Who Invented The First Tablet? It Wasn’t Apple.

Tablets are image of nan exertion of nan post-modern age, slim highly portable intermezo devices, jam-packed pinch nano exertion that galore children person owned astatine immoderate constituent successful nan past 10 years (and inevitable broken). A awesome of nan latest micro-technology, who invented nan first, and when?

In 1949, Ángela Ruiz Robles, a Spanish pedagogue calved successful Villamanín, León, successful 1895, patented nan “Mechanical Encyclopedia,” a groundbreaking precursor to nan modern tablet. The revolutionary device, which was designed to make learning engaging and accessible, was invented by a female whose contributions remained mostly unrecognised until caller years.

Ruiz Robles, affectionately known arsenic “Doña Angelita” by her students successful Ferrol, Galicia, was nary mean teacher. A postgraduate of León’s Teacher Training School, she taught shorthand, typing, and accounting earlier becoming headmistress of schools successful Gordón and Ferrol. A widowed mother of 3 daughters, she defied conventions, riding horses and embracing Ferrol’s beaches, while her daughters fell dormant to nan clatter of her typewriter arsenic she crafted galore useful and inventions.

First tablet nan Mechanical Encyclopedia

Her astir important creation, nan Mechanical Encyclopedia, was meant to reside nan challenges of dense textbooks, analyzable subjects, and ocular impairments. Built successful Ferrol’s shipyards owed to deficiency of firm investment, nan prototype featured reels, each containing a subject, akin to modern USB drives, was operated by buttons. It included a ray for reference successful nan dark, a magnifying lens adjustable to students’ needs, a mini calculator, and buttons functioning arsenic early hyperlinks. Despite support from Spain’s Ministry of Education, nan invention ne'er reached wide production.

Ruiz Robles’ ingenuity earned her nan Cross of Alfonso X and skepticism from those who doubted each subjects could fresh into her device. Guided by her Catholic religion and a motto of selfless service, she managed nan National School for Orphan Girls, taught free classes, and wrote letters for others without charge. In 1925, her organization honoured her dedication pinch a typical distinction.

In 2013, pinch Apple’s iPad gaining popularity, Spain’s Ministries of Education and Economy said “hang connected a minute” and published a book connected her invention, provoked a batch of renewed interest. Her communicative appeared successful useful for illustration “Las chicas boy guerreras” and earned her a Google Doodle connected her birthday. Two awards now carnivore her name, and her prototype is displayed astatine nan National Museum of Science and Technology successful A Coruña.

Ruiz Robles ever refused to waste her invention successful nan US, insisting it should beryllium developed successful Spain. Her bequest arsenic a teacher, mother, and visionary continues, a testament to a female whose innovative tone transformed education.