Pen-Based Computing History Museum
Under Construction
2026 / SUMMER EXHIBITION
GCFeatured Exhibition

GO Corporation
and the Vision of
Pen-Based Computing

GO Corporation's PenPoint, released in 1991, was the first operating system designed from the ground up for pen input rather than keyboard — pioneering gesture commands, embedded handwriting recognition, and a notebook metaphor that would echo through every stylus and touch system that followed.

GO Corporation and the Vision of Pen-Based Computing
Now on view
Permanent collection
Artifacts
Approx. 30,000
Catalogued
166
Timeline span
1987 — 2007
Recorded events
1472 milestones

Exhibitions
now on view.

One Special Exhibition Drawn directly from the museum's collection of artifacts, magazines, and primary documents.
GC Featured Exhibition
Under Construction GO Corporation and the Vision of Pen-Based Computing

GO Corporation and the Vision of Pen-Based Computing

GO Corporation's PenPoint, released in 1991, was the first operating system designed from the ground up for pen input rather than keyboard — pioneering gesture commands, embedded handwriting recognition, and a notebook metaphor that would echo through every stylus and touch system that followed.

Featured artifacts.

From the collection 18 recently catalogued objects, drawn from 166 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
Creative Digital, Inc. 1997
Creative Digital - The Handheld Computer Almanac (Cover)

The Handheld Computer Almanac
Software Partners, Inc. 1994
Software Partners, Inc. - FreeStyle Version 1.0 Package (Front)

Software Partners, Inc. – FreeStyle Version 1.0 (Magic Cap)
PenWorld, Incorporated 1994
Personal Electronics News - Issue 16 - March/April 1994 (Cover)

Personal Electronics News, Issue 16, March/April 1994
aha! software corporation 1994
aha! InkWriter for Windows 2.0 Quick Reference (Cover)

aha! InkWriter 2.0 for Windows Quick Reference
Palmtop Publications 1997
Palmtop Journal - Issue 12 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 12
GO Corporation 1994
Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure - Jerry Kaplan (Cover)

Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure Story
aha! software corporation 1993
aha! InkWriter Handbook - PenPoint (Cover)

aha InkWriter Handbook (PenPoint)
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - Using PenPoint (Cover)

GO Corporation – Using PenPoint
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Architectural Reference Volume II (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Architectural Reference – Volume II
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint User Interface Design Reference (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint User Interface Design Reference
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Application Writing Guide (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Application Writing Guide
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Development Tools (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Development Tools
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Architectural Reference - Volume I (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Architectural Reference – Volume I
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO, Inc. - Personal Communicator 440 Order Form Letter (John Jerney)

EO, Inc. – Personal Communicator 440 Letter and Order Form (John Jerney)
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO Inc - Personal Communicator 440 Order Form Letter (March, 1993)

EO, Inc. – Personal Communicator 440 Letter and Order Form
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO, Inc. - Personal Communicator 440/880 Brochure - Photocopy (Front)

EO, Inc. – Personal Communicator 440/880 Brochure (Photocopy)
WPDO 1993
Worldwide PenPoint Developers Organization - Available Videotapes - July 8, 1993 (Page 1)

Worldwide PenPoint Developers Organization – Available Videotapes (July 8, 1993)
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO, Inc. - Pen Expo Attendee Letter (August 26, 1993)

EO, Inc. – Pen Expo Attendee Letter (August 26, 1993)

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 1472 catalogued timeline events.
View full timeline
1991Organization
GRiD Creates National Pen Computer Sales Force; Dozens of Developers Attend GRiD Conference
GRiD Systems Corp. announces that it has created a national sales organization dedicated to selling its GRiDPAD line of pen computers.
1992Software
PenMagic Announces Numero Financial Work Processor for Pen Computers
PenMagic Software Inc. announces the release of Numero, a financial work processor software product that enables mobile pen computer users to complete…
1994Software
LYRIQ Crosswords Offered with Microsoft WinPad, Provides a Fun Way to Learn Pen Computing
LYRIQ International announces an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to ship LYRIQ Crosswords in the release of the Microsoft At Work Handheld system,…
1997Software
Seventeen ISV Partners Join MobileSoft’s New Electronic Software Distribution Channel
Productivity, communications and entertainment Windows CE titles now available via the web and CD-ROM.
1998Communications
MovieFone, Inc. to Deliver Movie Showtimes and Tickets to New Wirelessly Connected 3Com Palm VII Organizer
MovieFone, Inc., the nation's largest movie listing guide and ticketing service, announces plans to deliver movie information to users of the Palm…
2001Organization
Inviso Names Palm Senior Executive to Its Board of Directors
Inviso Inc., a leading developer of microdisplays and mobile information access devices, announces the addition of Peng Lim, Vice President of Worldwide…
2002Software
Metrowerks Tools to Support Next Generation Palm OS 5 Devices Based On ARM Core Technology
CodeWarrior Development Studio for Palm OS Platform, Version 9, enables developers to take full advantage of ARMlet code development.

The collection.

Browse 166 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    VB

    Visitor's Badge

    1 item →
    LE

    Letter

    5 items →
    ZO

    Zoomer

    2 items →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →
    HM

    Handheld Systems Magazine

    2 items →
    CD

    CD

    2 items →
    OL

    Olivetti

    2 items →
    IA

    Integrated Application

    1 item →
    JO

    Journal

    6 items →
    UN

    University

    1 item →
    NE

    Newton

    14 items →
    TI

    Texas Instruments

    1 item →
    DR

    Draft

    1 item →
    FS

    First Pen Systems

    1 item →

    Pen-Based Computing,
    the newsletter.

    Eight volumes · Sixty five issues The original newsletter — every issue digitized in full (soon).
    Pen-Based Computing – August, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 4

    Volume 1 · Issue 04 Pen-Based Computing – August, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 4

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – November, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 5

    Volume 1 · Issue 05 Pen-Based Computing – November, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 5

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – November 11, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 6

    Volume 1 · Issue 06 Pen-Based Computing – November 11, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 6

    16 pp
    04 · Donate

    Donate an
    artifact.

    The museum collects hardware, software, manuals, photographs, marketing collateral, oral histories, and ephemera related to the early history of stylus-based computing.

    Learn how to donate →
    05 · Subscribe Coming Soon

    PBCHM
    Monthly.

    Learn about new acquisitions, recovered manuals, oral histories, and unearthed discoveries.

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