[RStar]

The origins of the word "Tablet" comes from A slab or plaque, as of stone or ivory, with a surface that is intended for or bears an inscription.

Then as paper came into usage we had "writing Tablet".

Now in the digital age, we have a new type of tablet- a digital one with a touch screen. It is built like a smart phone, but larger, and does not make phone calls. Currently the two leading OS running is Apple and Android.

But as mentioned earlier, it is simply a small lap-top type computer with no keyboard and no on-board drives (like CD/DVD drives).