A PenLite prototype, the Apple tablet from the 1990s

Seen in two Reddit threads, someone found something quite special in a batch of Macs: a PenLite.

The PenLite is a computer based on a PowerBook Duo with a touchscreen (via a stylus), and there are some cool images here on FlickR. There’s also some technical information on the technical part, which is basically a Duo 210 (monochrome, of course) with an ADB input interface.

The found machine boots up but goes directly to Apple’s debug interface. It seems the owner is planning to try dumping the hard drive (which isn’t easy with PowerBooks using SCSI). As expected from a PowerBook Duo, the connections are quite minimal, but it looks like it has a microdock, a floppy drive, and a battery charger.