Re: [NTLK] The day the Newton died it's final death...

From: Lord Groundhog <LordGroundhog_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed Jan 10 2007 - 14:43:34 EST

~~~ On 2007/01/10 04:34, George Qualley IV at qualleyiv@mac.com wrote ~~~

> Hello all,
> I'm kind of a lurker on this board, and I haven't actively used my
> 2100 for quite some time (just haven't had the time to get everything
> sorted out and really put in the effort). I've always been a huge fan
> of the Newton and have owned several different models. I've also
> owned a Treo 600 and currently use a 650. Even after all these years,
> the Palm OS is clunky and barely usable when compared to the Newton
> OS. While the Treo is alright, I've never effectively exploited its
> potential (at least I don't think so) whereas I felt like I really
> USED my Newton. That fact has always left me thinking how awesome a
> Newton plus cell phone combo could have been.
>
> Of course, that all changed today when I saw the iPhone. All I can
> say is that I was completely stunned. Now, I know that many of those
> here have an interest in the Newton as kind of a pet project and I
> don't want to offend any of you. But, I do think that some of that is
> because the Newton has always held so much potential coupled with the
> fact that the palmtop market has seen such a lack of innovation.
> Today, I think that all changed. For me, at least, the iPhone really
> is revolutionary. Unlike all of the other alternatives out there the
> iPhone is true Apple innovation just like the Newton was. So, for the
> first time today I finally feel like I can let go of that nagging
> little feeling in my mind that, even after all these years, the
> Newton is pretty damn awesome. Today, the Newton WAS pretty damn
> awesome, but now I welcome the future and it is the iPhone.
>
> Sincerely,
> --
> George Qualley IV

I *almost* agree, George, and my initial reaction was one of considerable
excitement. I love the iPhone -- the idea as well as much of the
implementation I saw last night. I wanted to hold one in my hand and use it
and make friends with it. I was even willing to think of reasons why the
price tag is acceptable to my tight budget.

<rant>

Then I started looking a little more closely. Some nice bells and whistles,
but unless I've missed something, SJ is taking the attitude that a stylus
(and hence HWR) are not going to be part of the iPhone, and it seems
uncertain to what degree users will be able to put their own apps on --
Einstein, for instance. I'm guessing the display hardware isn't
stylus-ready either for Inkwell's purposes.

This means that although Apple has "added" the much-desired phone capability
to the Newton (not to mention the iPod functions), they've done it by
"subtracting" the Newton itself. So, your "Newton plus cell phone combo"
dream is still just your -- and our -- dream. (In my dream, I came up with
what I'd have said if Jobs asked me how I think the iPhone should be
designed, but I woke up before he said, "OK!" I still want to see something
like it happen.) by my lights, done "right", the iPhone could have full
Newton capabilities as well as being an iPod and a phone; I'd deal with the
memory problem by including more than one slot -- maybe 3, one each for the
phone, iPod and computer functions? -- for the micro-sized memory like that
in my Sony-Ericsson K800i and similar objects, for example.

AFAIK this is for now at least a locked phone; those of us not using
Cingular (a bit difficult for me in the UK) and those of us who reject the
concept of locked hardware because we object to it on principle (also
including me) will have to regard it as irrelevant eye-candy until that
changes some time in 2008.

There are a few other niggles about the iPhone but those are about the phone
side (no 3G, possibly no Skype, only a 2mp camera and other minor things)
but I'm only concerned with the way it falls short of what it could be if it
were combined with real Newton capabilities -- updated for the new
technologies available, of course.

As long as the iPhone can't read real handwriting and the Newton can (and in
my case, it does this nearly flawlessly), I'm inclined to say the iPhone
isn't the future, it's just a late-night rerun of the past with a free pizza
delivery.

I know this sounds like I'm minimizing the iPhone as a gadget; I'm not. If
there were no such thing as a Newton, I'd be bowled over. But I see this as
a great opportunity to fulfill the promise of the Newton, not with another
Newton but with a real next generation. Not so much a "smart-phone" as a
"super-phone".

I'm inclined to think we have about 6-12 months to besiege the Big Man with
requests to make a "Mark II: the MessagePod" or something. After that, the
iPhone is likely to be sent in a direction that will make the development of
an "iNstein" (OK, so I'm reaching here) nearly impossible.

</rant>

Shalom.
Christian

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

łAny sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from a NewtonPad.˛
            -- in appreciation of Arthur C. Clarke

http://homepage.mac.com/chodlang1/iMovieTheater16.html
(With thanks to Chod Lang)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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Received on Wed Jan 10 14:44:54 2007

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