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Second Post-Apple Newton Life?
An anonymous reader with a lot of time on his hands writes "As seen on Slashdot b e f o r e, the Newton refuses to die. Since Apple discontinued it, it got ATA, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zeroconf and even a NES emulator. Now, several Mac news sites r e p o r t, Newton users founded an association with John Sculley, who pushed the Newton at Apple, as its honorary president. They're organizing a conference in Paris in September. How long until all these users switch to new hardware?"
Sounds like Newton has an inertia of its own!
"An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."
John Kerry is a Joke!
The Newton does the same job of my Palm Tungsten - and even surpasses it (my Tungsten E doesn't yet have WiFi support, and I can pick up a second hand Newton for quite a bit cheaper). Clearly though, this is a niche market. My Newton is too large for me to use regularly, but it's a great curiosity.
I think of the Newton like the NES - the games on the NES were great, and are still very popular (take the recent GameBoy Advance NES special edition). The NES formed the basis of many great consoles to come. But even though the NES is still a great machine (like the Newton), I probably would prefer to play on a PlayStation. Although, the flaw in this (rather basdly though out) analogy between the Newton and the NES would be one of them sold extremely well...
I liked the article that Crazy Apple Rumors had on it.
The dogcow says "Moof!"
... can complain about lack 0 links on this article!
Ya, I don't get it either, like why don't apple release the iNewton2 or something....
If I ever run across one in a junk shop I'm gonna get one,I'm sitting on a stack of new newton ram and some modems I got for free once. But no newton....
I have a 2000, and i personally love it's form factor, it has a nice large screen. I use it for about everything you would normally use a PDA for.. Calendaring, contacts, etc etc.
I also use it for things such as doing Serial consoles on headless linux servers. The large screen makes the serial term a bit easier to use.
Who needs a color screen anyway, when you have a nice big green one =P not to mention the twin 5v PCMCIA slots for uber-expandability.
Also a good portion of the newton software makers, have long since been giving away their former products, so the software is free as well.
Long Live the Newton!
-Henry
--- #@$DF@#2%@^%3^&*$%FRHG%%[NO CARRIER]
Apple using their iPod popularity to move excitement to a handheld marketed to a younger generation.
I know it sounds confounded but think. They are blowing away the rest of the mp3 player competitors due to their marketing.
Now, I don't think Jobs would even consider something like that, actually he's laugh me out of whatever room I'm in if I mentioned it.
But if they can create such a buzz with the iPod couldn't they ride the buzz with a hip pocket organizer or even a program that syncs with the iPod combining all the third party news grab and weather grab apps into something that the iPod user could use to sync with other information.
Could they translate this underground buzz into something big? I think so.
"It'll destroy you if you try to make it mean anything to anyone but yourself." - Henry Rollins
Which new hardware, exactly, will they switch to? A close co-worker of mine refuses to lay his Newton to rest, asserting that there are no modern products that compare. This is a subjective opinion of his, of course, but it establishes the sentiments that the users of this ancient PDA seem to share.
Funny how the lousy 1 character links (Thanks Michael!!! not) are just 2 stories above a story about lousy UI design. Go figure.
What ever happened to letting us know where the links to go? For some reason, I have a feeling that single character links are not what Tim Berners-Lee had in mind for this thing.
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
The Newton Community is a very interesting case of users continuing to support a product which for all intents and purposes should have died years ago. Is there a good reason, other than 'I hate everything that Microsoft does no matter what and nobody will ever change my mind', why these users would not be satisified with a shinny new TabletPC or Pocket PC? On the other hand why does Apple continue to shun these users when there is clearly a market for an new Apple handheld computing device? Strange that Apple would not wish to compete with Microsoft by offering their own version of the TabletPC. Perhaps some Newton users could comment on these issues.
Some people may know me as the anti apple advocate however after using a newton (5 years ago) I must admit I was impressed by its ability to recognize handwriting, battery life, forward thinking construction and the fact that it was so ahead of its time(and still is in some ways)
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
I started with a Newton. It was big and sort of clumsy physically, though. So, I went to a PalmOS device. It paled in functionality by comparison, though. So I went to a Windows CE-based device. It was slow and clumsy and just not as metaphorically intutive.
In the end, I ended up with a Newton 2000 again. With other PDAs, I eventually just stop using them. With the Newton 2000, even though I bitch about its size, I find myself using it all the time.
It recognizes my handwriting, as fast as I can write it, the way I write it (without needing a cursor to position the text, without needing to learn a special alphabet, without needing to write all letters over one another or write in a specific area of the screen). It has a unique chronological interface for categorizing and indexing (the index view vs. the content view, plus the "scrollable" nature of the content you create, rather than storing things in "files" or "documents").
Recently a friend gave me a Linux-based Zaurus PDA. It's a great little PDA and it's cool to start the Terminal and type linux commands on the slide-out keyboard.
But there's just nothing like the Newton; it's not a subtle difference at all... the Newton's entire user interface is a radical departure from anything else in computing, and until you've tried it for a week or two, you have no idea just how poorly designed current PDAs are, software-wise.
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
Amiga.
Look at how long the Amiga fans have been holding onto that platform. If it wasn't for them, I would probably no longer remember what an Amiga even was. Same can be said for OS/2 - look at eComStation. Great products tend to outlast vendor interest.
How long until all these users switch to new hardware?
Give me Newton or give me death! I will never succumb to the tyranny of Palm or Pocket PC!
All lingering sentimentality and nostalgia aside...the newton is o.k.
But to be honest, there are a grip of PDAs out there that I find much, much more effective, both as productivity tools and infotainment toys.
I just get the feeling this is another of those apple fanboy posts where everyone does a circle jerk and drools on each other...
Reminds me of the Apple slogan "Think Different."
Well, gee... If everyone thought "different" (meaning everyone bought Apple) then what would happen? EVERYONE WOULD BE THE SAME (with regards to computers etc)... Sickening. It's almost as bad as them using a Hollywood 'genius' as their spokeman.. Goldbloom is fine and all, but this is just going too far.
> BlueTooth, ZeroConf and even a NES emulator.
But is it possible yet to make a beowulf cluster of the darn things? Imagine!
The CB App. What's your 20?
Ya, I don't get it either, like why don't apple release the iNewton2 or something....
Not Invented Here syndrome. The Newton was a part of the old Apple.
~~~
Click here, you know you wanna!
12345
All right, I know this is off-topic, but it's been bugging me for some time now, and the curious method the poster used to cram in multiple links without disrupting the flow of his writing reminded me of it: where are the hyperlinks that point to multiple pages? It's obviously possible to simulate the effect somewhat by creating a placeholder html page with the links in question, then making a single link that points to that page, but that's far too clunky and involves too much overhead. So why is there no support for, and seemingly no movement towards, hyperlinks that point to multiple pages?
Mike
How long until all these users switch to new hardware?"
Considering the number of Amiga fan sites, and people that still use Amigas - not any time soon.
cluge
AnygryPeopleRule
"Science is about ego as much as it is about discovery and truth " - I said it, so sue me.
Since modern PDAs run the same CPU as the Newton, why hasn't someone tried to write a Newton emulator for PocketPC, Zaurus, etc.? That would be the best of both worlds: Newton OS on a faster ARM CPU.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
Scully pushed the Newton, all right -- I remember the chaos when we were told Scully was going to showcase Newton in a keynote talk (don't remember the event -- a broadcaster's thing?). That was only about six months too early as far as product schedules went, but Scully had already made up what little mind he had.
Scully president of a Newton association is like making a fox president of the henhouse.
Most computer users have gotten very used to the windows/mac/gnome/kde/cde/etc way of doing things. Sure, they all look different, but I'll bet you can figure out the basics and successfully get general user-level stuff after a little aclimitization. It's all the same ideas in different skins.
The Newton interface is different. Whether you love it or hate it, it's still interesting to see that there are other ways of doing things.
Am I part of the core demographic for Swedish Fish?
My company bought me a first generation Newton when they came out and sent me to developer school for them - I prototyped a neat real estate app for them.
Anyway, it (and the MP2000 I use today) are still great PDAs - does everything I need it to do with a lot of thoughtfulness in terms of UI design. Best of all, in the 10 years I have had it, I have never once lost a single piece of data on the system - never restored a backup either!
It was also a blast to write code for.
iSync already synchronizes contacts and appointments to an iPod. Further, you can put text files into a root-level folder on the iPod called "Notes", and they appear under Extras->Notes(you can put notes on the root level menu if you want).
I believe there's also some sort of way to do rich-text documents, and rudimentary databases, but I'm not sure.
I do the text file bit all the time for driving directions- the only irritation is that the iPod jumps back to the whatever's-playing screen rather quickly. In fact, with the text-clipping functionality in OS X, I just drag the selected text to the iPod icon, it spring-boards open, then drop it on Notes. Done!
Please help metamoderate.
Now that the PDA market is in full swing, apple could get back into it and make some money.
:(
They created the market, if they only had the patience to stick it out
You really cant replace a Newt with the dismal offerings of today. It was designed from the ground up as a handheld device, what we have today uses desktop OS's grafted onto a palm sized device...
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I guess I'd like to see Jobs get the proverbial stick out of his ass, sell the Newton source code (to Compaq?), and let it get ported to exsisting iPaq hardware. As the post points out, the hardware hasen't gotten any better spec wise - It's just gotten a hell of a lot smaller.
I'd love to see the Newton OS running on hardware that didn't require a special body harness to carry around.
...is what made it a great thing. Okay, that statement's completely obvious, so why did I mention it?
I bought my Newton 2100 just after they were discontinued. I loved it, but couldn't use it at work (factory at the time). My Palm V, and later two Sony Clie's (the second of which I still have and use) just fit in my pocket and did everything I needed them to do. Where they quite as elegant? No friggin way, but they fit into my pocket.
Now were the Newton's OS to be put into a "modern" form factor, I think I'd be sold again. Just thinking about is makes me kind of miss it (although I guess I could say the same for my C=128).
On the other hand, I'm kind of now in the ballpark of believers that the PDA-only market is not going to recover. It's going to be PDA/mobile phone combinations. The current line of such combo's is ugly (hey, I'm a geek but don't have to look like a nerd). My T616 is a good step, but it's missing about everything else that's not built-in to a Palm or Netwon.
--Jim (me)
Why does this article have a picture of a Palm beside it? I'm deeply offended.
The eMate is the coolest thing. Ever. But what's wrong with it is that the processor is too slow. And while it's true that there are projects making the newton OS work with wifi, bluetooth, etc., in practice, I can do very little with this stuff. I bought a wifi card that is supposed to be compatible but found out it doesn't work with 802.11b. I'm not sure what it works with, but it's useless to me since my network, like most people's, is 802.11. I got an ethernet card that is supposed to work. There are drivers. But the catch is the ethernet card is only good to use for AppleTalk, and I can't see the device under OS X. I got a Keyspan USB adapter to install programs and it works for five minutes then the computer (not the newton) crashes. This happens whether I use Escale, NewTen, or NewtSync. All of these may be problems stemming from my own impatience; I haven't spent more than a few sleepless nights trying to get this stuff to work. But in answer to your question about why new hardware, two reasons: 1 - faster processing. It would be so great to have this emate run as fast as a new palm. 2 - you don't need to give up your job and family and friends to spend time getting things to connect to modern systems that it really isn't intended to connect to. It's great for hackers but not for the rest of us. Finally, I want to add why I do want a new newton -- the OS is great, but what I really love is the form factor of the emate. The newton handhelds are cool too but as the parent points out, too large. But for someone like me who needs to write a lot and who likes a good keyboard, the eMate is the godfather of portables. It's light. It's plastic, and it takes a beating. Its keyboard has great response but is almost totally silent so you can sit in a lecture room and type notes without bugging your neighbors. It has a handle. Handles rule. Apple should put handles on everything. It has instant on -- no waiting for the damn thing to boot. And it's a chick magnet! Oh please Apple, or anyone, figure out how to put a modern processor in a case like this. I don't even need a color screen (prefer battery life!) or tons of disk space or mp3 player or camera or any of that stuff -- just give me portability, battery life, basic text editor applications, some internet stuff - web browser, minimalistic email program, and a telnet/ssh terminal program.
Last week I picked up a Tapwave Zodiac as a new PDA after having lusted after -some- form of small, useful PDA for years. I have a Newton 2100, but it's simply too large for my usual uses, and I never picked up the memory cards and wifi card to really make it useful around the house. Someday I still intend to do this, however. But what struck me as soon as I got the Zodiac home is how much the basic form factor of it resembled that of the almost ten-year-old Newton design. Two expansion slots at the top, large (comparatively) screen, flipcover for the LCD, and an emphasis on being able to be used in landscape mode.
Aside from a few design flaws the Zodiac has in regards to the stylus location and a flipcover, it feels like a Newton in many respects - other than the OS. PalmOS really feels quite weak compared to what the NewtonOS can do, and I really wish that Palm had learned more from what Apple managed to do so many years ago. Screens now are creeping up on the level of pixel density really required for some good UI design, but the operating systems just aren't keeping up. Now, it's also a shame it's taking Palm six versions to get to multitasking.
My own pointless vanity vintage computing page
Jobs has a point, except: 1 - this was supposed to happen years ago; it still hasn't really happened yet, and 2 - can you think of a PDA/cell phone combo that wouldn't get its ass KICKED by just about anything Apple puts out, even on a bad day? PDA/cell phones are here, but barely; the best ones are over $600 and are mostly clunky solutions that try to do everything. The Treo is the coolest one I've seen, but I'd rather have one with fewer features and better interface. The little sidekick thing is a good idea in theory but in the real world it's lame. Personally I would love an emate with a headset connection. A cell phone doesn't have to be something you can hold up to your ear by stretching your neck and fucking up your spine. If anyone can see that, it's Steve Jobs. But, alas, he doesn't, or at least he hasn't yet....
I will. I'm an emate fan as I noted in an earlier post. Here's what I want:
- Form factor of the original. It's different for the handheld newtons but for the emate this means a usable keyboard that makes very little noise and a handle (and preferably indestructible green plastic around everything).
- An option to get a greyscale screen. Color will be cool but I prefer battery life and it would be great if there was a much cheaper greyscale option.
- A reasonably fast processor -- no need for 300+MHz they're putting in Axims and stuff, just something as fast as what's in last year's Palms.
- Easy internet with wifi, as well as easy sync of key documents. My biggest complaint about my emate is I can't figure out how to turn the stuff I type into documents on my computer that I can edit easily. Or put textfiles from my computer onto my emate. I can do this with any new pda (I can even do it with my ipod).
- Text editor. Something simple like the notepad included is fine, though preferably something with more modern capabilities. A NewtonOS equivalent of BBEdit would ROCK. (Yeah yeah so would emacs, I suppose).
- A terminal emulater that at least does ssh connections.
- A simple web browser.
- An email program.
That's about it. I don't want a camera, mp3 player, or phone, but any of those things could be included as options. You don't need to design something I can hold with my neck -- just stick a headset jack on the machine. Personally I want it to look like the emate. That oqo is pretty cool looking but I bet the keypad is a bitch to type on. If you're just talking about handhelds, I'd ditch the keypad, or maybe just leave a number pad for dialing (assuming it's a cellphone) on one side of it, but otherwise just go for something like the Clie T55 form factor. Keep it simple. There's no need for a keypad nobody will use. If you want a usable keyboard, make a bigger device. Those are just my thoughts, I'm sure others will disagree....I've been a technology guy at two companies that, at least for a time, were very serious about building software for PDAs and other handheld devices. These days, all of the momentum has shifted to writing applications for phones.
That said, I've had occasion to use at length every single Palm (including the newest Treos and Clies), Pocket PC, MagicCap device, etc.
To this day, I keep a Newton MP2100 charged and ready to go behind my desk. Why? Meetings. The Newton's larger form factor makes it ideal for taking notes in meetings. Laptops are too distracting and unnatural, and anything with a smaller screen is too awkward. Further, the Newt's handwriting recognition makes note taking a natural task. Try graffiti for a lengthy set of detailed meeting notes, and you'll see what I mean.
It helps that the user community has kept up with change. I use NewtSync to sync the notes I take on my Newton back to OS X. It also nicely copies my calendar, contacts, and to-do lists to my Newton.
I must admit that I've ben eying an OQO, but with each passing day, its fixed specs are starting to seem less and less impressive, and I don't think I could see myself typing away at one during a meeting.
I think if Apple didn't make the hardware and just licensed the Newton OS they would do very well. Historically Apple has never made any money off of software, so this probably won't happen.
Not since Marie-Antoinette played milkmaid has looking simple and honest been so fake and complicated.
Think about this... the original OS for the iPod was based on work from a company called Pixo, which was founded by...wait for it... a bunch of former Newton Group members. The extensability is there. All that is lacking is the support of the man who single-handedly quashed the spinoff of the Newton Group (nee Newton, Inc.) and told everyone to pack their desks. IIRC, the quarter in which the Newton was killed, there were only two profitable divisions within Apple, and NSG was one of them.
I don't think any of those are innovations either - the Newton already supported networking before, which browsing/wifi are just extensions of.
It did as others noted have a fairly ong battery life, and has a decent CPU that's more powerful than some Palm models today.
I think the original poster s correct, there has been little evolution on the PDA space so far. About the closest I can think of is the expanding screen on the Tungsten T, or the combination cell-phone and PDA of the Treo (though even that I hate to call invation, as it does not take a visionary to stick a cell phone and PDA together).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Palm is probably going to win this market and another incompatible me-too product isn't going to be successful. Moreover the basic Palm technology is a 70 dollar Zire and all the other models are just bigger better Zires with a few extra features. Newton would have to compete on all those product axes simultaneously which of course is silly.
I've been wondering that ever since I purchased my $300 palm Zire 71. The GUI is terrible compared to the Newton. I makes me sad.
So, just how much would it cost to build the old newton at todays prices for screens, batteries, the strongARM CPU, etc. Could it compete with the PalmOS and PocketPC's on price point?
They won't make a new Newton for the same reason why they won't make a new Apple // computer, they want to move on to other things.
They most likely think that the iPod has more priority than making a Newton, so R&D goes towards improving the iPod and not the Newton.
Besides the iPod can easily be turned into a PDA with the right software. Just no handwriting recognition like the Newton has.
What Apple should do is sell the Newton technology or license it to a third party interested in making Newtons. Then sit back and collect the royalties or whatever.
At one time Apple almost considered using a PalmOS device. Remember that is what the Newton would be competing against.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
I must admit, the Newton was an amzing machine. Not just for its age, but generally amazing compared to what is currently available. The designers really knew what people needed out of PDA and built the software around those needs. All of the software in the Newton works with one another, where you can have your appointments linked to a date in your calendar, have an alarm trigger a response from another program, etc. Apple didn't try to make the Apple OS smaller, they just made a new OS. Sadly, everything I touch I feel I should put Linux on so I sold mine. Oh, well, Fujitsu Stylistic for me! P.S. Apple would make a fortune, or some really nice friends by releasing their handwriting recognition code. It is by far the best I've ever used.
Take: 1 Newton 2100 for handwriting 1 IPOD for Music and Storage 1 Zaurus SL-C860 for display, keyboard, Linux (Or FreeBsd/OsX) add Ethernet, Bluetooth, and 802.11g Full day battery(8 hrs) battery life with replacable, standard AA NiMH batteries Support and a vendor supported dev. community Stir Vigoriously, pour into a sub $600 package Sell hundreds of thousands of units!!!
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
The 2000 and 2001 are still hard to beat on features, writting stuff for Newton was pretty good too.
There was an unknown error in the submission.
I've always been a multi-platform user, and have always been able to properly deride and/or appreciate the various advantages and disadvantages each platform brings to the table.
As most will agree, Apple hardware in particular has historically been introduced at higher retail price points. However, I've always been struck by the value inherent to Apple hardware as compared to other platforms. I usually build a new Windows based PC for gaming and administrative tasks every 2 years or so, costing anywhere from $700 - $1000 (I don't use pirated software. I use only name brand components), usually relegating said Windows box to serving using Linux or other serving tasks.
My Newtons, while initially pricey, still play a vital role in my day-to-day business operations today, years later. (to this day, I still get many queries by curious onlookers wondering if this was a new piece of Apple hardware, and where they can get one...) In addition, I still use my first generation G4 Macs for content creation, video editing, and with some peripherals, DVD authoring. I paid upwards of $2,500 for the Macs in 1999, but they continue to serve me today, and I foresee utilizing them for at least another 2 years. This brings the cost of ownership down to Windows box levels, for what I feel are more elegantly designed, integrated machines.
Much can be said about Apples choices in pricing and "chic" design, but I've always found the "now" factor and expense of Apple harware to bear out quite well in the long run. The Newton brought to the handheld market not only forward thinking innovation, but, I think, renewable sustainability.
I also had an early palm, ( mainly due to the form factor, 'on the road' the palm was easier to carry ) and thought the interface was clunky and a general pain in the butt. ( and no, im not basing that on the 'power' of the day, i realize speeds have increased radically over the years )
Nothing can come close to matching the useablity of the Newton's UI...
Its a real shame it went away.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Right now, there are a handful of devices that could preplace my eMate.
s _h andheld_comeback/
I love the eMate, and the pre-iMac translucent color, but its too slow, and needs a grayscale screen. I do love the keyboard and long lasting battery life.
Here is the lineup of eMate wannabes. The downside of all of them is that they use Win-duh-ohs.
NEC (MobilePro 900c)
Psion Teklogix (NetBook Pro)
Zupera Technology (SmartBook) (China)
Motorola (MPx Pocket Phone)
HP (Jornada 728)
However, HP may be coming out with a very eMate-like palmtop.
Here is the link to the new HP:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/06/hp_moot
Since HP is licensing the iPod from Apple, perhaps Apple could license HP's new little palmtop with a full sized keyboard. It is, after all, supposed to be a cell phone too.
Regards,
Roger Born
writing.borngraphics.com
Newton runs on First Cabin grade software. Even with the dongle port there's little refutation possible about that.
The point you're missing is that Newton isn't about Hardware [with the exception that the hardware has allowed it to remain viable for so long], the Newtie is all about Software. Without the NewtonOS, it just wouldn't be worth it. The level of integration among the apps made Newton what it is today.
"You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
You're assuming that even though they've essentially lost the brainshare that was the Newton team, that Apple still has the software.
Unless someone was actively maintaining it, it's likely fallen off of the servers, lost in a head crash or some such. "It's just Newton - nobody will miss it."
"You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
The other issue is that a cellphone-sized device is of necessity limited in its capabilities:
physically
- too small for reading a length e-text/book (comfortably)
- too small for marking up an e-text/book
- too small for writing lengthy texts (with a reasonable facility for editing / reviewing it)
- too small for drawing / sketching anything much larger than a postage stamp
processor/storage-wise they're still kind of limited as well.
My Fujitsu Stylistic has all of my MP3s, a complete backup of my NeXT Cube, and _all_ of my documents (including files dating back to high school and the school's Apple ][s), including my portfolio and Adobe Reader 6 and a web browser so I can load it and show it to anyone)
Sure, I could use a laptop for much of that, but then I'd have to haul around a graphics tablet as well, and I have to manage to find space to open it up, room for the tablet &c.
William
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
So maybe what you really want is a CrossPad with IBM's Ink Manager software. Ability to do HWR, instant-on, backups. You can even make drawings.
"You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
Stanford University currently uses Newtons for all of its housing maintenance workers to log work orders and service requests.
;) Combined with a 3rd-party mobile data client/server view transformation layer, it will be extremely configurable, robust and manageable.
Stanford is also the biggest consumer of surplus Newtons on the west coast of the US, gobbling up many spare of the parts.
In a couple of years, however, they will probably transistion to a iPaq / WinCE platform w/ WiFi / GPRS / EDGE connectivity.
I think they are going to use Tririga Facility Center 8.x (a CMMS product), which is based on OSS; Linux, Apache, etc.
Hahaha, Newtons!
Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
So this is why Apple made the iPod battery non-replaceable.
But didn't it come from an outside party? Perhaps they simply bought it again.
"You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
Every time the Newt comes up in a /. discussion, many people slam it for its larger-than-palm-sized form factor(s). And I think they have a point, I believe a smaller Newton would have been a market success.
Keep in mind, however, that the lack of a palm-sized Newt was at most a temporary situation. One of the great things about NewtOS and NewtonScript is that they were designed to support a practically unlimited variety of form factors. With some forethought and clever UI design, a single Newton app could run on anything from a watch to a jumbotron sized device - a point *often* made by the Newton developer support group.
In fact, I was in Cupertino only days before the rollout of Newton Inc. as an independent subsidiary of Apple (a move unfortunately aborted by Jobs upon his return). While I was there, I saw physical prototypes of Newton-logo'ed devices the size of watches and legal-sized tablets. I assume these were working prototypes because I saw them on the repair bench.
As an independent developer of vertical market mobile-computing applications, my company was very excited by the potential and possibilities of the Newton platform. When Apple axed it, that was pretty much the end of our enterprise, as no other platform available at the time was as capable for such an affordable price - for some applications, there was no alternative platform at *any* price.
And we were hardly unique. There were scores of small and mid-sized mobile-computing developers that were starting to make a real go of it. Nearly all of them folded up shop within a year or two of Newton inc's demise. Quite frankly, Apple threw away the Newt just when it was starting to catch on with industry. We are only *just now* - years later - starting to see mobile platform solutions that can be deployed as inexpensively and efficiently as was being done with the Newton.
Its a situation very similar to the 'dark age' of voice-rec software we are just now beginning to emerge from following the implosion of Dragon Sytems/L&H et al.
How long has been since anybody did any work on dynapad?
Just curious.
evil is as evil does
How long before someone sits down and tries to make an OSS OS version of whatever OS runs on newton? Sounds like a pretty interesting idea to me at least :)
I have a Newton MP100 that I got for $50 from a Goodwill. I was using it somewhat regularly (despite the primitive nature of the Newton 1.x OS) but then the screen broke. Where can I get a replacement screen?
"You'll pry my newton from my cold dead hands." (Should Be) Slogan for the Newton Convention
"Tuez-les tous; Dieu reconnaitra les siens."
Everyone has been saying that the 4G iPod now regulates Music to it's own menu item. What if Jobs were to slowly expand the Hard Drives, continue to update the software and introduce color in the 5G iPod. Which would mean you could then use it to view your color photos. And then low and behold a year or two later the 6G has a stylus and you can take notes and wow the new 6G iPod is Newton but more. What if????
Save Pangaea!! Stop Continental Drift!!
Every time I think of the perfect "writer's computer", I think of the leather-clad, voice recognition transcription handheld in Wim Wender's Until the End of the World.
It's like saying "You liked being at Disney World." "Now that we're back in Idaho, what can we do to make it suitable for you?"
"There are Carousel rides in front of K-Mart.. Disney had some carousel rides, sweetie.."
"What else? Mickey Mouse, Goofy? Those are features of Disney... We can get Uncle Don to dress up in his Dog suit"
A Newton is a Newton is a Newton, and nothing would do to replace it except for a new Newton. Or an iPod with a keyboard and a bigger screen that could run Newton apps.
Even though I love my Palm - I'd give it up in a heartbeat for a Palm-sized Newton, just for the notepad with text and pictures together.
VGA mode 13h was 320x240 and supported 256 colours. It was the only VGA mode that supported linear (non-paged) addressing, so was popular for games.
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The sony u70/u50 would do the trick ;)