Touchscreen tablets are amazing devices. With the swipe of a finger we can access enormous amounts of multimedia information, sounds, images, words and ideas. Apart from playback capabilities and huge storage, touchscreen tablets like iPad or Android capacitive tablets offer many other advanced features like GPS, accelerometers, cameras, WiFi, etc. We have it all in one place and it seems normal to carry such a staggering amount of data with us.

However, just two decades ago, this technology was the stuff of science fiction. Movies like Star Trek, Robocop, and others envisioned personal devices that sported some of the same functionality as modern capacitive Android tablets. So, is it possible that the concept of a portable computing device was introduced to our imaginations by works of science fiction like the ones mentioned above?

Many argue that the incredible success of the iPad is due to the overall quality of the product, coupled with clever advertisements created by Apple to market the device. However, touchscreen tablets have an allure that can’t be explained by clever marketing alone. There is something inherently appealing about the concept of touchscreen tablets used as a personal computing device. The popularity of the concept dates back to the days when the original Star Trek series captivated audiences around the world by featuring the adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew. The Enterprise crew used tricorders, portable devices that provided technical and scientific information. Using the tricorders, they could instantly access vast databases or determine their position in real time; things that are common today on most touchscreen tablets.

In the later series, the next generation, the ship’s crew members carried their PADDs, or Personal Access Display Devices, with them. These devices are strikingly similar to today’s touch screen tablets such as capacitive Android tablets. They have a similar form factor to the actual Samsung Galaxy Tab and even share the same minimalist design with the actual device. Enterprise officers accessed all the information they needed with a few taps on a touch screen.

The resemblance between the fictional PADD and modern touchscreen tablets is striking. It is as if reality imitated the figments of science fiction writers’ imaginations. Today’s adult population grew with Star Trek, Star Wars, and other movies where the touchscreen tablet was anticipated. Little by little, the image of the tablet became embedded in the consciousness and everyday life of many people. This may well be a major reason that can explain the massive success enjoyed by the touch screen tablet.