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
241
Timeline span
1987 — 2007
Recorded events
2001 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.

Featured artifacts.

From the collection 18 objects selected at random, drawn from 241 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
Philips Electronics 1997

Philips Velo Pocket Guide (Brochure)
PennWell Corporation 1998
Portable Design Magazine – January 1998 (Cover)

Portable Design – January 1998
IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. 1999

Palm Computing for Dummies (Book)
Microsoft Corporation 1992
GRiD Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing 1.0 User’s Guide (Cover)

GRiD Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing 1.0 User’s Guide
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - GO Fax Brochure (Front Cover)

GO Corporation – GO Fax Brochure
Pen Computing Magazine 1998
Pen Computing Magazine – April 1998 (Cover)

Pen Computing Magazine – April 1998
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Development Tools (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Development Tools
GO Corporation 1992

GO Corporation – Getting Started with PenPoint (Version 1.0)
Horizon House Publications, Inc. 1994
Microwave Journal – January 1994 (Cover)

Microwave Journal – January 1994
Creative Digital, Inc. 1996

PDA Developers – Volume 4.2 – March/April 1996
Palm Computing, Inc. 1994

Palm Graffiti (for Zoomer) Package
Volksware, Inc. 1994
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 4, Number 4 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – May, 1994 – Volume 4, Number 4
Software Partners, Inc. 1994
Software Partners, Inc. - FreeStyle Version 1.0 Package (Front)

Software Partners, Inc. – FreeStyle Version 1.0 (Magic Cap)
Fujitsu Personal Systems, Inc. 1992

Fujitsu PoqetPad Read Me First!
Stylus Publishing 1992
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 2, Number 1 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – February, 1992 – Volume 2, Number 1
Pen Computing Magazine 1999

Pen Computing Magazine – October 1999
Microsoft Corporation 1998

Microsoft Systems Journal – May 1998 Vol 13 No 5
Palmtop Publications 2000
Palmtop Journal – Issue 28 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 28

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 2001 catalogued timeline events.
View full timeline
1987Software
Communication Intelligence Corp. Lists on the Vancouver Stock Exchange
Communication Intelligence Corp. were posted and called for trading on the Vancouver Stock Exchange this morning, at the opening.
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.
1990Hardware
GRiDPad Makes Computing History with First Use in Election Exit Poll
The San Francisco Examiner has broken new ground by conducting the first ever election-day exit poll using GRiDPAD, the only computer in…
1991Hardware
Atari Computer Announces $299 Portfolio Palmtop Computer and 14 New Software Packages
The price of a palmtop personal computer reached a record low today when Atari Computer announced that the one-pound Portfolio Computer is…
1993Software
Newton Architecture and Toolkit to Provide Open Platform for Developers
Apple previews Newton Tools at Worldwide Developer Conference.
1997Software
WyndMail Wireless E-mail Now Provides “Message Header Preview” for Apple PowerBook and MessagePad
Message Header Preview, now available on version 1.5 for PowerBook and version 2.5 for MessagePad, is a fully intuitive way for users…
2003Hardware
Wolfson Becomes Mixed-Signal Supplier of Choice for PDA Vendors
Wolfson Microelectronics plc receives endorsement for its high-performance audio CODECs from two leading players in the consumer electronics field. Both Toshiba and…

The collection.

Browse 241 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    WC

    Windows for Pen Computing

    5 items →
    JE

    Jonathan Erickson

    17 items →
    OL

    Olivetti

    2 items →
    FS

    First Pen Systems

    1 item →
    IN

    Intel 80486

    2 items →
    HE

    Hewlett-Packard

    3 items →
    KE

    Keyboard

    1 item →
    AT

    AT&T

    4 items →
    CO

    3Com

    4 items →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →
    MA

    Maquette

    4 items →
    SS

    Sony Software

    2 items →
    RM

    Regis McKenna

    2 items →
    DA

    Dauphin

    2 items →

    Pen-Based Computing,
    the newsletter.

    Eight volumes · Sixty five issues The original newsletter — every issue digitized in full (soon).
    View all issues
    Pen-Based Computing – February, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 1

    Volume 3 · Issue 01 Pen-Based Computing – February, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 1

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – June, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 6

    Volume 5 · Issue 06 Pen-Based Computing – June, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 6

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – February, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 2

    Volume 5 · Issue 02 Pen-Based Computing – February, 1995 – Volume 5, 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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