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
168
Timeline span
1987 — 2007
Recorded events
1830 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 recently catalogued objects, drawn from 168 in the permanent collection.
View all artifacts
Metrowerks, Inc. 1997
Metrowerks, Inc. - Metrowerks to Support Windows CE 2.0 Press Release (Page 1)

Metrowerks, Inc. – Metrowerks to Support Windows CE 2.0 (Press Release)
PenMagic Software Inc. 1993
PenMagic Numero 2.0 Product Fact Sheet (Front)

PenMagic Numero 2.0 (Product Fact Sheet)
Creative Digital, Inc. 1997
Creative Digital - The Handheld Computer Almanac (Cover)

The Handheld Computer Almanac
Software Partners, Inc. 1994
Software Partners, Inc. - FreeStyle Version 1.0 Package (Front)

Software Partners, Inc. – FreeStyle Version 1.0 (Magic Cap)
PenWorld, Incorporated 1994
Personal Electronics News - Issue 16 - March/April 1994 (Cover)

Personal Electronics News, Issue 16, March/April 1994
aha! software corporation 1994
aha! InkWriter for Windows 2.0 Quick Reference (Cover)

aha! InkWriter 2.0 for Windows Quick Reference
Palmtop Publications 1997
Palmtop Journal - Issue 12 (Cover)

Palmtop – Issue 12
GO Corporation 1994
Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure - Jerry Kaplan (Cover)

Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure Story
aha! software corporation 1993
aha! InkWriter Handbook - PenPoint (Cover)

aha InkWriter Handbook (PenPoint)
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - Using PenPoint (Cover)

GO Corporation – Using PenPoint
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Architectural Reference Volume II (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Architectural Reference – Volume II
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint User Interface Design Reference (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint User Interface Design Reference
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Application Writing Guide (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Application Writing Guide
GO Corporation 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Development Tools (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Development Tools
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1992
GO Corporation - PenPoint Architectural Reference - Volume I (Cover)

GO Corporation – PenPoint Architectural Reference – Volume I
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO, Inc. - Personal Communicator 440 Order Form Letter (John Jerney)

EO, Inc. – Personal Communicator 440 Letter and Order Form (John Jerney)
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO Inc - Personal Communicator 440 Order Form Letter (March, 1993)

EO, Inc. – Personal Communicator 440 Letter and Order Form
EO, Incorporated 1993
EO, Inc. - Personal Communicator 440/880 Brochure - Photocopy (Front)

EO, Inc. – Personal Communicator 440/880 Brochure (Photocopy)

A chronology.

1987 — 2007 Selected from the museum's 1830 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…
1992Software
Slate Corp. Announces OEM Alliances to Speed Adoption of Day-Timer Pen Scheduler
Slate Corp. announces six agreements with leading pen hardware manufacturers to help speed the early adoption of its Day-Timer Pen Scheduler software.
1993Hardware
Newton MessagePad Now Available in United Kingdom
Apple Computer UK announces that the Newton MessagePad is shipping and immediately available in the United Kingdom.
1997Communications
3Com Ships 16-Bit PC Cards for Notebook Users
Fast EtherLink 16-Bit PC Card is available for notebook users.
1999Hardware
IDEO Works With 3Com to Design the New Palm V Connected Organizer — Ultra Thin Model With Rechargeable Battery Is Designed to Be Accessorized
IDEO Product Development reveals its role as the lead designer of the new Palm V connected organizer.
2000Software
Handheldmed.com Announces the Release of American Family Physician Journal Abstracts for Palm Computing and Windows CE Devices
Handheldmed.com, the largest and most comprehensive website for medical handheld computing, launches the latest of their AvantGo mobile offerings for physicians and…
2007Hardware
Apple Reinvents the Phone With iPhone
Apple introduces iPhone, combining three products-a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with…

The collection.

Browse 168 artifacts Indexed by category from the collection.
    WA

    WATCOM

    4 items →
    KE

    Keyboard

    1 item →
    JS

    John Wiley & Sons

    3 items →
    FT

    France Telecom

    3 items →
    PM

    Pen Computing Magazine

    12 items →
    ML

    Magic Link

    1 item →
    IN

    Intel 80386

    2 items →
    EI

    EO Incorporated

    21 items →
    GC

    GO Corporation

    34 items →
    SO

    Sony

    2 items →
    HE

    Hewlett-Packard

    3 items →
    ZO

    Zoomer

    2 items →
    OU

    Olivetti Office USA

    1 item →
    YI

    Young Ideas

    3 items →

    Pen-Based Computing,
    the newsletter.

    Eight volumes · Sixty five issues The original newsletter — every issue digitized in full (soon).
    Pen-Based Computing – August, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 4

    Volume 1 · Issue 04 Pen-Based Computing – August, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 4

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – November 11, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 6

    Volume 1 · Issue 06 Pen-Based Computing – November 11, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 6

    16 pp
    Pen-Based Computing – January 22, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 1

    Volume 1 · Issue 01 Pen-Based Computing – January 22, 1991 – Volume 1, Number 1

    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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