The iPad isn’t Apple’s first foray into the tablet market. Before there was the iPad, there was the Newton MessagePad.

Introduced in 1993, it paved the way for device like the Palm PDA, Pocket PC, and more than a decade later the Apple’s own iPhone. Unfortunately, the Newton was Ridiculed for poor performance, it didn’t last long in the marketplace, but its influence lingers on today.

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In 2008, TechRepublic got our hands on an Apple Newton H1000, also known as an OMP (Original Message Pad). This was the first Newton on the market. We just couldn’t resist taking it apart. Here’s a look at the technology inside the Apple iPad’s early ancestor.

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