Tablet

Updated: 09/18/2024 by Computer Hope

A tablet may refer to any of the following:

ASUS Nexus 7 tablet

1. A tablet, tablet computer, or tablet PC is a mobile computing device designed to be held in one or two hands. It is approximately the size of a hardcover book (seven inches or bigger) and resembles a large smartphone. The picture shows an ASUS Nexus 7 Android tablet.

Tablets let you do many of the same things as a traditional computer. They can browse the Internet, connect to social network apps, and display HD videos. They excel at applications requiring only a small amount of precise user input.

Early tablet devices used light pens or a stylus as their input device. However, today, all tablets use a touch screen as their primary input device, with the option of connecting external devices (e.g., a keyboard). Most tablets only have a few physical buttons: the back, power, and volume buttons. Everything else can be done using your fingers.

Today, the top two operating systems used with tablets are Apple iOS, used with iPads, and Google Android, used with Android tablets. A tablet can have apps installed on it to perform a function. For example, the Safari app on iPads is the browser that lets you browse the Internet. On Android tablets, the Chrome app is often the default browser.

Note

Tablet was featured as a top term of 2010.

Can Microsoft Windows be installed on a tablet?

Yes, it is possible to have a tablet computer with Microsoft Windows. However, it's not recommended unless the tablet or hybrid computer that turns into a tablet came with Windows already installed. Tablets with Android or iOS are designed to work with these operating systems and not Windows. Attempting to install Windows on these tablets may be possible, but it would be a lot of work and a terrible experience if ever installed.

History of the tablet

The concept of a tablet was first sketched by Alan Kay while at Xerox in 1971. Since then, there have been many iterations of tablet devices, including the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a predecessor to the tablet. The first successful tablet and the tablet most of today's tablets resemble is the Apple iPad, which was released in 2010.

Tip

See our tablet computer history page for a more complete history of tablet computers.

Is a tablet a computer?

Yes, a tablet is considered a computer. Although a tablet uses a specialized operating system and input devices, it shares many similarities with a traditional computer.

Does a tablet have a hard drive?

Yes. Like a computer, a tablet has storage that works like a traditional hard drive. This memory can store pictures, install apps, and save other files to the device.

What software comes with a tablet?

Tablets come pre-installed with an operating system, Internet browser, general applications, and may have some games. In addition, all tablets come pre-installed with an app store that lets you download and install thousands of other free and purchasable apps and games.

Microsoft Tablet PC Edition

2. Microsoft Tablet PC is a term coined by Microsoft when they introduced a specification and edition of Windows XP called the Windows XP Tablet PC edition. Microsoft Tablet PC allowed handwritten recognition and a Windows computer to be used with a Pen (Stylus).

The Tablet PC edition could not be purchased by itself, but it did come pre-installed on tablet PCs, such as the HP TC1100 from HP (Hewlett-Packard). With the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Tablet PC edition became part of Windows XP.

3. A tablet is an alternative name for a graphics tablet.

Handheld computer, Hardware terms, Hybrid computer, iPad, iPadOS, Kindle, PDA, Phablet, Portable computer, Slate PC, Smartphone gloves, Tablet mode, Touch screen