[NTLK] Text from NY Times article on Newton

From: Stocker, Michael (mstocker_at_accelent.com)
Date: Thu Mar 20 2003 - 04:12:32 PST


A Vintage Palmtop Holds Users in Thrall
By IAN AUSTEN

HEN Victor Rehorst pulls out his oversize personal digital assistant, =
there is often someone with a question. "They usually ask, what kind of =
a Palm is that?" Mr. Rehorst said.=20

The answer is that Mr. Rehorst's computer is not a Palm at all. Mr. =
Rehorst, 22, who works in the information technology department of a =
bank in Toronto, is among the enthusiasts who continue to use the Apple =
Newton, a hand-held that was abandoned by its manufacturer just over =
five years ago.=20

Some, like Mr. Rehorst, appreciate the Newton operating system. Others =
like its size - bigger than current digital assistants but smaller than =
the new Windows-based tablet computers. For still others, the motivation =
is habit or stubbornness.=20

But these users do not simply keep their antiques plodding along. =
Through forums like NewtonTalk .net, an online mailing list administered =
by Mr. Rehorst, they exchange programs and tips on adapting Newtons to =
newfangled tasks like playing MP3 music files.=20

"The Newton has never, never let me down, so why switch?" said Mr. =
Rehorst, who bought his first Newton from a high school classmate in =
1998, around the time Apple said it would stop making the machines.=20

The original Newton MessagePad, released in 1993, met with more =
criticism than acclaim. Like the current generation of Windows tablet =
computers, the Newton replaced the keyboard with handwriting input. But =
the first version of the handwriting recognition software was so poor at =
converting users' scribbles to text that it became the butt of jokes.=20

That problem was solved and updated models followed, but price (some =
versions topped $1,000) was a persistent problem as other manufacturers =
introduced cheaper alternatives. In 1998, shortly after he returned to =
Apple, Steven P. Jobs pulled the plug on the Newton line.=20

In 2001, two marketing professors, Albert M. Muniz Jr. of DePaul =
University in Chicago and Hope Jensen Schau of Temple University in =
Philadelphia, jointly began studying the Newton holdouts. "The Newton =
community had been abandoned by its marketer, so the users had been =
forced to do a lot of the duties of the manufacturer," Dr. Muniz said.

Sticking with the technology is frequently "a point of pride" among the =
80 or so Newton users that he has interviewed, Dr. Muniz said. But he =
has also found that most are demanding computer users with up-to-date =
desktop machines. "They're not Luddites," he said. "They firmly believe =
the Newton is the best device."=20

Indeed, Dr. Muniz himself has joined the ranks of the converted. He =
bought a secondhand Newton (available for $100 to $300) to help him =
understand the community he is researching. Soon the Newton had replaced =
his own Palm.=20

"I really like the large writing screen," he said.=20

One design factor has helped owners keep their Newtons up to date. The =
later models include standard card slots that accept memory cards and a =
variety of accessories. Many users install an Ethernet card in one slot =
as a way to synchronize their Newtons with their other computers.=20

Developing the software to make new functions and hardware work is =
mostly a volunteer effort. Eric Schneck, a computer programmer in =
Brooklyn who has used Newtons since 1994, wrote a program with Apple's =
permission that turns a Newton with a memory card into a full-featured =
music player that synchronizes with Apple's iTunes software.=20

Although Newtons are no longer covered by warranties, Apple will repair =
them. When Mr. Rehorst damaged his model, the 2100, two years ago, he =
shipped it to Apple's Canadian subsidiary. The company sent him what =
seemed to be a new unit for the equivalent of $127.=20

Unsurprisingly, comeback rumors are a popular topic at Mr. Rehorst's =
forum. "The eternal hope among users is that one day something as good =
as Newton will be released by Apple," he said.=20

Dr. Muniz said that such speculation, however unwarranted, was natural. =
"It's important that there be these kinds of thoughts to keep the =
community energized," he said. "But it does have a certain 'Waiting for =
Godot' quality to it."

-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
List FAQ/Etiquette/Terms: http://www.newtontalk.net/faq.html
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/


This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Mar 20 2003 - 05:30:00 PST