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
246
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 246 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
Creative Digital, Inc. 1996

PDA Developers – Volume 4.5 – Sept/Oct 1996
Palmtop Publications 2001
Palmtop Journal – Issue 34 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 34
Stylus Publishing 1992
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 2, Number 1 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – February, 1992 – Volume 2, Number 1
Fujitsu Personal Systems, Inc. 1992

Fujitsu PoqetPad Read Me First!
SOFTBANK America Inc. 1992

SOFT BANK PC\Japan Vol. 1, No. 1 April 1992 (Brochure)
Palmtop Publications 1998
Palmtop Journal – Issue 20 (Cover)

Palmtop Journal – Issue 20
Stylus Publishing 1992
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 2, Number 4 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – October, 1992 – Volume 2, Number 4
Creative Digital, Inc. 1997

Handheld Systems – Volume 5.1 – Jan/Feb 1997
Apple Computer, Inc. 1994
Apple Newton MessagePad – Getting Through the Day … (Brochure) – 1

Apple Newton MessagePad Getting Through the Day … (Brochure)
Pen Computing Magazine 1999

Pen Computing Magazine – September 1999
Volksware, Inc. 1995
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 5, Number 12 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – December, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 12
Palmtop Publications 2001
Palmtop Journal – Issue 33 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 33
PenWorld, Incorporated 1994
Personal Electronics News - Issue 16 - March/April 1994 (Cover)

Personal Electronics News, Issue 16, March/April 1994
Creative Digital, Inc. 1996

PDA Developers – Volume 4.2 – March/April 1996
Metrowerks, Inc. 1997
Metrowerks, Inc. - Metrowerks Ships CodeWarrior for PalmPilot Release 3 Press Release (Side 1)

Metrowerks, Inc. – Metrowerks Ships CodeWarrior for PalmPilot Release 3 Press Release
Creative Digital, Inc. 1994

PIE Developers – Volume 2.4 – July, 1994
GeoWorks Corporation 1992
GeoWorks, Inc. - GEOS Software Development Kit Concepts - Volume 2, Release 0.8 (Cover)

GeoWorks, Inc. – GEOS Software Development Kit Concepts, Volume 2, Release 0.8 (Documentation)
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Application Writing Guide (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Application Writing Guide

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 2001 catalogued timeline events.
View full timeline
1991Software
Slate Announces Compatability of PenApps with NCR 3125
Slate Corp. announces a co-marketing relationship with NCR Corp. in conjunction with NCR’s announcement of the NCR 3125 pen-based computer.
1992Organization
”The PC Industry Needs a Pen Computing Revolution”; Statement Issued by President of PenMagic, Norm Francis
"How can we bring real value to the millions of potential new customers who are constantly on the move and who are…
1993Communications
Infrared Data Association Announces the Timetable for a Worldwide Cordless Data Connectivity Standard for Mobile Pcs & Peripherals/Data Services
The membership roster includes over 50 industry leaders in computer and telecommunication hardware, software and component sectors.
1995Software
General Magic and Oracle Show Magic Cap-Interoffice Connectivity; Allows Mobile Access to the Enterprise
The demonstration illustrates how a mobile user could use a portable device to access a corporate network, and featured electronic mail retrieval…
2003Organization
Handspring Founder Jeff Hawkins Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer.
2004Organization
Survey: Psychiatrists Using Handheld Computers to Improve Quality of Patient Care
Skyscape survey finds key psychiatric reference use on PDAs helps reduce medical errors.
2005Hardware
Palm Names Michael R. Farese and Rena Lane as Senior Vice Presidents
Palm, Inc. announces the appointments of Michael R. "Mike" Farese, senior vice president, engineering, and Rena Lane, senior vice president, human resources.

The collection.

Browse 246 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    HE

    Hewlett-Packard

    3 items →
    NB

    Nicholas Baran

    52 items →
    BC

    Business Card

    2 items →
    GS

    Gaia Software

    2 items →
    CO

    Coupon

    1 item →
    AS

    Ashton-Tate

    2 items →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →
    ST

    Sticker

    1 item →
    ZO

    Zoomer

    2 items →
    VB

    Visitor's Badge

    1 item →
    FR

    Franklin

    2 items →
    LE

    Letter

    5 items →
    PM

    PDA Developers Magazine

    9 items →
    MO

    Motorola

    6 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 – September/October, 1997 – Volume 7, Number 7

    Volume 7 · Issue 07 Pen-Based Computing – September/October, 1997 – Volume 7, Number 7

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – May, 1996 – Volume 6, Number 5

    Volume 6 · Issue 05 Pen-Based Computing – May, 1996 – Volume 6, Number 5

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – April, 1994 – Volume 4, Number 3

    Volume 4 · Issue 03 Pen-Based Computing – April, 1994 – Volume 4, Number 3

    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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