Linus Technologies
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1 January 1985 in Reston, Virginia, United States |
| Founder | Ralph Sklarew, Robert Nadeau, Arthur Rodbell |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy; patents acquired by Grid Systems |
| Headquarters | Reston , United States |
Key people | Ralph Sklarew (co-founder), Robert Nadeau (co-founder), Arthur Rodbell (co-founder), Richard Mier (president and CEO) |
| Products | Linus Write-Top tablet computer |
The Linus Write-Top represents an early example of a tablet computer, launched by Linus Technologies, Inc. based in Reston, Virginia in July 1988. It holds the distinction of being the first tablet device commercially available that supported pen input along with handwriting recognition capabilities. Designed to be compatible with software created for the IBM PC, it operated on an Intel 8088–compatible processor. Despite its pioneering features, the Write-Top did not achieve market success, leading to Linus Technologies shutting down within two years.
Development
Established in 1985 in Reston, Virginia, Linus Technologies was founded by Ralph Sklarew, Robert Nadeau, and Arthur Rodbell with the goal of bringing the Write-Top to market. The primary development efforts were led by Sklarew and Nadeau. Sklarew brought experience from designing environmental monitoring systems for organizations such as NASA, while Nadeau was serving as an English professor at George Mason University. After coming across Nadeau's prototype for an electronic book reader, the pair collaborated to create a handwriting digitization system for the IBM PC using GW-BASIC and showcased an early model to venture capitalists. Progress stalled until their collaboration with Rodbell, who contributed expertise in seed funding and marketing strategy. By late 1984, they had secured $11 million from Venture First located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which facilitated the company's official formation in early 1985. In 1986, Richard Mier—formerly VP of marketing at Atari Corporation—was appointed president and CEO.
The team devoted several years to perfecting the Write-Top’s design, with industrial designer Peter H. Muller from Inter4m finalizing its appearance. Although initially envisioned as a single integrated unit, the final product was divided into two parts: a system unit and a pen-enabled display that could be attached together to function as a unified tablet device.
Specifications
The Write-Top’s dimensions are and its weight is approximately , depending on configuration.[1] It is powered by an Intel 8088–compatible NEC V20 microprocessor running at 7.16 MHz and comes equipped with 640 KB of static RAM, expandable up to 2 MB through a proprietary SRAM expansion card.[2] The system unit contains the motherboard, along with a serial port, parallel port, PC keyboard port, a removable 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, an optional external port for a 5.25-inch floppy drive, and a slot for an optional 1200-baud modem.[1][3] The pen-sensitive display consists of an 8-by-5-inch monochrome transflective STN LCD capable of displaying CGA graphics at a resolution of 640×200 pixels; it utilizes both ambient light and a backlight for illumination.[1][4][3] The device is shipped with MS-DOS version 3.30 installed on floppy disks.[5]
As a tablet computer, it does not include a physical keyboard integrated into the device.[6] Instead, it features a glass overlay above the LCD that enables input through a stylus or mechanical pencil.[1] Text entry is handled by Your-Write, a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program that interprets handwriting—whether individual letters or entire words—entered within a designated area at the bottom of the screen and converts it into ASCII text usable by applications.[5] Your-Write also supports command symbols for editing tasks such as deleting or copy-pasting text, allowing users to select and reposition blocks of text freely using the pen.[3] This software occupies approximately 40 KB of RAM and requires around half an hour of user handwriting training to achieve accurate recognition.[5]
Linus bundled Just-Write, an 80-column word processor tailored specifically to complement Your-Write.[5] Furthermore, Linus offered Code-Write—a software development kit that enabled programmers to build applications leveraging the handwriting recognition technology.[3] Third-party developers were subject to licensing fees of $5,000 along with patent royalties for creating software compatible with the Write-Top.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Besides proprietary software from Linus, the Write-Top retained compatibility with most IBM PC applications.[5][6]
Release and reception
The Write-Top made its debut in March 1988. After receiving FCC Class B certification in June 1988, the Linus Write-Top was released in July 1988, distributed through a network of 25 value-added resellers. The company marketed the Write-Top as a specialized device aimed at professionals such as real estate appraisers, actuaries, healthcare practitioners, and construction supervisors.
By January 1989, Linus had sold approximately 1,000 units and had attracted at least one third-party software developer: Baxter International’s Electronic Medical Systems division, which developed Your-Write compatible applications for hospital use. The product garnered favorable media attention; Peter J. Harbeson of Manager's Magazine described it as "the most exciting new technology for sales and management professionals since the invention of the laptop." Nonetheless, critics pointed to its $3,000 price tag and the limited availability of pen-enabled software for IBM PC platforms. By February 1990, after selling around 1,500 units, Linus filed for bankruptcy. Founder Sklarew later remarked that the company was "a little too early with not enough staying power," having invested significant resources in educating corporate clients about pen computing.
Following Linus's dissolution, the Write-Top patents were acquired by Grid Systems, a subsidiary of Tandy Corporation. Grid had introduced its own tablet computer, the GridPad 1900, in 1989, which achieved greater market success than the Write-Top.
Further reading
External links
- Linus Write-Top at OldComputers.net, containing photos and further information
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmathews - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpcw - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpcm - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedhamilton - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpcworld - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedps