In Pictures: The evolution of the tablet PC

We live in explosively innovative times for tablet computing and mobile apps. But it didn't all happen overnight. Most attempts to build a tablet-like computer, going back to the '70s, were not successful. Yet every failure was a lesson learned that led us to the iPad. Here's a look back at how the modern tablet came to be.

RIM BlackBerry PlayBook (2011)

Sensing a tablet groundswell, BlackBerry-maker RIM got in the game with the 7-inch PlayBook in April of 2011, the first device to run BlackBerry Tablet OS. The reaction was mixed at best and RIM has had to cut prices to boost sales. The BlackBerry smartphone has been falling behind sleeker touch-screen phones like the iPhone and Android-based smartphones, and there's a BlackBerry stigma that has hurt the PlayBook. In addition, early PlayBook criticisms such as low pixel density and requiring a connection to a BlackBerry smartphone for native email and calendar apps created lasting negative perceptions.

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