On Thu, 13 Jan 2000, ben_d wrote:
> Read this and tell me there isn't still hope for the newton:
> http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/01/02/amiga2.html
There still isn't hope for the Newton. I don't think there's hope for the
Amiga either. But with the Newton, there are quite a few more
challenges. First of all of course is convincing Apple to sell it. THen
you also have to think about all the patents invovled, some of which Apple
owns, some of which they don't. Also, hardware. While it's not all that
difficult to put together your own desktop system - you realyl just need
to make a motehrboard, or you can even write an OS for other desktops -
it's a bit more challenging to produce a small portable. THe engineering
investment required is rather large. It would be something that only a
large company could do. Look at the first palm device. Cheap quality
molding, simple CPU design. THat was teh only way they could bring it to
market.
I would actually suggest that there is a much better alternative to
attempting to revive the Newton - and then update it so that it supports
what are now standard flash cards, among all sorts of other things.
Rewrite it. Most of the innovation on teh Newton came from the UI design
and from the concepts embodied in it. Take those same ideas and produce
another device that blows the Newton away. So much of the Newton's
architecture is so complex, and the people who truly understand the
innards are all ove rthe place now. I believe that the effort in bringing
the Newton forward to a current device in terms of increased hardware
support, Java, etc. etc. would be comparable to starting over using the
things learned by the Newton team as a framework. Better IP stack, higher
speed comms, synchronization, pre-emption at the NewtonScript level,
better support for porting C++ apps from other platforms, those are all
things that are really needed.
Just MHO, as a llong time Newtonite, still using an upgraded 2000. I'm
also a CS major.
gopi.
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