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
242
Timeline span
1987 — 2007
Recorded events
2001 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 objects selected at random, drawn from 242 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
Palm Computing, Inc. 1993

Palm Connect for Zoomer (PC Version)
Stylus Publishing 1991
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 1, Number 5 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – November, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 5
Volksware, Inc. 1995
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 5, Number 5 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – May, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 5
aha! software corporation 1993

aha! InkWriter (Maquette)
Volksware, Inc. 1996
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 6, Number 7 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – July, 1996 – Volume 6, Number 7
PenWorld, Incorporated 1994
Personal Electronics News - Issue 16 - March/April 1994 (Cover)

Personal Electronics News, Issue 16, March/April 1994
General Magic, Inc. 1994

Sony Magic Link PIC-1000 Personal Intelligent Communicator
GO Corporation 1992

GO Corporation Certified Developer Letter
GO Corporation 1992

GO Corporation Correspondence – Quick Start Program (April 2, 1992)
Young Ideas Software Design Services 1993

Young Ideas Software Design Services (Pamphlet)
GeoWorks Corporation 1992
GeoWorks, Inc. - GEOS Software Development Kit Objects - Volume 2, Release 0.8 (Cover)

GeoWorks, Inc. – GEOS Software Development Kit Objects, Volume 2, Release 0.8 (Documentation)
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Architectural Reference Volume II (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Architectural Reference – Volume II
GO Corporation 1993

GO Corporation PenPointers May 1993 (Newsletter)
Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. 2001

Rolodex Electronics Personal Digital Assistant RF-8110
Volksware, Inc. 1994
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 4, Number 8 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – September/October, 1994 – Volume 4, Number 8
GO Corporation 1992

GO Corporation – Getting Started with PenPoint (Version 1.0)
Stylus Publishing 1993
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 3, Number 3 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – June, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 3
Macmillan Digital Publishing USA 1997
Business Plus Pack for PalmPilot (Front)

MacMillan Business Plus Pack for PalmPilot

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 2001 catalogued timeline events.
View full timeline
1987Software
New Handwriter by Communication Intelligence Allows Computer Input Without Typing
Called the Handwriter, the new system opens the world of computing to persons who can't or won't type. Users need not to…
1991Organization
Tandy to Open New Plant in Scotland
The plant, which will be Tandy's 30th worldwide, will begin production on Victor's personal computer product line before the end of the…
1994Organization
Oki Forms Alliance with General Magic
Oki will be an equity partner in General Magic and expects to sign a technology license agreement for the Magic Cap platform.
1996Organization
General Magic Announces Additions to Board of Directors Oracle’s Jerry Baker and Tandem’s Roel Pieper Become Newest Members Of Board
They join Greg Gallo, Andy Hertzfeld, Carl Pascarella, Marc Porat and John Young as members of General Magic's Board.
1997Publication
Going Mobile? Advancing Technology & an Increasingly Mobile Workforce Generates Huge Potential for Portable Computer Markets
The market for portable computers, pen computers, palmtops, peripherals and PC cards grows rapidly.
1998Event
Palm Computing to Host Second Annual Worldwide Developer Conference
The conference brings together Palm Computing platform developers and marketers to explore new business strategies and technological advances in the handheld computing…
2007Hardware
Apple Reinvents the Phone With iPhone
Apple introduces iPhone, combining three products-a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with…

The collection.

Browse 242 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    LE

    Lexicus

    4 items →
    UN

    University

    1 item →
    CO

    Compiler

    1 item →
    GS

    Gaia Software

    2 items →
    PP

    Press Package

    3 items →
    DA

    Dauphin

    2 items →
    VO

    Volksware

    56 items →
    AT

    Avail Technologies

    3 items →
    CO

    3Com

    4 items →
    ST

    Sticker

    1 item →
    KE

    Keyboard

    1 item →
    RO

    Royal

    1 item →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →
    TD

    Technical Document

    14 items →

    Pen-Based Computing,
    the newsletter.

    Eight volumes · Sixty five issues The original newsletter — every issue digitized in full (soon).
    View all issues
    Pen-Based Computing – August/September, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 4

    Volume 3 · Issue 04 Pen-Based Computing – August/September, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 4

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – October/November, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 5

    Volume 3 · Issue 05 Pen-Based Computing – October/November, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 5

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – December, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 12

    Volume 5 · Issue 12 Pen-Based Computing – December, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 12

    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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