Which one? :-) IIRC, the name "GridPad" was applied to a series of pen-based
computing devices put out by Grid (later Tandy and AST).
The one of most relevance to us would be the GridPad 2700, aka the Tandy
"Zoomer" and Casio Z-PDA. Chronologically, it came out about the same time
as the MP100 and was often directly compared to the 100 in articles. (It was
also a contemporary of the early MagicCap units.)
Physically, it was similar to the MP100, though it included a headset jack
and application-definable buttons. It also had a flip-over lid, much like
the Newton prototype and the later members of the 1x0 series.
The CPU was a member of the Nec V-series (V20, I think, though it may have
been one of the later chips which included more of the system
functionality), an x86-compatible chip, running GEOS on top of an embedded
MS-DOS compatible OS. Included applications were variants of the usual GEOS
included apps plus PIM software written by Palm Computing (the same ones who
would go on to design their own PDA :-). Interfaces included InfraRed, a
serial port (required a special cable), and a Type II PCMCIA card (though I
seem to recall it being picky about power requirements of modem cards.)
The biggest weakness of the Zoomer, by far, was the handwriting recognition.
Trust me, this was stuff of Doonesbury cartoons. Minor historical note:
Graffitti was actually first available for the Zoomer.
The official sync solution was to buy something called Palm Desktop. This
was a desktop copy of Geos running desktop versions of the Zoomer PIM
applications. The "better" solution was something called IntelliMerge, an
early version of what is now IntelliSync, which support the popular PIMs and
PDAs of the day.
I actually have one, bought during the closeout sale at PriceClub, but
dropped it some time later (no obvious damage, but it would never power on
again).
<<<john>>>
-----Original Message-----
From: newtontalk-bounce_at_newtontalk.net
[mailto:newtontalk-bounce_at_newtontalk.net]On Behalf Of Tony Kan
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2002 2:19 AM
To: newtontalk_at_newtontalk.net
Subject: [NTLK] Gridpad? was RE: Newton Cadillac
Well, you got me curious... For those of us not in the know what was a
GridPad and how did it compare with the Newt?
TIA
Tony.
-----Original Message-----
From: newtontalk-bounce_at_newtontalk.net
[mailto:newtontalk-bounce_at_newtontalk.net]On Behalf Of Grant [Butter
Soft] Hutchinson
Sent: Saturday, 13 April 2002 5:10 p.m.
To: Newton-Talk
Subject: Re: [NTLK] Newton Cadillac
In a previous message, Hobbes typed vigorously:
>>>No, its a DataRover 840, a MagicCap device.
>>
>>Fascinating. I have two of those in my basement. Mint. They're very cool.
>
>Grant, I'm starting to think you might be gunning for ed's title of PDA
>historian.
>
>May the better alpha-geek win.
Just don't get me started about the pile of old GridPads...
;)
g.
......................................................................
Grant Hutchinson Interface Considerations & Toys
Live video served fresh since 1996. http://www.splorp.com/cam/
Now fortified with daily ramblings. http://www.splorp.com/blog/
Newton. It's the Palm with a brain. http://www.splorp.com/newton/
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