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.

Amazon Kindle Fire (2011)

Amazon realized it couldn't survive the media consumption magic of the iPad with just a Kindle e-reader. Hence the Kindle Fire, a 7-inch touchscreen tablet with Web connectivity and access to all the content in the Amazon Appstore. The Kindle Fire first debuted in Sept. 2011 and Amazon released a new version in Sept. 2012, the Kindle Fire HD, available in 7- and 8.9-inch models. The device runs its own version of Google Android and has been making money on the digital content in the Appstore more than the hardware. It's a risk that has so far paid off.

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