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In 1979, Apple introduced a revolutionary new product to the world: the Apple Graphics Tablet. This innovative device was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple, and it was aimed at artists and designers looking for a new way to create digital art.
The Apple Graphics Tablet was first released on June 1, 1979, and it was priced at $645. The tablet offered a new way to use the popular Apple II computer as an artist tool, allowing users to create a wide range of digital art, including canvas, illustrations, diagram blocks, architectural renderings, logic diagrams, schematics, mechanical shapes, and fine art.
The Apple Graphics Tablet featured a large flat surface with a printed grid, a wired stylus, and graphics tablet software on a floppy disk. It was capable of creating graphics with a resolution of up to 280 x 192 pixels, making it a powerful tool for artists and designers.
However, the first generation of the Graphics Tablet was soon discontinued by the FCC due to radio frequency interference problems. In response, Apple quickly released a second version of the tablet, which featured a lack of frequency interference problems and a new DB-9 connection port.
Despite being 44 years old, the Apple Graphics Tablet remains a significant piece of technology in the history of digital art and design. It paved the way for the development of modern graphics tablets and opened up new possibilities for artists and designers to create digital art.
Apple Graphics Tablet Details
| Introduced | June 1, 1979 (1st version) January 16, 1983 (2nd version) |
| Discontinued | Unknown |
| Order Number | A2M0029 |
| Internal Price | $649 |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Dimensions | 15.5” H x 15.5” W x 1” D 39.5 cm H x 39.5 cm W x 2.5 cm D |
System Requirements
- Apple II computer
Graphics Tablet Specs
| Input method | Stylus |
| Data range | Up to 120 coordinate pairs per second |
| Digitizing area | 11″ x 11″ 28 cm x 28 cm |
| Resolution | Up to 280 x 192 pixels |
| Tablet Modes | RESET CLEAR WINDOW BKGND COLOR DELTA SOFT RESET VIEWPORT CALIBRATE REDUCER |
| Stylus Modes | PEN COLOR DRAW LINES DOTS FRAME BOX |
Connections
| Connection | Unknown (1st version) DB-9 (2nd version) |
Apple Graphics Tablet on Video
Further Reading and References
- 1979 Apple II Graphics Tablet – AppleToTheCore
- The first Apple Tablet… from 1979 – EdibleApple
- Apple’s original tablet – Engadget
- Apple Graphics Tablet (1979)(Apple) – Internet Archive
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Disclaimer: The data presented in this article is under continuous development and has been manually collected from various sources based on their availability. The author of this article may revise this dataset as additional research is conducted and reviewed. Please note that the information is provided “as is” and “as available” without express or implied warranties. The author cannot be held responsible for any omissions, inaccuracies, or errors in the published information. Any warranties relating to this information are hereby disclaimed.
Last updated: March 7, 2023