An interesting parallel is to look at the advent of the tablet. The Tablet PC was launched in 2001, whereas the Apple iPad was released in April, 2010. By 2003

An interesting parallel is to look at the advent of the tablet. The Tablet PC was launched in 2001, whereas the Apple iPad was released in April, 2010. By 2003, it was easy to look at Microsoft's Tablet PC and describe it as an "abject failure" - similar to the way this article describes laptops. The reasoning was slightly different but quite similar - both the original laptops and the original Tablet PC were clunky and unsuited to the user's lifestyle. TL;DR - User-centered design is a key to building successful products. More context: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2471642/mobile-apps/microsoft-released-its-first-tablet-10-years-ago--so-why-did-apple-win-with-the-ipad-.html http://www.computerworld.com/article/2471642/mobile-apps/mic...