Would you buy a Newton if it was re-released?

Would you buy a Newton?

  • Yes, Long live the Newton.

  • Yes, if it ran a hybrid of the Newton OS and Palm OS.

  • Yes, if it ran the Palm OS.

  • No, not interested.

Results are only viewable after voting.
VGZ

VGZ

Registered
There have been some rumors about a new Newton. If Apple released a new Newton that worked with Mac OS X would you buy it?
 
I have a Newton 120 (Its not the top of the line 2100 which was the last one but IT ROCKS!!!)

I would definatelly buy one if my newton 120 died :)
(would the new one be compatible with old newton programs ??? what OS ??? man... lemme see the article!!!!)


Admiral
 
The Newton was way ahead of its time, and I still have my Newton 120 (though I don't use it), but I don't want to see another PDA OS floating around. Palm OS is nice for a minimalist interface, and Pocket PC is great for people who think Microsoft is the modern Olympus Home of the Gods.

-Rob
 
There is also the EPOC 32 OS that run on some othjer hardware platform ... I know not how it stacks up (lol ... medieval english). The newton WAS greatelly ahead of its time and its (english) handwritting recognition was great (too bad it doesnt recognize accents (NOS 2.0) ). The 2100 also ran on 162Mhz I think! Quite a powerful machine!

I use my newton, bought it last September from ebay lol. I dont use it THAT often, but I use it more than I would use a palm. its good for conversions, taking quick notes, drawing, addresses and a few dates (for me anyways...) oh oh oh and games ;)


Admiral
 
That's true. You can't underestimate games. I keep my HP48gx calculator at work, not because I need a calculator, but because it has great games! (great being a relative term)

-Rob
 
calculators have games ?!
Weird. I have a TI-83 calculator that I
have used the heck out of for calculations
but I have tetris on it an a few other games
including blackjack :p .... never use em
that often though :p



Admiral
 
To clarify the hybrid would be the Newton OS with the ability to run Palm Apps.
 
New Newton (how it SHOULD be)

Hardware:
Thin, yet the screen surface should be as big as the 2k1 color screen
Kickass processor
IrDA
Airport
2 PCMCIA
Microphone/speaker/audio jack
OS on ROM
Built in dataplay or an otherwise "small" storage device
USB connectivity for keyboards & peripherals
(possibly Firewire ?)
Built in 24Mb (or more) RAM storage


Software:
Newton OS, bigger/ better/ not bloated
A better rosetta engine to recognise accents and non roman languages (one device one world mentality)
Quicktime for Newton to play movies, aiff, MP3 and other A/V formats
Possibly a Palm "environment" (like classic in OS X ?) to use already existing palm apps.
Possibly an "exhange" control panel/compatibility of a sort to recognize win CE and other OS documents for interconnectivity with them.
An office suite for the newton (like they had in the 2000 & 2001 newtons)
Internet Browsing software & a robust mail client :)
also more locales, On my NOS 2.0, on my Newton 120, I cant set the locale to anywhere else other than the USA or canada and a few other select countries.

I dont even care to place a price tag on this baby :)

btw who else has a newton ?


Admiral
 
Personnaly I think it should be about the size of the Palm V/m50x serries with an SD/MMC and PCMCIA slot, irDA color, speakers and microphone. It should have a flash-upgrade-able OS and 32 MB of RAM. The USB port is obvious. Now if they would listen to us and release it.

Better yet make different models for different levels. High end with everything you asked for Admiral and a mid range with my requests as well as a low end for people with a budget.

It should sync with the Address book in X and have an option to sync with Mail.

Maybe we should send in a request for a new line of Newtons to Apple :),
 
The only problem with a Palm V kind screen (or just in general Palm style) is that you cannot write, draw, be yourself. Even if you could write on the whole screen you would have to write words individually (at best) like so:
Hello
I am
the
Admiral


As opposed to the current newton way of doing it:
Hello I am
The admiral

(or if you rotate the screen:
Hello I am the Admiral
)


There isnt enough room on the palm style screens for such kind of writing :(
 
Just realized two more things :p

1) While staring at my cell phone, I thought that with a PCMCIA card (operating in GSM, CDMA< TDMA or 3G technologies depending on country and network), a hands-free set, and adewuate software the new newton could be a cellphone as well doing data/calls/voicemail/Sort Messages and so on

2) I think that VGZ's point about the screen is mainly derived from the fact that a newton with a screen of 12cm * 7.5 cm would be too "big" to carry around in your shirt pocket. I was wondering is there an "ecomonic" technology out there where a screen can be made up of 2 smaller screens, yet work as one ? The point I am trying to drive home is that we can have a "flip top" kinda newton where when opened and locked into position the 2 smaller screens that comprise it work as one seamlessly.

maybe I am watching too much "earth: final conflict" ... by the way, the "globals" they use are SO COOL :D I would want one of em if they were available :D


Admiral
 
The Newton OS 2.1 recognizes accented characters without a problem. The NOS 2.1 handwriting recognition is still awesome and nothing compares to how it was integrated with the rest of the system. (Grafitti sucks, sucks, sucks.)

As for the hardware...
Palm V size w/ Strong Arm processor

It shoud sync with Palm Desktop so the switch for the existing Palm users isn't big. Third party conduit developers would have to rewrite some code, but it wouldn't be too big of a deal.

Bring back NewtonScript. (I haven't played with ObjC yet, but if I don't have to worry about creating and freeing memory for my structures then I might be able to make the switch to ObjC).

Hardy Macia
ex-Newton OS developer
current Palm OS developer
http://www.catamount.com
 
Here's an idea for the screen technology that should be addopted, check out http://www.eink.com

OBTW, I still have (and love love love) my Newton MP2k!!! Ah! Those were the days... I used to develop for the Newton. I worked for Wright Strategies, Inc. here in good old San Diego, CA. How I do miss that. Now I'm doing PalmOS and WinCE and it just seems like a step backward... But I digress.

Viva Newton!

-Eric
 
Originally posted by AdmiralAK
maybe I am watching too much "earth: final conflict" ... by the way, the "globals" they use are SO COOL :D I would want one of em if they were available :D
Click to expand...

I want one too! I think it might be possible if you could get a flexible screen that could roll up inside it. lol
 
Hmmmm I wonder how we could develop one....
Extended Physic, mechanical and chemistry knowledge is definatelly needed.
Any scientidt-by-profession here ?
 
Originally posted by VGZ


I think it might be possible if you could get a flexible screen that could roll up inside it. lol
Click to expand...

Seriously, just look at the link I posted above :) These guys have developed a thin-as-paper (almost) electronic ink screen that can be folded rolled or whatever. It will run for WEEKS on a standard 9-volt battery. The stuff they're doing is just unbelieveable!!!
 
It would be nice to have a striped down os x (like those pda's that run linux) that would run on a a 68k prossesor (like my graphing calculator :) ). Or maybe even a Dragonball prosseor so that it could also be compatibal with Palm OS (like classic is under os x).
 
This e ink stuff is AMAZING!
I took a look at the flash animatios....
WOW...

OK... we have our screen... now let think of the hardware, chips, ram, video cam, mic, speaker etc etc etc and of course the OS....


Lets get to work gentlement.


Admiral
--> lets start building the Global and make some dough:rolleyes: <--
 
Ok what kind of expansion slot would it use? Considering the size it would have to be SD or something in that size range.

Lets get started;). lol
 
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