Pen-Based Computing History Museum
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
143
Timeline span
1987 — 2007
Recorded events
1111 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.

Explore →

Featured artifacts.

From the collection 18 recently catalogued objects, drawn from 143 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
GO Corporation 1993
GO Corporation - Catalog of Products and Services (Letter)

GO Corporation – Catalog of Products and Services (Letter)

GO Corporation
Eidetic, Inc. 1994
Eidetic, Inc. Notion: The Newton List Manager User Manual

Notion: The Newton List Manager User Manual

Eidetic, Inc. · Apple
Metrowerks, Inc. 1996
Metrowerks CodeWarrior Tools for Pilot Package (Front)

Metrowerks CodeWarrior for Pilot (Package)

Metrowerks, Inc. · Case
General Magic, Inc. 1996
General Magic Visitor's Badge (John Jerney, 10/25/96)

General Magic Visitor’s Badge (John Jerney, 10/25/1996)

General Magic, Inc. · General Magic
ParaGraph International, Inc. 1997
ParaGraph International, Inc. CalliGrapher 5.0 for Windows CE Disk (Front)

ParaGraph International, Inc. – CalliGrapher 5.0 for Windows CE (Disk)

ParaGraph International, Inc. · Disk
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - GO Fax Brochure (Front Cover)

GO Corporation – GO Fax Brochure

GO Corporation · Brochure
Apple Computer, Inc. 1994
Apple eWorld (Stickers)

Apple eWorld (Stickers)

Apple Computer, Inc. · Apple
Texas Microsystems, Inc. 1995
Texas Micro – The Soldier’s Computer (Brochure)

Texas Micro – The Soldier’s Computer (Brochure)

Texas Microsystems, Inc. · Brochure
Horizon House Publications, Inc. 1994
Microwave Journal – January 1994 (Cover)

Microwave Journal – January 1994

Horizon House Publications, Inc. · In Collection
Apple Computer, Inc. 1994
Apple Newton MessagePad – Getting Through the Day … (Brochure) – 1

Apple Newton MessagePad Getting Through the Day … (Brochure)

Apple Computer, Inc. · Apple
Avail Technology, Inc. 1994
Avail Technology – Free TapWorks Software Coupon (Front)

Avail Technology Free TapWorks Software (Coupon)

Avail Technology, Inc. · Avail Technologies
Peterborough, Inc. 1987
Portable 100 Magazine – September 1987 (Cover)

Portable 100 – September 1987

Peterborough, Inc. · In Collection
Mobile Insights, Inc. 1995
Mobile Insights ’95 Conference (Side 1)

Mobile Insights ’95 Conference (Brochure)

Mobile Insights, Inc. · Brochure
MicroDesign Resources 1995
Microprocessor Report – February 16,1995 (Cover)

Microprocessor Report – February 16, 1995

MicroDesign Resources · In Collection
Pen Computing Magazine 1997
Pen Computing Magazine – December 1997 (Cover)

Pen Computing Magazine – December 1997

Pen Computing Magazine · In Collection
Pen Computing Magazine 2000
Pen Computing Magazine – November 2000 (Cover)

Pen Computing Magazine – November 2000

Pen Computing Magazine · In Collection
Pen Computing Magazine 1999
Pen Computing Magazine – Fall 1999 Buyer’s Guide (Cover)

Pen Computing Magazine Fall 1999 Buyers Guide

Pen Computing Magazine · In Collection
Pen Computing Magazine 1998
Pen Computing Magazine – April 1998 (Cover)

Pen Computing Magazine – April 1998

Pen Computing Magazine · In Collection

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 1111 catalogued timeline events.
View full timeline
1987Hardware
GO Corporation Founded by Jerry Kaplan, Robert Carr, and Kevin Doren
August 14, 1987 — No press release was issued.
1989Hardware
GRiD Introduces PC-Compatible Computer that Recognizes Printed Handwriting
GRiD Systems Corp. introduces GRiDPad, a computer so light it can be held in one hand and used while standing or walking.
1992Software
Phoenix PenBIOS Provides CIC PenDOS Compatibility
Phoenix Technologies Ltd. and Communication Intelligence Corp. announce that CIC’s PenDOS pen operating environment for the DOS platform is now fully compatible…
1994Software
Flight Planner Enhances Psion Series 3
Psion Plc. announces the addition of a North American flight timetable to enhance its award-winning Series 3 palm-top computers.
1997Software
Small Talk Released by Concept Kitchen for the PalmPilot and Newton OS
Concept Kitchen releases Small Talk for the PalmPilot and Newton OS, the world's first two-way, real-time translation software, allowing travelers to communicate…
1998Hardware
EXAR Announces Strategic Design Win for 3Com PalmPilot and Pilot Organizers
EXAR Corporation announces that Palm Computing has designed EXAR's ST16C650A UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter) communications device in its new Palm Computing 2MB…
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.

The collection.

Browse 143 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    PM

    Pen Computing Magazine

    12 items →
    NE

    Newsletter

    11 items →
    DO

    Document

    22 items →
    LE

    Letter

    2 items →
    WC

    Windows for Pen Computing

    5 items →
    GM

    General Magic

    2 items →
    ZO

    Zoomer

    2 items →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →
    RM

    Regis McKenna

    1 item →
    AP

    Apple

    7 items →
    IW

    IDG Books Worldwide

    1 item →
    JO

    Journal

    6 items →
    HM

    Handheld Systems Magazine

    2 items →
    SP

    Stylus Publishing

    8 items →

    Pen-Based Computing,
    the newsletter.

    Eight volumes · Sixty five issues The original newsletter — every issue digitized in full (soon).
    Pen-Based Computing – June 20, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 3

    Volume 1 · Issue 03 Pen-Based Computing – June 20, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 3

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – November, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 5

    Volume 1 · Issue 05 Pen-Based Computing – November, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 5

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – May, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 2

    Volume 1 · Issue 02 Pen-Based Computing – May, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 2

    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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