In Pictures: The evolution of the tablet PC

We live in explosively innovative times for tablet computing and mobile apps. But it didn't all happen overnight. Most attempts to build a tablet-like computer, going back to the '70s, were not successful. Yet every failure was a lesson learned that led us to the iPad. Here's a look back at how the modern tablet came to be.

Motorola Xoom (early 2011)

The Motorola Xoom, introduced with high expectations at CES 2011, is one of the first Android-based tablets with similar specs to the iPad and the first tablet to run Android 3.1 (Honeycomb). But the iPad had seduced the public by the time the Xoom came out, and the Xoom's bigger display (10.1 inches) was a non-factor. Some instances of buggy software and a high price ($799 unsubsidized on Verizon, $600 for Wi-Fi-only) didn't help.

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