Raphael ThysThe iPad of 1935: Vintage ad shows hi-tech vision of the future... but how accurate is it?
Updated: 07:05 EDT, 8 March 2012
The new iPad may have set the tech world abuzz as it gives people the chance to experience high-quality media more conveniently than ever.
But the world of home entertainment led by the iPad is nothing new; in fact, it was predicted as early as 1935.
Scroll down for video of the new iPad launch
Then: This 1935 image showed what an automated reading device using microfilms could look like
It was that year that saw the publication of this visionary invention, which would give people access to an almost unlimited collection of literature without the need for thousands of books.
An issue of Everyday Science and Mechanics from 1935 promised: 'It has proved possible to photograph books, and throw them on a screen for examination, as illustrated long ago in this magazine.
TRENDING
Donald Trump trial LIVE: What to expect as opening statements begin 9.1k viewing now
Wild scenes from spring break gathering along Savannah beach 5.1k viewing now
Ilhan Omar's daughter says she is homeless after arrest at protest 7.4k viewing now
'At the left is a device for applying this for home use and instruction; it is practically automatic.
MORE TRENDING
What a modern-day American civil war would REALLY look like 2.4k viewing now
Tourist dies after plunging into crater of active volcano in Indonesia 4k viewing now
Columbia cancels all in-person classes amid escalating protests 1.5k viewing now
'You can read a "book" (which is a roll of miniature film), music, etc., at your ease.'
However, it is slightly less useful than the modern tablet computer - and considerably bulkier.
Now: The new iPad is a more convenient method of reading, not to mention its many other uses
Visionary: This illustration seems to predict the rise of solar power, which can make households self-sufficient
Astronaut: Just a few years before the space race, writers predicted the future of inter-planetary tourism
1880s: Reaching for the sky, these towers were drawn at the time when Trinity Church was the tallest building in New York, standing at 279ft
1890s: At the turn of the 20th century the Wright Brothers were working on their version of a flying machine, but artist Jean-Marc Côté had his own designs for such a craft
1900s: With the dawn of the new century, people were maybe hoping for an easier life as Walt McDougall predicted machines would be dressing us and serving our food at the push of a button
1910s: Although airmail was introduced in New York and Washington DC in 1918 a year before this picture was drawn, there were great ambitions for the way we would receive our post
1920s: This grim prediction of times ahead came between world wars with 'steel soldiers' forecast to be the fighting forces of the future
The plans for the device - unearthed by the Smithsonian's Paleofuture blog - show a man reclining in his armchair while operating a large microfilm reader attached to the lamp next to him.
While he certainly looks laid-back, attired in a dapper dressing gown, his mechanism is unwieldy and immobile.
Microfilm, invented in the early 20th century, was - as this picture shows - thought to herald a new era in how people would read.
The technology quickly became popular in libraries and archives, where it is still commonly used today, but was never practical for use at home.
Nonetheless, this retro image still contains at least one piece of technology found in nearly every modern home - the humble hardback book.
So just as 30s futurologists were too hasty to forecast the success of their latest gadget, perhaps Apple fans should be take care when predicting the inevitable triumph of the tablet.
Other prediction from the mid-20th century have stood the test of time rather better, however.
Visionary artists set out their predictions for the future of solar-powered housing - and it is surprisingly accurate, with a large surface area to soak up the sun's energy.
And an illustration of an astronaut taking a trip into space is also fairly true-to-life, if a little retro.
1930s: This image may not be PC today, but a nicotine-addicted robot was predicted by engineer Joseph Barnett when smoking was a little more fashionable
1940s: This image, believed to be an advert for Seagram's Whiskey, shows that video conferencing was thought of long before it became an every day feature of life
1950s: At a time when chalkboards were still the norm and long before interactive white boards were introduced, this 'virtual classroom' was predicted in Arthur Radebaugh's Sunday comic, Closer Than We Think
1960s: When Western Electric pushed the invention of a phone crossed with a TV set they probably had no idea that we would be able to do such a thing on our mobiles pretty much anywhere (that has a decent signal)
1970s: On the back of the space race and the lunar landing, there came predictions of future space travel
1980s: As the ability of computers started to come into their own, these predictions show how we could use machines to our advantage