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125 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -21/+76
- m3mn0n, on 10/12/2007, -0/+48Screw the iPhone, I now want a Newton.
- cwalk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Beat up Martin -> Eat up Martha.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=euC45RNqg4Q - zapod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23@frankie4fingers
"This never caught on because it is *****."
Oh really.
Why, then, does my Newton Messagepad, software version 1.04, work *smarter* than my Palm? The Newton is ten years older than the Palm. I can write 'fax bob' on the Newton, hit Assist, and Newton look's up Bob's fax number from the contacts list, correctly formats a cover sheet, and wait's for me to hit send. The downside? I have to be connected to the phone network by a wire. It is 1993 after all... Or I write 'meeting with Bob at 7', hit Assist, Newton opens the calendar and creates an appointment at 7, with the label 'meeting with bob'. You get the idea...
"Keyboard recognition doesn't really work properly."
It does and anyway you mean 'Handwriting recognition'. Do pay attention, 007. Joined up handwriting recogition is no mean feat on a 20MHz processor. My Palm is over 400Mhz and it struggles with single letters, ten years later.
"All of that is being done now on phones, not only PDAs."
True, but current phones and PDAs use the entrenched methods as defined by personal computer packages. ie those that have been in use since Borland Sidekick - Newton's software designers tried a more naturalistic approach, which although better, was ultimately crushed by the single perception of 'crap handwriting recogition'. Which is a shame. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19PocketPC wasn't around 14 years ago, Poindexter.
- geniusj, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20Jerod, Jobs wasn't around for the Newton.
- Chaos12, on 10/12/2007, -7/+24I agree.
- belfastbiker, on 10/12/2007, -5/+20Had the first one, loved it. Apple designs stuff just right. It ultimately was too limiting though.
Ahead of what technology couldoffer at the time... I was looking forward to Newton 2, but this new iPhone thing looks interesting, I'll be buying one of those.... :) - spoooon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15You don't have to be a 'fanboy' to be impressed with the iPhone. I own an iPod and no other Apple product and yet I found several aspects of the iPhone to be interesting and I do believe a great number of people, that likely are not fanboys, are impressed with the functionality given within the device.
Fanboys can be annoying and I will never argue that... however, the anti-fanboy group sure isn't any better. - Elranzer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15An iPhone is just an iPhone but Newtons are fruit & cake.
- ani-pockdotnet, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Specs for the last Apple Newton model created (10 years ago):
The Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 features a 162 MHz StrongARM 110 processor, 8 MB of Mask ROM, 8 MB of RAM (4 MB of DRAM, 4 MB of Flash RAM), dual PCMCIA slots, dual-mode IrDA-beaming capabilities, and a Newton InterConnect port for multiple connectivity options, in a sleek handheld case with a 4.9 in. by 3.3 in. 16-level grayscale backlit LCD display (480x320 @ 100 dpi) for use with a provided stylus. The MessagePad 2100 is effectively identicial to the MessagePad 2000, but has more RAM. The Newton MessagePad 2100 is also notable as it is the only Newton released by the briefly-lived "Newton, Inc", an Apple spin-off company. The Newton MessagePad was one of the first series of handheld systems, or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), to attempt to recognize natural handwriting and use a basic form of artificial intelligence to 'tie' relevant information together. Please note that Newtons are technically not 'Macs', as they do not operate the MacOS, and instead use the NewtonOS (also developed by Apple).
Source: http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/messagepad/stats/newton_mp_2100.html - TonyTheTerrible, on 10/12/2007, -7/+21probably because you cant spell wasnt...
- swong, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12I worked on Newton Mail back in the day. Newton was definitely ahead of its time when it came out. But the biggest problem that killed the product was its instability. I remembered there was tremendous pressure internally to release this product for the launch at Boston MacWorld. As a result we spent the entire weekend prior to the launch working on canned demos that would avoid crashing the device. It wasn't easy since any little thing would crash the device. The problem was the Flash RAMs of the original MessagePad 100 were too small to fit all the patches necessary to stabilize the device. If the Newton was launched with the StrongARM based MessagePad 110 (more stable, more memory, better handwriting recog) instead of the 100 (unstable and buggy) we may well see Newton alive today.
- moglenstar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12The thing is, the newton wasn't one of Jobs' ideas, it was created when he was no longer part of Apple
- ArcticCelt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12"I thought that Jobs was dissing the stylus in his keynote. "Who wants to use those? You have to find a place to put them"
He do. First think he did when he got his job back at Apple was to kill the Newton project. Coincidently (coincidently my ass) that project was the brain child of John Sculley, the peson who fired him from his own company a couple of years earlier ... - lonseidman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I had a Newton 2000 that I bought (yikes) ten years ago after my Newton MessagePad 110 bit the dust. To this date I have yet to find another PDA that was as functional and fast.. The backlight was amazing, a green 'indiglo' light that really looked great in dark rooms.
I'd probably still be using it today if the connectivity was a little better. The problem I had with it was getting my stuff synced up with my PC running Outlook. I did a lot of notes in 'electronic ink' and had difficulty getting them back to the PC. - filefly, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14@Tony
Wasn't.
Irony. - ericdano, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Oh please. I suppose Microsoft is just cutting edge. Looking at the CES show and what Apple introduced at MacWorld, it's like 10 years ahead. There was nothing as cool as the iPhone that I saw at CES.
- dstory, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I still love messing around with my 2100. I still don't understand why someone hasn't came along and built a PDA that could match the same level of functionality as the Newton.
I'm hoping that with the iPhone, Apple can take the Smartphone concept to a whole new level.
Although until they support Exchange, I'm afraid I'm going to have to stick with my Treo. - afwjam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9newton was smart, real smart. You just write without thinking and it did it. after a month or so my newton 2100 handwriting recognition was 100% or maybe 99.8%. I just wrote and it did it. The only reason I don't use it now is because it is just to big compared to whats out now. at the time there was nothing better and even for 5 years after.
- omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8The Newton's weakness was its lack of connectivity, but you have to remember those features didn't exist – or at least weren't mass-marketable – at the time.
- omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9It was ahead of its time, for sure. This time Apple waited for everyone else to see what was wrong with other companies' smartphones before releasing theirs.
- vihung, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9It did change a lot.
Without Newton, there would be no Palm.
Without Palm there would be no Windows CE or WIndows Mobile.
There would probably not be any Blackberry either
Well. At least not their present forms.
What the Newton showed was what works and what does not in handheld devices - particularly for the "business" market, and that allowed people to implement things better - kethraal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Right, but the vast array of features all... well... suck.
Rather, it's not so much the features themselves that suck, but the vast number of developers who can't seem to implement them well.
Yes, the Newton was lacking GPS connectivity (which many modern PDA's can have). Yes, it was lacking anything wireless (which many modern PDA's have.) Yes, it didn't have a colour screen (which many modern PDA's have..)
On the other hand, it did recognize handwriting (and did a damn fine job of it, especially the 2x00 series.) It did have the best calendar functions, the best contact organization, and the most functional note-taking that I've ever seen.
No, it didn't offer 1001 features, but it had a near-perfect implementation of everything it offered.
And just to make a point about handwriting recognition, I've written the above text on my Newton, sent it to my MacBook via Bluetooth, and am now posting it, unedited. - felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Exchange has IMAP support, so your iPhone can work with Exchange.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8The Newton's hand writing recognition sucked, but did inspire this classic joke:
Q: How many Apple Newtons does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Foux! There to eat lemons, axe gravy soup. - jvq1958, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I owned a number of newtons. My final newton was the MP2100. The newton had terrific capabilities - ethernet connectivity and dial up modem were provided by PCMCIA cards. I used mine for basic word processing and email for several years. Once I was truly set up I stopped lugging my laptop (Windows based) about. I only stopped using the MP2100 upon the return of Steve Jobs and the canning of the product. I moved initially to a CASSIOPIA running shrunken windows (I think it was CE). First thing I noticed was a need for my Laptop on the road again. I just couldn't risk the constant crashed on the CASSIOPIA. Ironically, connectivity was a major issue too. Just couldn't get it all to work. After a year of frustration I moved to PALM OS and had a succession of those. Due to limited connectivity I still carried (by the a smaller) laptop too. I then moved to a Treo 650. Finally I had something that rivalled the MP2100 in road warrior functionality. Whilst it's form factor doesn't allow the word processing that the newton did, it excels in most other areas. Finally, for the most part, the laptop stays home! I like the look of the iPhone. Style and features look great to me. If it achieves a fraction of the iPod like usability I think it will be a winner.
- Frankie4Fingers, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12CHECK THIS OUT... lol a joke on the Newton. This is an old video but still funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQECwm3erEs - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7lol, they actually say "electronic mail"
- extremophile, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7this is a good example of how Apple (or any company for that matter) never really "loses" by encouraging innovation - even if the product flops. for the time, this was an amazing product. i would imagine the teamwork and culture of creativity was well served by Newton. In turn, we are well served by it's descendents.
Apple kicks ass. - unicornhunter, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8apple fig newtons are better.
- AceTracer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I like those of you that claim that the Newton wasn't at all notable and certainly not revolutionary.
Apple invented the PDA market, before the Newton there were no PDAs. There were those crappy PIMs that you inputed numbers into and cost $30 at the local corner store, but back then nothing was advanced as the Newton, and to this day nothing is.
Also, after Steve Jobs killed the Newton, the designers went on to found Palm, and then Handspring, so the Treos and ***** you all carry now? Made by former Newton engineers. - HOM1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Wifi: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/WiFi
GPS: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/GPSOnNewton
Video out: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/VGACards
Cellular: Can't find a link right now, but back in the day (1996) I had a PCMCIA modem that hooked up to my Moto cellphone which accessed the web, email, and send/recieve faxes.
That's all on a device that is over 10 years old! Now show me a PDA that offers all of that with over 24 hours continuous use battery life, handwriting recognition that actually works, supports upwards of 8GB of simultaneous storage, is smart enough to parse natural language information, and makes amazing use of the stylus as an interface and not just a pointing device? - Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Eat up Martha
- ericdano, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6"probably because you cant spell wasnt..."
Um, Tony, cant is spelled can't......nevermind... - steve693, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"Beat Up Martin."
"Eat Up Martha." - euphoriadj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I actually used my 2100 as a laptop and the only reason I gave up on my Newt was that the connectivity to OS X was sucky at first and it still has a lot of work.
The hand recognition was perfect compare to pocketpc which was 70 to 80%
I would love to see a PDA about the size of a treo, all screen no keyboard, wifi, blue tooth, inkwell (apple hand writing recognition), and an ability to connect a keyboard via wire or blue tooth.
The iphone actually could have all of this and more but Jobs needs to get his head out of an orifice that it doesn't belong in and allow third party developers, especially open source/home brew coding.
but that probably won't happen for a couple of years if at all. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5i still have my newton
it rocks - monospaced, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Seriously, if instead of Apple, Microsoft released the iPhone last week, everyone would think it was the greatest thing on Earth. I have no need for the product itself, so I'm not promoting it, but I was at MacWorld and saw it in action, and it's a cool freakin' piece of technology, expensive or not.
- blakespot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I love my Newtons.
http://pix.blakespot.com/view/computers/handhelds/newton/ - Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Because the Newt was a solution in search of a problem. When it was introduced, it was too much money for functionality that nobody thought they needed (whether or not they did was debatable). I owned a 110 as well, and the last function it served before dying was that of a password containment unit next to my PC (security through obscurity, I guess) via a program called "Geeksafe."
It was a bit like introducing the Batmobile in 1920, only to be outdone by the simpler Model T. Palm offered a barely glorified address book, which the casual businessperson could understand and use, and grew from there. Plus, the Newton was pretty big (about the size of a videocassette), which made it difficult to store with your wallet. Also, the thing ate batteries (rechargeable packs or alkaline, take your pick) at a rate higher than my old walkman did.
That said, I did use it for note-taking at some meetings (I found a keyboard on eBay) and transferred the results via a little ap that synched with Outlook's "notes." But the gist is this: If your gizmo does too many things that the consumer hasn't demanded, and you charge a ton for it in the first place, you either need the cash to keep the thing alive until the market catches up, or you're going to end up as a highly-sought artifact by the fanatics in ten years. - Sethwm2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have 4 Newton message pad 130s and my whole family uses them. I have new software that works with OS 10.4.8. The Newton was killed by Steve Jobs. Sculley the dude from Apple was the one who started the project and want to keep it going. I went on ebay and I found thousands of programs that can go on the Newton and they all work great. I can still send faxes and I can connect and send emails and receive emails. The Newton was way ahead of its time...
- ths453, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaaMct-nF0o&mode=related&search=
- UGM2099, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Dugg for the idealism of the 90's. Loved it.
- Shutter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The Newton looks ten times better than my Palm for many of the editing tasks we have today. Word recognition is much easier than character-based recognition, and the design of their software seems much better suited to a mobile device.
Unfortunately, it looks like we're going to have to wait for the UMPC products to diminish in cost and/or size such that they become useful as a pocket-sized PDA. - Buschaga, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I have a Newton MessagePad 130 and show it to folks who have never seen one before... everyone is impressed even though it is nearly a decade old which is practically prehistoric for a gadget.
It was an impressive piece of technology for it's day.. and the AI of the "Assist" feature is something that even PDAs of today lack. - ani-pockdotnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3All your questions answered about the Newton:
"FAQ for the Newton Community"
http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ - r3zonance, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"There was no super-great feature in the iPhone that current smart-phones don't."
Umm, well there were the following:
1) Decent MP3 player.
2) Multi-touch UI.
3) Simple, elegant UI.
4) FULL web browser (unlike Pocket IE on my current Smartphone) - Blarion, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Still use my MessagePad 100 every once in a bit.
- vtequine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'm still using my Newton although it may have to be retired in June.
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