<s>
GRiDPad	B-Device
was	O
a	O
trademarked	O
name	O
for	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
pen	O
computing	O
tablets	B-Device
built	O
by	O
Grid	O
Systems	O
Corporation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
1900	O
,	O
released	O
in	O
1989	O
,	O
is	O
regarded	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
commercially	O
successful	O
tablet	B-Device
computer	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Hawkins	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
as	O
a	O
predecessor	O
for	O
his	O
best	O
known-invention	O
,	O
the	O
Palm	B-Device
Pilot	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
1900	O
measured	O
and	O
weighed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
distinguishing	O
aspect	O
was	O
its	O
touchscreen	O
interface	O
with	O
a	O
stylus	B-Operating_System
,	O
a	O
pen-like	O
tool	O
to	O
aid	O
with	O
precision	O
in	O
a	O
touchscreen	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
stylus	B-Operating_System
was	O
able	O
to	O
use	O
handwriting-recognition	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
also	O
included	O
these	O
features	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
its	O
use	O
for	O
inventory	O
management	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Army	O
specified	O
more	O
durable	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
tablet	B-Device
made	O
out	O
of	O
magnesium	O
that	O
were	O
not	O
sold	O
to	O
the	O
general	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
patent	O
submitted	O
in	O
1992	O
by	O
an	O
engineer	O
at	O
GRiD	O
Systems	O
,	O
the	O
touchscreen	O
in	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
works	O
by	O
magnifying	O
an	O
internal	O
Cartesian	O
plane	O
and	O
calculating	O
the	O
displacement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
its	O
text-recognition	O
interface	O
,	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
was	O
marketed	O
toward	O
specialist	O
consumers	O
who	O
would	O
use	O
the	O
tablet	B-Device
for	O
bookkeeping	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
was	O
"	O
designed	O
to	O
streamline	O
the	O
chores	O
of	O
workers	O
such	O
as	O
route	O
delivery	O
drivers	O
and	O
claims	O
adjusters	O
,	O
who	O
typically	O
recorded	O
data	O
on	O
paper	O
forms.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
agencies	O
that	O
used	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
included	O
Chrysler	O
,	O
San	O
Jose	O
Police	O
Department	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
the	O
US	O
Government	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
customer	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
and	O
who	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
overall	O
requirements	O
was	O
Best	O
Foods	O
Baking	O
Group	O
,	O
a	O
division	O
of	O
CPC	O
International	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
GriDPad	B-Device
had	O
the	O
same	O
operating	O
system	O
as	O
personal	O
computers	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hawkins	O
once	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
never	O
saw	O
pen	O
computers	O
as	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
a	O
full	O
PC	O
...	O
"	O
Although	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
replace	O
computers	O
,	O
it	O
did	O
pave	O
the	O
way	O
for	O
other	O
companies	O
to	O
invest	O
more	O
into	O
tablet	B-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Not	O
only	O
did	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
start	O
paving	O
the	O
way	O
for	O
tablet	B-Device
computers	I-Device
,	O
it	O
also	O
helped	O
propel	O
Jeff	O
Hawkins	O
 '	O
career	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hawkins	O
used	O
the	O
same	O
stylus	B-Operating_System
technology	O
to	O
develop	O
his	O
most	O
commercially	O
successful	O
product	O
,	O
the	O
Palm	B-Device
Pilot	I-Device
,	O
making	O
the	O
GRiDPad	B-Device
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
