Emulate Nintendo on Your MessagePad 217
Green and Geeky writes "That Marvel of a PDA, the Newton MessagePad, has always been a good product. It does a lot of things: plays MP3s, connects to the Internet wirelessly, can be used to bludgeon someone, fits in your pocket (if you're a giant), etc. Now, it plays Nintendo games. Strange, yes, but still pretty cool. I can't play Legend Zelda, Final Fantasy, or Dragon Warrior on my Palm V." And I don't need to waste money on a Game Boy Advance!
Bandwidth Fun (Score:5, Funny)
Well, it was nice knowing you.
Re:Bandwidth Fun (Score:5, Insightful)
Would it really be such a pain for pudge/whoever to setup a little mirror before slashdotting the fuck out of the poor guy?
That said, it seems like a good project... maybe I'll buy my friend Dr Mark a Newton now -- he never had a NES.
"Eat up Martha"
Re:Bandwidth Fun (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Bandwidth Fun (Score:2, Funny)
They don't profit from it, and they don't have to pay for the advertising.
Seems like quite the synergy to me!
Anyone figured out how to... (Score:5, Interesting)
The iPaq's with ARM chips are basically a Newton with a color screen and more memory. Then we really wouldn't need a GBA.
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:4, Interesting)
What I want is a little handheld computer that runs Mac OS 6. It wouldn't be that hard to do and you have a literal ocean of abandonware out there you could use with such a device.
A Compact Mac in the Palm of your hand... (Score:5, Informative)
Here you go. [palmone.com] PalmOS up to version 5.x is basically the equivalent of MacOS 6 before the Multi-Finder. It's no accident...the people who wrote the PalmOS were former MacOS developers. A Palm, to me, feels like a Compact Mac [lowendmac.com] shrunk down to a handheld size and weight.
Now if only I could make my m125 chime when I turn it on and make the generic Mac system beep when it encounters an error...
Re:A Compact Mac in the Palm of your hand... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:A Compact Mac in the Palm of your hand... (Score:3, Informative)
Just in case you wanted to know.
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:2)
Not to mention a PDA *already* runs Basilisk 2 http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus/showdetail.php?app=6 15
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:4, Informative)
Merry Christmas [killefiz.de]
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:4, Informative)
The kernel makes extensive use of the ARM 610's MMU (especially its domain and sub-page-granularity protection features), so porting the OS to another platform would be quite exciting, but the application (Newtonscript) world is pretty isolated from the wacky stuff going on the OS. You could probably fake-out a fair amount of the OS and the apps would run.
Here's a reference [nec.com] to a paper on the Newton OS that we presented at CompCon in 1994.
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:3, Funny)
The iPaq's with ARM chips are basically a Newton with a color screen and more memory. Then we really wouldn't need a GBA."
Well, you wouldn't need a GBA or anything related to it in this instance anyway - the article is about a NES emulator.
Why do this? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Anyone figured out how to... (Score:3, Funny)
A small handful of people who are willing to go with inadequate controls rejoice!!
Here it comes (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Here it comes (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Here it comes (Score:3, Interesting)
I doubt it. Emulators are not illegal. ROMs are not illegal. Illegal is when you use an emulator to play a ROM you're not licensed to have. I don't even think the DMCA would be involved here unless somebody bypassed a protection scheme to get the ROM uploaded. That, however, is up to the original infringer, not the guy who makes it available for download.
Re:Here it comes (Score:2)
Re:Here it comes (Score:2)
Amazing (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Amazing (Score:1)
Re:Amazing (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
Re:Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Surf safely. Don't Slashdot and Surf
Re:Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
[If you don't recognize the reference, it was slashdot before slashdot]
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
Re:Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
I've been playing lots of nes recently. It's too much of a PITA to reach behind the tv to toggle the manual RF switcher for my atari or intellivision.
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
Re:Amazing (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
I'm really gutted now, the NES went the way of my Star Wars toys, marbles, Lego, Amiga 500, Atari ST...parents sold them at boot sales and such when I "outgrew" them...
Nintendo games? bah.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Nintendo games? bah.. (Score:1, Troll)
Re:Nintendo games? bah.. (Score:2)
Why would you need a NES emulator? Just play Gameboy Advance games. They're 100 times better than the NES games, AND it'd be in color.
Re:Nintendo games? bah.. (Score:2)
Re:Nintendo games? bah.. (Score:2, Informative)
other better gamepads (Score:2)
The Genesis pads were quite nice. I never did get the hang of the Playstation pads with their plethora of equally sized buttons, although they are pretty comfortable and they did come up with the dual analog stick paradigm. The N64 pads would have been nice if they didn't
Portability is a bit of a pain... (Score:5, Interesting)
It's useful when allied with a briefcase. I can't see it really as a games platform (on the other hand, my phone plays Doom quite well, (Nokia 9000
Simon
Re:Portability is a bit of a pain... (Score:2)
MIRROR (Score:5, Informative)
Re:MIRROR (Score:4, Informative)
Re:MIRROR (Score:3, Funny)
Google Cache Version (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Google Cache Version (Score:3, Insightful)
slashdotted in 3...2...1
Re:Google Cache Version (Score:3, Insightful)
All an irate webmaster would have to do is say that Slashdot essentially copied his page (cache or no) and benefitted from it for their own subscribers. Smells like a lawsuit. Now you know why Slashdot doesn't cache.
I understand the reasoning for "playing it safe", but the slashdot effect is nothing to be taken lightly. It's really an "unintended" DDoS. Someday Slashdot is going to get sued because of it, and I'll be glad, because only then will we actually get some sort of mirror or cache links. The
Re:Google Cache Version (Score:2)
Obviously my plan has a bunch
Newton's still the best. (Score:5, Informative)
And did you know you can sync your Newton with iTunes [pixell.net] wirelessly? Even the latest iPod can't do that.
Apple got everything right with the Newton except the size. What a foolish mistake they made cancelling it as a product instead of redesigning it in a slightly smaller form factor.
Re:Newton's still the best. (Score:1)
Plus, my Newton can't get lost in my coat pocket. I always know where it is.
"Best"? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, I have a MP2100 and the famous Simpson's reference was not far from the truth at all. You had to be exceptionally careful with your handwriting, and still often had to correct it. It would misinterpret taps, and it was impossible to correct letters out of order(say, you forgot to cross your t- out of order scribbling got me 90% of the time).
Graffiti is not a "kludgy hack", its a system that is designed to quickly and accurately enter data, which is what a PDA needs; my Handspring was much better for most of the typical PDA usage- entering phone numbers or appointment times. Sure the Newton's natural system is faster for writing large amounts of text(assuming you have perfect handwriting) but people just didn't(and still don't) use PDAs for that sort of thing. They use- gasp- notebooks(and I don't mean the electronic kind)
Best! (Score:5, Insightful)
I think it's a conceptual problem, really. The Newton attempted to recognize all handwriting, and thus many users blamed the Newton when it couldn't decipher their illegible script. It was Apple's fault, not theirs.
But the Palms didn't even pretend that they'd recognize your handwriting. They simply forced users to learn a new way to write. If Graffiti failed to recognize what you wrote, well, then you must not be doing it right. So people blamed themselves instead of the device.
my Handspring was much better for most of the typical PDA usage- entering phone numbers or appointment times
I think entering phone numbers and appointment times became "typical PDA usage" because that's all you could conveniently do with Graffiti. That's my experience anyway, YMMV.
Sure the Newton's natural system is faster for writing large amounts of text(assuming you have perfect handwriting) but people just didn't(and still don't) use PDAs for that sort of thing.
I'd say that there's an amount of text between the size of a phone number and a "large amount of text" which is what the Newton was really designed for. Short notes, quick e-mails, reminders, that sort of thing. And lots of people have been very successful using it for just that.
Again, whatever works for you, works for you. But I personally really liked what the Newton did, and would've loved to see what a 2004 Newton OS and handheld would be like.
Re:"Best"? (Score:3, Informative)
1. Tap and hold next to the word until the pointer turn into a large dot. Then drag over the word to select it.
2a. Rewrite the word. or,
2b. Double in the selected word and select the correct word out of the list, or click the keyboard button to enter it with the on-screen keyboard, or click the underlined a and just rewrite the incorrect letter.
Let's see, that's 3 ways to do it. You claim there are none. Do yourself a favour and
Idiotic (Score:2)
Size was part of the functionality (Score:3, Insightful)
Such tiny modern screens make it pain in the butt to use. Sure it fits in a shirt pocket ( though the newt fits in a SUIT pocket.. its inital target market ) but still...
Re:Size was part of the functionality (Score:2)
To be honest, I think that if Apple had responded to the market by making a smaller Newton, they would've seen a huge rebound in market share, and the Newton would still be around today. Even if they'd had to make the mini-Newt less functional, it would've kept the Newton brand alive until electronics became small enoug
Re:Newton's still the best. (Score:2, Interesting)
True story - I was a Newton developer back in the day, and while on a business trip to the west coast, I damaged my Newt (cracked the screen by dropping it against the corner of a marble table) just before a client presentation. I called the folks in Cupertino and they very graciously agreed to take a look at it. I drove down ri
Re:Newton's still the best. (Score:2)
It sounds like they might have continued work on the Newton Cadillac [uzes.net] concept, as well as extending Newton Intelligence into other devices.
Wouldn't it have been great if they had been allowed to try?
Insanely great.
Re:Newton's still the best. (Score:2)
Ahh, one can dream....
Windows CE (Score:5, Informative)
While this may be news for this specific platform and OS, emulating NES is very old hat when it comes to the world of PDAs in general.
Dan East
Re:Windows CE (Score:2, Interesting)
Pocket Nester (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Windows CE (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Windows CE (Score:2)
I miss my Newt. (Score:5, Interesting)
It was nice to carry virtually all my computing needs in a "daytimer" sized case. People bitch about the Newt's size, but compared to a circa-97 brick of a 7lb laptop? Is was VERY small.
To date the NewtOS was pobably the most elegant OS ever created... and I've run them all. The only thing it didn't do well, at least until now, was gaming. I played a lot of NewTRIS, and I seem to recall a snood, or snood-like game too but Newtgaming was limited to puzzles or very simple action games (like a sub depth-charging thing that I can't recall the name of)
I might have to charge it back up now and play some old NES game. =) Nice to see the Newt still breathing.
Gameboy for Palm OS (Score:5, Informative)
Um, actually you can. Gambit Studios [gambitstudios.com] has had a gameboy emulator out for the palm os for quite some time. Some of the older palms are a little sluggish, but it works.
Re:Gameboy for Palm OS (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Gameboy for Palm OS (Score:2)
Re:Gameboy for Palm OS (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe you should watch a little closer the next time she plays it.
Re:Gameboy for Palm OS (Score:2)
Re:Gameboy for Palm OS (Score:2)
Hate to break it to you, but that doesn't help. Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Warrior were all NES games. A Game Boy emulator does nothing to help you play those.
actually u can play Zelda, FF & DW on Palm... (Score:2)
"Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Warrior were all NES games. A Game Boy emulator does nothing to help you play those."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Nintendo made Final Fantasy Adventure [amazon.com], Final Fantasy Legend [amazon.com], Final Fantasy Legend 2 [amazon.com], Final Fantasy Legend 3 [amazon.com], Legend of Zelda [amazon.com], Dragon Warrior I & II [amazon.com], and Dragon Warrior III [amazon.com] all for the Gameboy & Gameboy Color.
So yes, actually you can play Legend of Zel
Re:actually u can play Zelda, FF & DW on Palm. (Score:2)
As you appear to be incapable of reading, let me point something out to you.
Final Fantasy Adventure != Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy Legend (I, II, III) != Final Fantasy
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening != Legend of Zelda. (Though it is, IMHO, a much better game)
The Dragon Warrior remakes I'd forgotten about, but claiming that the above games are the classic NES games instead of later Game Boy games makes me wonder if you've ever played any of the above.
(Its also worth noting that Final Fantasy Adven
Eulogy for the Newton (Score:5, Insightful)
Now, even though we have machines who's hardware is more than equal to the old newton, none have its ease of use, utility or ease of development enjoyed by the Newton. It's utility as an everyday computer in the modern age is a testament to Apple's software engineers, who Got It Right the first time out, and a condemnation of Palm, Microsoft, Symbian and Sharp, who still can't approach it so many years after its demise.
SoupIsGood Food
Re:Eulogy for the Newton (Score:2)
You can roll it up into one meta-deficiency: the Newton didn't make a good PDA. From comments I'm reading here, it makes a heck of a compact mini-laptop. But that's not how it was sold.
The reason the Palm took off big-time is that the Palm made a great PDA. The size was perfect, the handwriting recognition was solid, and the price was reasonable ($300 at introduction). The Palm doesn't work as wel
Re:Eulogy for the Newton (Score:3, Informative)
The price issue wasn't a killer, either, because the eBook was in the $800 range, and shrinking the package down to Palm (or even Psion) size would have halved the price (no keyboard or large touch screen.) The guts weren't too far different from the Psion, which was in a nice price point.
The Palm was not a step forward, and the fac
Re:Eulogy for the Newton (Score:2)
But an $800 price point was (and still is, I'd say) too high for a PDA. And that was the eBook, not even the Newton proper. The Palm, at introduction, was $300; at that price it sold like hotcakes.
If Apple had shrunk the Newton down and cut the price a lot it indeed might have made a better PDA, but that never happened.
The Palm was no
1997 Technology? (Score:5, Informative)
The Newton browses the internet wirelessly via Airport (a.k.a. Wi-Fi or 802.11);
http://www.ff.iij4u.or.jp/~ngc/eng/newtwave.htm
syncs with nSync (OS X)
http://www.everchanging.com/newton/
syncs your MP3 collection with iTunes
http://www.pixell.net/newton/
runs a Java Virtual Machine (waba)
http://cs.gmu.edu/~sean/projects/newton/waba/
there's been a VNC client since... ever
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/saweyer/newton/vnc.
A processor accelerator is available
http://shop.pixsolution.com/catalog/product_info.
Apple was one of the original investors in the ARM technology, from way back before Intel ever dreamt of buying it. The Newton runs a RISC StrongARM at 162 Mhz (compare to a 2003/Tungsten T2 running OMAP/ARM at 140 Mhz !!!)
If anything, the major weakness of the system is its limited memory heap, but we are talking about a 1997 design here.
Can you say... Apple ahead of its time?
Re:1997 Technology? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:1997 Technology? (Score:2)
Yes, but I'd be willing to bet that a OMAP at 140MHz is still faster than a StrongARM at 162MHz, due to architectural differences. Don't believe the megahurtz madness!
Re:1997 Technology? (Score:2)
Gatta hand it to 'em... (Score:5, Interesting)
My Newton (Score:4, Interesting)
I have been following the NES emulator and have been using it since version 0.12. Right now several people are working on getting a NES controler working on the newton so we can play with a contoler.
I wonder how many people are going to be storming the J&K Sales store to buy a newton now...
Am I missing something? (Score:2, Informative)
A quick google-search for palm nintendo emulator [google.com] turns up this [palminfocenter.com] as the first result...
Newton Revival (Score:5, Insightful)
Wasted moolah (Score:2, Funny)
Or on a Palm V! I have a spiral notepad and a pencil stuck through the wire. The nub on the end of the wooden stylus acts as a special deleting function, and text is automatically saved into the new-age graphite-wood memory system. Guaranteed never to crash.
Re:Emulate Nintendo on Your MessagePad (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Hmph (Score:2)
Re:Still another example... (Score:2, Interesting)
That's more a testament to the fans than to the engineering of the product. No doubt Apple is an innovative company, but when you choose the underdog, you fight harder for it.
Re:Still another example... (Score:2)
Why is this flamebait? I just complimented the users here.