Already in 2000 the design team of WeLLDesign in Taiwan developed the Qbe: the first fully-fledged tablet computer in the world. Aqcess, an American based company, asked for a portable PC for doctors, insurance agents, warehouse and drilling platform workers. The Qbe was so innovative that is was announced Best of Comdex 2000 on the yearly Comdex show in Las Vegas (currently the CES show). What made this first tablet computer so special besides the innovative concept?
Unique to this new tablet was the application of magnesium. The injection molded magnesium housing was a logical result of the integrated design process. WeLLDesign provided project management, industrial design, mechanical engineering and supplier sourcing. Magnesium appeared to be a wonderful material for optimal heat transfer with a high-end and professional appearance, keeping robustness intact. Therefore, magnesium is well-suited for applications in strong and lightweight constructions.
In the present day, magnesium is a well-known material and is applied and researched in a broader spectrum. Since 1952, the automotive industry experiments with magnesium: extreme light vehicles can improve fuel economy. But still this appears to be challenging. Knowledge about magnesium and its processing is still limited. Yet, WeLLDesign is currently in the development stage of new, innovative products that make use of magnesium. Next to its lightweight properties and nice appearance, magnesium has many unique properties like a high stiffness and muffling properties.
