Newton Sync Utility for Mac OS X

zdryer writes "The Newton refuses to die! John Anderson has released nSync Public Preview 1, a Newton sync program designed for Mac OS X 10.2. It's rough right now (only supports serial connections, only syncs clock and AddressBook), but Anderson has big plans (TCP/IP connections, iCal support) and an open plug-in architecture. Also, once he sells 300 copies @ $34 each, he's going to release the source under a BSD-style license."

Comments

Naming of products....

[cuyler]

Personally, I wouldn't have named my product nSync....

Interesting licencing strategy

[darkov]

Also, once he sells 300 copies @ $34 each, he's going to release the source under a BSD-style license.

This is a great. You could cal it "payware" or "wageware" or something. The programmer gets paid for his time and we get some new open source software. This is much better than shareware since it contributes to the pool of open source, but dosen't limit development to those who have the time (or the lack of a social life) to develop software for free. And by using the BSD licence, another enterprising soul could enhance the product and do the same thing. This is much better than GPL - it lets the small guy make some money instead of just companies who have the capital to make money from open source.

Re:Interesting licencing strategy

[darkov]

Actually, this is a good way to make people less likely to purchase the product.

If you only consider the proposition in strict money terms, then you are correct, but there are other things motivating people. There is lots of shareware out there that does not lock you out or nag if you do not pay, but people still pay although they don't have to.

There will be people who like the product alot and are grateful someone wrote it and will happily pay the money. We're only talking about 300 people. If it's useful there will easily be 300 people who just want to support the guy who wrote it. Who cares about everybody else who doesn't want to pay for it?

What's good about this is that the programmer gets a reward and so does everybody else. Someone might write some software and GPL it becuase they don't want others to benefit from their work. But if they get some money they might feel alot better about others getting benefit out of it: "Hey, I got paid! Who cares about what happens to the source".

The great weakness of GPL is that it makes it harder to make money out of. Some might say "exactly - we don't want to support evil corporate leeches". But that just means that it makes it harder to make an industry out of open source. Why have good programmers locked up (employed) by evil corporates when they could be freelace open source programmers? It would also give people like MS one less stick to beat open source with. The most important thing to keep in mind is that competition is what the corporate world is really afraid of. And if the source is open to all without comercial restriction then anyone make use of the source and complete in the market place. No one company or person can make a killing, meanwhile everybody benefits from improved technology.

One fine example of this is the BSD networking code and the corresponding success of the Internet (yes, the two are related).

Re:That 'Ol Newton

[Tug3]

The handwriting on the things was actually very nice, especially considering how long ago they first appeared.

The handwriting recongnition was great, and still is. Even Apple seems to think so as they based their new OS X's Inkwell on it. I hear the Inkwell even has some of the Newton's hidden gimmicks left in...

I have a question about sync methods though.

Yes, you can sync Newton via serial, IR, and ethernet. Only catch is that it only supported EtherTalk, no TCP/IP... ...and of course none of that (yet) exists for OS X. (Apart from this

Maybe I should go out and get me one of these Newtons again? I guess Apple store don't sell them any more...