Microsoft loyalists may think of the 2001 launch of Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition as the beginning of the Tablet PC while many apple fans will point to the “before its time” Apple Newton of the early ‘90s.

But in his recent article in Information Week, Dr Conrad Blickenstorfer of RuggedPCReview.com points out that Tablet PCs have been around much longer than you think and gives us a lesson in Tablet PC history.

…current coverage has been in creating the impression that Microsoft invented tablet computers in 2001, rewriting history in the process. Fact is, slate and tablet computers have been around for a good 20 years, and in 1991, there was as much hype about slates as we have today.

As it turns out, pen computing has been around for a long time and this isn’t the first time it’s hit the news either. But with the runaway success of the iPhone, tomorrow (our time) could be the birth of a Tablet PC for the masses – courtesy of Apple.

It would be hard to believe that there has ever been a more anticipated computer product release… We’ll wait and see exactly what Apple will have for us, and we’ll be especially relieved if it is actually a Tablet PC! Whatever it is we hope that Apple release the product in Australia within a reasonable timeframe.

The device is rumoured to have a 10 inch screen and inbuilt 3G.

If Apple sticks to the iPhone script, the Apple Tablet PC (Newton II?) is likely to be a fantastic eBook reader, music and movie player, social media and general communications device.

We hope that the release of an Apple Tablet will push innovation in the UMPC space. UMPCs have been held back so far due to the lack of hardware innovation and poor processing performance.

If the rumours are true, Apple has timed its run perfectly because of two technology innovations:

• The massive advancement of the Intel Atom processor (thanks to netbook adoption)
• Capacitive multi-touch screen technology (driven by the success of iPhone)

UMPCs will also be able to leverage these improvements as well as the touch screen improvements of windows 7. We have already seen some very interesting devices this year like the 3G enabled Viliv S5 and X70.

The Asus Eee PC T91 will be upgraded with a multi-touch capacitive screen on the release of windows 7. We are also waiting for the Google Android tablet device announced earlier in the year.

So what is sure is that touch computing is going to get a whole lot better in the next 12 months.