The story goes MUCH further back than that. I remember hearing that the tablet PC would be the next big thing back in the early 90s. It resurfaced every few years from then on, and was always a stupid idea. The reason it seems to be catching on now is that society has sunk to the level where the tablet looks good. Our approach to technology appears to resemble dating in the bar scene: The longer we wait, the lower our standards for what we spend money on.