68000
Jul 17, 2011
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MacRumors said:
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


Visionary is one of the most frequently used words to describe Steve Jobs. Nearly a year after he passed away, historians are still digging up treasures from his life that confirm that assessment.

Image


The Next Web writes of a speech Jobs gave in 1983 at the Center for Design innovation. After that speech, he had a question-and-answer session that covered a wide range of topics, one of which was an incredibly detailed assessment of Jobs' vision for a "computer in a book" that one could learn how to use in 20 minutes.
The full recording of the speech including the Q&A is available at LifeLibertyTech.com, with the Q&A starting about 21 minutes in.

Walter Isaacson also revealed some tidbits behind the development of the iPad in Steve Jobs' biography.

(Image courtesy Matt Buchanan)

Article Link: Steve Jobs Envisioned the iPad in 1983
Click to expand...

Only 15 years after Alan Kay, then. Visionary, indeed.

(That said, Jobs indeed had great vision - or taste, as Bill G once put it).
 
D

divinox

macrumors 68000
Jul 17, 2011
1,979
0
Jasoco said:
I wonder if they might have actually done it "this decade" if he hadn't been kicked out in 1985. He seems like the guy who could have pulled it off in some way or another. If not the '80s, quite possibly the '90s.
Click to expand...

Of course not. Just look at the Newton.
 
rorschach

rorschach

macrumors 68020
Jul 27, 2003
2,272
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It's one thing to imagine something. It's another to actually make that dream into a reality. Sure, similar concepts were "thought of" but Steve & Apple made them a reality.
 
M

Millah

macrumors 6502a
Aug 6, 2008
866
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What an incredible life he lived. Talk about timing. The product he's pursued his entire career, the product he's dreamed of delivering for decades, he finally achieved just 2 years before passing away. The man fought hard to his very last breath, and whether or not you are a fan or hater, you'd be an incredibly foolish jerk to not respect the mans drive and determination.

It's always sad to think about what else he could have done, but I'm also grateful for what he HAS given us. :(
 
OrangeSVTguy

OrangeSVTguy

macrumors 601
Sep 16, 2007
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One can envision anything. It's the time period and the current technological advances of the time that can determine if they work or not.

How long have we been waiting for the "floating car"? When our technology says we can.
 
SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Apr 22, 2009
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Couldn't a "computer in a book" technically be a laptop also?
How do we know he meant a tablet?

(I didn't read the full thing, only what was on this front page. If he went into further detail about a touch screen and such then forget what I'm saying now. But as far as a "wireless computer in a book" - wouldn't that technically be a laptop? Or a "notebook computer?")
 
C

clibinarius

macrumors 6502a
Aug 26, 2010
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Jasoco said:
I wonder if they might have actually done it "this decade" if he hadn't been kicked out in 1985. He seems like the guy who could have pulled it off in some way or another. If not the '80s, quite possibly the '90s.
Click to expand...

LCDs were pretty bad back then for a variety of reasons. Had one been possible, manufacture would've been slow and expensive.

Unless it was monochrome. In which case, Hello, Newton!

If Apple had him in the early 90s and was profitable by 96, it might've significantly moved up development to, say, Y2K. But Apple was more focused on staying solvent for many years than releasing new products, I think the iPod was their first venture into it since Jobs took over, and wasn't too big of a risk, considering its small size (Jobs didn't find it necessary to sell it with Windows Compatibility).
 
M

Millah

macrumors 6502a
Aug 6, 2008
866
515
divinox said:
Only 15 years after Alan Kay, then. Visionary, indeed.

(That said, Jobs indeed had great vision - or taste, as Bill G once put it).
Click to expand...

Imagination and execution are two completely different things. Steve made his visions into tangible reality. Not a concept demo, a physical product you could walk into the store and buy. Many others only dream, but fail to follow through. And if you have any experience with invention, the hardest part isn't in the idea, but actually making it work.

That's not to say Alan Kay wasn't a genius as well. He had the vision before anyone else. But he didn't get it right. What he delivered was not what the market wanted.
 
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