Gallery: Tech Time Warp of the Week: The 1977 Tablet Computer That Took Up an Entire Room
William Donelson / MIT01sdms-1
The Spatial Data Management System invented at MIT in the mid-70s.
William Donelson / MIT02sdms-2
The system seen from above, with creator William Donelson in command.
William Donelson / MIT03Desktop
The system's homescreen, with different boxes corresponding to different apps.
William Donelson / MIT04Phone
The phone app.
William Donelson / MIT054.1.2
A diagram showing the layout of the system, including the 8-channel sound system.
William Donelson / MIT06Book-index
The book reader.
William Donelson / MIT07Book-pages
A user could flip pages of a book by swiping a finger across a touchscreen on the arm of the command chair.
William Donelson / MIT08Touch-pad
The touchpad on the arm of the chair.
William Donelson / MIT09Calc
The calculator app.
William Donelson / MIT10Movie
The video control screen. The arrows at bottom control the direction and speed of playback.
William Donelson / MIT11PSD
A demonstration of the pressure-sensitive touchscreen.
William Donelson / MIT124.1.2
This diagram shows the four minicomputers that powered a later version of the system: three Interdata 7/32s and an Interdata 85.
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