Comments on: My Newton story

Glaskowsky describes his experiences with the Apple Newton

[kkrewell]

Are you still waiting for that Newton replacement?

The size of the Newton was not exactly perfect. I content the 7" screen is too big for a truly everyday-everywhere device. The iPhone is pretty close, but because it's suppose to be a phone and there's still the notion that you might hold it up to your face for a call, it's the compromise Apple made. If you make the break from that concept and accept that the phone functionality will be through Bluetooth or the wired headphones, then you can expand the size a bit more.

But, go ahead Peter, give in to the urge. You know you must have an iPhone. It calls out to you. You know you wanted to be on that line at Westfield Mall with Woz at 4:00AM. It's only money; and only a fraction of the the price of a new M6.

[kpuder]

Still Waiting.

I'm still using my (third) Newton MessagePad 2100. I take it nearly
everywhere for note-taking and scheduling. This omnipresence unfortunately
led to two cracked screens along the way; thanks go to eBay for affordable
replacements.

I, too, found the handwriting recognition finally worthwhile on the V2.0
Newton OS. Even though I had already become proficient with Graffiti on my
MP100, I switched to using direct handwriting most of the time. Once that
happened, even a Palm did not entice me away.

If the iPhone had better note-taking software (even w/o HWR) the temptation
would be stronger. A Macintosh-based tablet (such as the Axiotron
ModBook, which uses the InkWell software, which is the Newton HWR) could
get me to leave my Newton if only it were small enough to still conveniently
carry everywhere.

[magiclaffs]

I bought my Newton in 1996. I saw another Army Officer with one and i was immediately smitten. I didn't have too much of a hard time trying to use the software recognition. The size was a little awkward but no more than a notebook. But unfortunately Apple isn't always the visionary that it makes itself out to be. Jobs killed the Newton. I moved on to the Palm pilot (I think it was a III). I still have my Palm TX now some 12 years after the Newton was introduced. I miss it but if Apple were to reintroduce one that could compete head to head with the Palm TX, The Ipaq I would consider it.