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
249
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 249 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
Volksware, Inc. 1996
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 6, Number 8 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – August, 1996 – Volume 6, Number 8
Volksware, Inc. 1994
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 4, Number 3 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – April, 1994 – Volume 4, Number 3
Pen Computing Magazine 1999

Pen Computing Magazine – September 1999
Palmtop Publications 1997
Palmtop Journal - Issue 12 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 12
Horizon House Publications, Inc. 1994
Microwave Journal – January 1994 (Cover)

Microwave Journal – January 1994
Creative Digital, Inc. 1995

Creative Digital Systems – PDA Developers East ’95 (Press Release)
Creative Digital, Inc. 1995

Pen Computing Magazine – June/July 1995
aha! software corporation 1993

aha! InkWriter 2.0 for Windows
Volksware, Inc. 1997
Pen-Based Computing: Volume 7 Number 6 (Cover)

Pen-Based Computing – July-August, 1997 – Volume 7, Number 6
Metrowerks, Inc. 1997
Metrowerks, Inc. - Metrowerks Ships CodeWarrior for PalmPilot Release 3 Press Release (Side 1)

Metrowerks, Inc. – Metrowerks Ships CodeWarrior for PalmPilot Release 3 Press Release
Palmtop Publications 2001
Palmtop Journal – Issue 33 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 33
Palmtop Publications 2000
Palmtop Journal – Issue 28 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 28
Communication Intelligence Corp. 1997
Communication Intelligence Corp. - QuickNotes 2.0 Windows CE User's Guide (Cover)

Communication Intelligence Corp. – QuickNotes 2.0 (Windows CE)
Palmtop Publications 1999
Palmtop Journal – Issue 25 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 25
Pen Computing Magazine 1996

Pen Computing Magazine – Nov/Dec 1996
IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. 1999

Palm Computing for Dummies (Book)
PennWell Corporation 1999
Portable Design Magazine – November 1999 (Cover)

Portable Design – November 1999
Young Ideas Software Design Services 1993

Young Ideas Software Design Services (Pamphlet)

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 2001 catalogued timeline events.
View full timeline
1989Hardware
Software Companies Writing Programs for GRiDPad
GRiD Systems Corp. announces that numerous software vendors are building applications for the handwriting and electronic pen interface capabilities of GRiDPad, its…
1990Software
GO Corp. Announces Pen-Based Operating Environment Strategy
GO Corp. unveils its strategy to develop a broad-based market for computers operated by pens.
1993Hardware
GRiD Announces Convertible 486 Notebook; The Ultimate Notebook Computer for the Highly Mobile Professional
The Convertible 486 comes standard with MS-DOS 6.0, Microsoft Windows for Pens 3.1, and a version of the PenCell spreadsheet from PenWare…
1996Software
Microsoft Announces Broad Industry Support for Windows CE Platform
Over 40 leading hardware and software companies announce commitment to developing product for new category of handheld PCS.
2000Event
Applied Biometrics Invited to Demonstrate at Upside Showcase, January 25 – 27, Palm Springs
Kryptic Pilot is the first in Applied Biometrics' family of low-cost, ultra-low power consumption, fingerprint identification products.
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.
2006Software
Hypercom and Communications Intelligence Corp. Team to Combat Fraud and Identity Theft
Under the terms of the agreement, CIC will license its complete SignatureOne suite of biometric and electronic signature products to Hypercom.

The collection.

Browse 249 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    PH

    Philips

    2 items →
    BC

    Business Card

    2 items →
    AC

    aha! software corporation

    32 items →
    RM

    Regis McKenna

    2 items →
    GS

    Gaia Software

    2 items →
    CO

    Compiler

    1 item →
    LE

    Lexicus

    4 items →
    SP

    Stylus Publishing

    19 items →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →
    DO

    Document

    39 items →
    KE

    Keyboard

    1 item →
    NE

    Newton

    14 items →
    UD

    User Documentation

    12 items →
    OU

    Olivetti Office USA

    1 item →

    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 – August, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 8

    Volume 5 · Issue 08 Pen-Based Computing – August, 1995 – Volume 5, Number 8

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – December, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 6

    Volume 3 · Issue 06 Pen-Based Computing – December, 1993 – Volume 3, Number 6

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – November, 1996 – Volume 6, Number 11

    Volume 6 · Issue 11 Pen-Based Computing – November, 1996 – Volume 6, Number 11

    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

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    Monthly.

    Learn about new acquisitions, recovered manuals, oral histories, and unearthed discoveries.

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