History of the Apple Newton 222
Sabah Arif writes "We've all heard of Apple's Newton, the portable handheld device under John Sculley's rule at Apple that debuted to big media attention and much fanfare but never managed to take a strong footing in the marketplace. The same handhel that went on to be 'Steve'd' when Mr. RDF killed the project after taking control of Apple. That's the extent of knowledge most of us have with regard to Apple's first handheld device. OS Opinion sheds light on the early days of the pocket Apple." From the article: "Apple in the late eighties had become stagnant. The Macintosh had become Apple's cash cow like the Apple II that had preceded it. To protect the Mac, Apple was hesitant to start or pursue any project that might compromise the company's revenues. Several people in the corporation were weary of this approach, and began to look at the future of computing. One of those people was Steve Sakoman."
Beat up Martin (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Beat up Martin (Score:3, Informative)
God, I'm such a nerd.
Re:Beat up Martin (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes... Mod Grandparent UP +1 Funny (Score:1)
Re:Nah... Mod Grandparent Down -1, Overrated (Score:2)
The newton I had was the original one with the original handwriting recognition. My hand writing is quite poor.
Still the newton was able to recognize my writing quite well.
I think the whole "newton handwriting sucks" concept is totally an urban legand. The newton didn't do %100 recognition therefore it sucked, and people (most of whom had never used one, or hadn't spent 10-15 minuts training a newton to read their handwriting)would spread this perception until it became another of the standard myths tha
Fiji (Score:2)
Graffiti for Newton (Score:2)
More history of tablets/handhelds at Apple (Score:3, Interesting)
Larry Yeager (Score:2)
Re:Larry Yeager (Score:2)
Re:Larry Yeager (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Larry Yeager (Score:2)
I wonder if Inkwell is still temporal rather than spatial...
Try writing TOASTER, but write the R first, then the O, and so on through ROSETTA.
The 2100 would recognize that as ROSETTA. I totally flummoxed one of the SQA guys on Rosetta by saving that as ink and showing him what the recognizer did with it.
(I think I used a different anagram, but the example serves.)
Re:Larry Yeager (Score:2)
Way ahead of its time (Score:5, Interesting)
Of course, we can all thank the Newton for paving the way to a lot of our mobile device concepts. Well, the Newton, and Star Trek.
Just goes to show.. (Score:2)
They were like a grand each, in '80s dollars.
Re:Just goes to show.. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Just goes to show.. (Score:2)
Re:Just goes to show.. (Score:2)
The newton cost $399 or $499. Not a grand...
They did actually catch on and was quite a business when it was shut down..
The didn't sell as well as the palm did years later, but then, the palm has never sold as well as a $5 pocket calculator. (And compared to the newton, the palm is a pocket calculator.)
Re:Way ahead of its time (Score:2)
Re:Way ahead of its time (Score:2)
So you're saying that if the Newton had been popular ("flourished") it would have been... Popular?
Flamebait/Troll mods in 5... 4... 3...
The newton did seem to have one very good use (Score:2)
Re:Way ahead of its time (Score:2)
Re:Way ahead of its time (Score:5, Insightful)
AFAIK, the Newton got discontinued because there was no demand for it. They weren't selling well, so Apple decided that it wouldn't make them anymore. Had it come around several years later, just as Palms, etc, were exploding into the market, the current tablet PC market would be a lot different.
I have an MP100, and it was ahead of it's time. It did a lot of things well (except HWR), and with a better processor HWR would've come along (and IAR Graffiti was available for the Newt).
Later I had a 2K with keyboard and modem for a review I was writing. It truly was a very usuable laptop replacement, I carried it to class in grad school. Unfortunately, the price killed it - I also had a PalmPilot, as an organizer it's size and lower cost made it a far better machine than the Newton. For whatever reason, Apple decided not to develop the Newt to it's true potential while Palm created a new market.
Re:Way ahead of its time (Score:2)
IIRC, the last generation of Newtons used the same processor (StrongARM @ ~200MHz or so) that was used in PocketPCs like 6 or 7 years later.
Re:Way ahead of its time (Score:2)
Not quite true. Prior to Jobs' return to Apple, the Newton was spun off into a subsidiary of Apple, Newton Inc. Jobs' first act was to reabsorb Newton and then kill the project. It's widely known that Jobs was displeased with the Newton, partly because it was a John Sculley initiative.
As a matter of fact, there was a fair bit of interest in the Newton t
Even Coral Link is down... (site can't get to DB) (Score:2)
Any other mirror links?
Defying Gravity (Score:5, Informative)
Sure wish I got one while they were around--a local store was giving away a copy free with every Newton 2100 back in the day.
Re:Defying Gravity (Score:2)
Re:Defying Gravity (Score:2)
I got it cheap, 'cause it has "Defying Graviity" on the cover. You'd think someone would have caught that before it went to the printer...
Though, granted, I owned it for years before I noticed it and realized why my copy had been so cheap.
Wikipedia (Score:1)
try wikipedia for information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton [wikipedia.org]
RDF (Score:3, Interesting)
Though, the Newton really was a failure. It did many things right, but it was too bulky and costly: the Palm Pilot was less sophisticated, but it really matched what consumers needed.
Re:RDF (Score:3, Funny)
So Jobs is a Jedi?
<waves hand>You will pay too much for this music player</waves hand>
I will pay too much for that music player.
Re:RDF (Score:3, Funny)
Does that make Bill Gates a Sith?
Hmmm. Lets see, the attributes of a Sith:
1. Ruthless. Check.
2. Almost unstoppably powerful. Check.
3. Desire to dominate all they see. Check.
4. "Always there are two, a Master and a Apprentice". Gates & 'Monkey-boy' Balmer, Check.
5. Has questionable personal hygene. (At least until he married Melinda) Check.
6. Routinely double-crosses 'partners'. Check.
7. Corrupts others with their dark power. Check.
Looks like a match so far, though I'm not co
Not really a failure. (Score:2)
Re:RDF-NeXT. (Score:2)
It took somebody who was capable of using a CLI yet still hated it to deliver something better to the masses. Sure, Xerox PARC thought of the GUI, but Jobs was the one who realized that it really was the future.
I don't think I would ever want have that jerk over for dinner, but last year when Steve Jobs had pancriatic cancer the first thought to enter my mind was, "ah fuck... If Jobs dies, all computers will gradually start to
Soothing the fears of infantile users (Score:2)
Re:Soothing the fears of infantile users (Score:2)
There are about a zillion things that can be done on a computer with a GUI that can't be done on the command line. And another zillion things that can be done way more easily.
Hardly a "zillion", but your point still stands. (Score:2)
Anyway, the existence of even one thing that the GUI does "better" still proves the point; that GUIs aren't useless.
Incidentally, my prior post was supposed have a link to Eben Moglen's interview here [cabinetmagazine.org] where he says "What I saw in the Xerox PARC technology was the caveman interface,
Re:Hardly a "zillion", but your point still stands (Score:2)
If I had a dollar for every time a technology professional had to stop and think for a while, then check an O'Reilly "nutshell" book or a man page, simply because he couldn't remember an obscure command in DOS or *sh that the situation called for, I would be far richer than Bill Gates.
CLI's are terrific if you've been using them full-time for ten years. For example, I like working in bash, and can ge
That's one way to look at it. (Score:2)
When humans start using language correctly, that will be possible. You're reinforcing Moglen's point; the GUI represents a "dumbing down" of interfaces which means abandoning the idea of "smartening up" the users. Instead of using computers in a way that enhances and evolves the human linguistic interface, we restrict the computer to a level that children have already surpassed.
Re:Hardly a "zillion", but your point still stands (Score:2)
The command line certainly has its place. There are things in which it is faster and less restrictive, as you've said; but there are plenty of counter-
A Wish for Newton Reborn as a Tablet (Score:3, Interesting)
Who knows if we'll ever see it though. It's not clear if there is a big enough market (I think there is but the products aren't good enough yet) and Steve Jobs just doesn't seem fond of the idea. But if anyone could really make it work, I think it would be Apple. Guess I have to keep dreaming...
Re:A Wish for Newton Reborn as a Tablet (Score:2)
Truth be told, I'm stunned that the Slashdot community hasn't gone wild over the concept. (I suspect that the main reason here is that MS is touting it, therefore everybody goes into cynic mode...)
The appeal of the TPC isn't the handwriting or all that malarky, it's that you can hold the unit and provide input to it while you're standing. In other words, you don't need a flat surface to use it like you do wit
Re:A Wish for Newton Reborn as a Tablet (Score:2)
Re:A Wish for Newton Reborn as a Tablet (Score:2)
a.) Actually, no. You can easily do case sensitive command line stuff with a TabletPC. It's not as fast as a keyboard, I'll grant you that.
b.) You have a very narrow view of what a Sysadmin does. He does not spend 100% of his time in a terminal window, especially if he's doing something like software inventory or verifying if a particular ethernet cable is working.
I'm talking experience here, not theory.
Re:A Wish for Newton Reborn as a Tablet (Score:2)
Write out "ip" and have the pop-up list show "addr dev route
Just a thought.
Re:A Wish for Newton Reborn as a Tablet (Score:2)
Still waiting for a successor . . . (Score:3, Interesting)
I had several Newtons - an MP 100, an MP 120, and finally an MP 2000 (that was later upgraded to an MP 2100). The technology improved dramatically over those generations, and I really would love to see what would have emerged had development continued.
Since the Newton, I've used Palm, PocketPC, and Sharp Zaurus PDAs, and have yet to find anything I consider a worthy successor to the Newton. The integration of all the applications was seamless, and the software was truly designed to be used on a PDA, not just scaled down from some desktop application.
The form factor was a little clunky - either a smaller pocket-sized device, or a full-size tablet would have been better in my opinion - but I'm still looking for an overall user experience that's comparable, and haven't found it.
what is the history of a fig newton?? (Score:2, Funny)
Re: fig newtons with apple flavor (Score:2)
mirror (Score:2)
The caption is wrong. (Score:4, Funny)
hawk
Re:The caption is wrong. (Score:2)
The Newton (especially the 2100 running Rosetta) can read my handwriting better than most humans.
Re:The caption is wrong. (Score:2)
Written by someone who remembers the initial Newtons.
hawk
Re:The caption is wrong. (Score:2)
I don't think the HWX was *ever* as bad as the press made it out to be.
That was an important lesson about expectations, though.
-Z
Surely you've heard this one. :-) (Score:3, Funny)
A: Faux! There to eat lemons, axe gravy soup.
Newton Puff Piece - precursor to announcement? (Score:2)
Re:Newton Puff Piece - precursor to announcement? (Score:2)
Buy an old Newt from evilBay or relent and buy a Plam.
Egg Freckles (Score:3, Interesting)
In the prototype MP 2000 units (code named "Q"), the first run or EVT units: Write "About Newton" and press Assist. In the DVT and production units it says "What about Newton?" followed by "What about xxx?" where xxx is the name of each developer who worked on the project (sequentially).
In the EVT units, instead of the developer names, it uses Larry, Moe, Curly, and Shemp.
Also, you gotta love the Area 51 Easter egg in the first 2.0 Newtons.
There was also a Solar Eclipse easter Egg, but I can't remember what OS version/models had it. (Possibly the MP100.)
I love the Newton.
Re:Egg Freckles (Score:2)
Article in full (Score:3, Informative)
Thomas Hormby submitted the following editorial to osOpinion/osViews, which gives us more in-depth knowledge about the Netwon project during its original development -- such as the fact that it could be said that the Netwon originated from a concept device Sculley called Knowledge Navigator."
--
Apple in the late eighties had become stagnant. The Macintosh had become Apple's cash cow like the Apple II that had preceded it. To protect the Mac, Apple was hesitant to start or pursue any project that might compromise the company's revenues. Several people in the corporation were weary of this approach, and began to look at the future of computing. One of those people was Steve Sakoman.
Steve Sakoman worked at Hewlett Packard before he came to Apple, where he helped develop the first HP notebook. When he joined Apple he was happy that he 'was not going to make DOS clones for the rest of my life.' Steve had joined Apple to work on the MacPhone, a collaboration between Apple and AT&T.
After the project was canceled, he saw that Apple was not willing to take the same risks it had with the original Macintosh or even the Macintosh II. He went to Apple's director of new products, Jean Louis Gass'e, and threatened to quit unless he was allowed to create the 'future Macintosh', a computer that would be as influential on the computer industry as the original Macintosh was. Gass'e sympathized with him, and gave him permission to begin an independent research group
While Sakoman was at Hewlett Packard, he saw several 'hand entry computers that did not use keyboards. He was intrigued with the idea of scrapping the keyboard. The fact that most computers used a QWERTY keyboard was a mere fluke, he thought. Steve thought that a more natural method of input would take hold, like handwriting or speech.
Sakoman set to work immediately, getting his brand new research group off the ground. He recruited developers from around the company, including some original Macintosh developers. Like the original Macintosh and their off-site office, Texaco Tower, the new team moved to a converted warehouse on Bubb Road. Steve named the team 'Newton'. He did so because Sir'Isaac Newton was featured prominently in Apple's original logo and because he had prompted so many changes in the way people viewed the world.
At the time of the Macintosh II introduction, John Sculley had a video produced featuring his Knowledge Navigator device. He envisioned a tablet style device that would fold out to reveal a large color LCD display. The software would interpret the users commands via a humanoid assistant. The device could recognize voice commands, and interpret handwriting commands. Prescient of the internet, Sculley would have the device be able to communicate fluently with similar devices and servers around the world.
The Knowledge Navigator never went any further than the video, but John Sculley hoped that the technologies he had envisioned in the device would find life in other Apple projects. He thought that the Newton would be able fulfill his vision, and became one of its most vocal proponents.
The research group first found out what they wanted in a computer, and created a prototype design. Without any marketing staff, the team came up with a very advanced, very expensive device. The new machine was to be based on two AT&T Hobbit processors (a design that was very easy to program for) and would be about the size as an A4 sheet of paper, and feature a large, LCD, grayscale display. The true star of the new computer would be its software. The engineers wanted full handwriting recognition that
Natural schmatural already (Score:2)
Natural != the best in every situation.
Replacement for keyboards (Score:5, Insightful)
He was intrigued with the idea of scrapping the keyboard. The fact that most computers used a QWERTY keyboard was a mere fluke, he thought. Steve thought that a more natural method of input would take hold, like handwriting or speech.
Handwriting: vastly slower than typing, even for crummy typists like me.
Speech: unusable except in private.
Does anyone see anything replacing keyboards anytime soon?
Re:Replacement for keyboards (Score:4, Funny)
Datajack.
Re:Replacement for keyboards (Score:2)
Monkeys...or pidgeons. Chances are, they'll have a far less tenuous grasp on the written word than do the youth of today. Not to mention the fact that they'll work for next to nothing...
Re:Replacement for keyboards (Score:2)
Or more accurately, creating an interface for a computer that can read your brainwaves so you can just think about what you want it to do. Probably 50-100 years off at least, but there are basics being done now (moving a cursor around a screen, etc).
I think speech recognition will be used much more once we start getting more travel-friendly displays (e.g. beaming a display into your eyes from a pair of glasses or nearby low-powered laser). How often have I been driving and thought, "If only I co
"read your brainwaves so you can just think about" (Score:2)
I regret to inform you that communication and control in the average human being is so full of "uh uh"s and "ya kno"s in thought as well as in speech that trying to use one would be far more exhausting that just typing the [expletve deleted]words in. (Just eavesdrop in on to the average conversation. Phew!)
Not everybody has mush for brains but since the name of the game is that technology should make us more productive, I think that direct control is ou
Re:"read your brainwaves so you can just think abo (Score:2)
Re:Replacement for keyboards (Score:2)
Keyboards may be the fastest, but they only work if you have a flat surface to lay the input device on. For mobile applications, you have two options:
1.) Thumb board.
2.) Stylus and handwriting recog OR an OSK
The thumb board is not a keyboard, but faster than text input. However, it eats up badly needed space.
The stylus interface is probably the slowest UI for typing/writing, but it also works like a mouse, which is much faste
Faster than handwriting - Graffiti. (Score:2)
1.) Thumb board.
2.) Stylus and handwriting recog OR an OSK
You have 3 options:
1. Thumboard.
2. Stylus and HWR.
3. Stylus and a learned interface.
Graffiti and the Pocket PC's Block Recogniser are not handwriting recognition. They're more like stenographer's shorthand, albeit less advanced. They're not as fast as a thumb-board, but they don't require the break between text input and positional input that a stylus or a mouse gives you.
Unfortunately Palm has abandoned Graffiti and replace
Re:Replacement for keyboards (Score:2)
When I was around 10 years old my handwriting sucked, and the teachers (and consequently my parents) were always on my case about it. My excuse was that I wouldn't need to write, I was going to be a solicitor[1] and they don't need to have neat writing, they have secretaries. I don't think it occurrred to most people that everyone would have a computer on his desk and do his own typing. The first year I worked with 'puters I almost forgot how to write, I did it so infrequent
Outliner (Score:2, Interesting)
The hosting company carries its name well... (Score:3, Funny)
still in use (Score:3, Interesting)
Apple has a contract to supply Disney with them until 2010.
Re:still in use (Score:2)
I used to wonder about a Newton/Squeak combo from Disney--kid game machine, edutainment device, Disneyworld guide, etc. This was like 6 years ago, though.
But they stole it! (Score:2)
Everybody knows the Newton was really the work of DEC [elook.org], who were the true innovators with their Leibnitz line of handhelds.
The Leibnitz never caught on, due to the unique marketing approach that was synonymous with Digital.
Mmmm (Score:2)
Say what you will... (Score:2)
Re:Say what you will... (Score:2)
Only partly correct. The Newton designers made a fundamental design commitment to true handwriting recognition, and although they did a phenomenal job, they never could get it to work just right. Palm ate their lunch not on form factor, applications, price, or battery life, but on Graffiti. Hawkins simplified the Newton to a few very, very basic things that (a) wor
eMate 300 (Score:2)
too early to be good (Score:2)
these days pda's are a lot better served especially with the rise in wireless networking.
to give an example the mdaIII is a pda phone with built in wireless now for my money gprs is expensive but with wireless built in it just takes finding a wireless hotspot and all of a sudden you have cheap calls and full net access
with skype for pocket pc you can call all over for 2p a minute (more for mobile calls) it will play mp3's streaming media
New idea (Score:2)
Still using my Newton 120 to this day... (Score:3, Insightful)
I've used Palms and PocketPC's, but go back to the Newton for it's simple and elegant interface, which makes we actually want to use it, and keep my calendar and contacts up to date.
Although the HWR gets all the attention whenever someone writes about the Newton, the one aspect I would have loved to see advanced and developed was the Assist button. Tap on it, enter something like "Have lunch with Bob on Tuesday", and it will search your contact list, automatically create a meeting on Tuesday for you.
Re:Still using my Newton 120 to this day... (Score:2)
I found that cursive writing (neatly) increased the accuracy for me, along with making sure I used the suguestions all the time. It really did get better. The problem with mine was that it was stolen. The cops recovered it, but it had been wiped clean (and the protective case was damaged - the stupid jerk removed the metal LCD protection). Too bad, it had the best vehicle expense application I've ever used.
Why the Apple Newton Failed (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Why the Apple Newton Failed (Score:2)
Apple UK's Newton division realised this. One of their favorite standard demos was an app that I wrote for Cannon, an interactive sales guide for colour photocopiers. The key to the app was it didn't use any handwriting; all interaction was just tapping. It really sold on what such machines are good at.
Tapping on things was really what the Newton and all other well
Re:Why the Apple Newton Failed (Score:2)
Palm swooped in with mediocre software by comparison, but their device was cheap and small. And they soundly kicked apple's ass.
Even if the newton's handwriting recognition were perfect, it was still too large and too expensive.
Hunter-Warrior (Score:2)
I may have mentioned this in a previous article about the Newton, but it was used to coordinate battlefield information during a Marine Corps war fighting experiment called Hunter-Warrior, which was part of a program called Operation Sea Dragon.
Taken from This desription: [globalsecurity.org]
Newton and the "PDA" acronym (Score:2)
I remember thinking at the time that Personal Digital Assistant was one of the worst buzzwords ever, even though the Newton itself was kinda cool. It's funny how the machine faded away, but the acronym stuck.
Visio-like graphics (Score:2)
Finally, plug the MP into your HP Laserjet 4M and print it out (without loading up drivers). Try that on your Palm/WinCE device.
Ursine Wiki has a good Newton section (Score:2)
Re:I no know (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Slashdot (Score:2)
Yet, still interesting enough to post a comment in. I wouldn't mind, but more comments means more apparent interest in these stories.
Re:Slashdot (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Had Newton and no Personal Computer (Score:3, Funny)
I'm not sure you're making such a good case for this book...
Re:uh oh... (Score:2)
http://npds.free.fr/ [npds.free.fr]
Smart Sketching (was Re:The Newton made ARM) (Score:2)
A really flexible vector drawing and note-taking program is still one of the areas in which Microsoft's Tablet PC is way behind (PhatWare's PhatPad is the closest thing, and it's almost as good as Ne
Re:There's Still Active Development! (Score:2)
Plus Newton books [newtonslibrary.org] continue to get released.
Re:A work of art. (Score:2)
Re:A work of art. (Score:2)