Re: [NTLK] Unfortunate problems with connectivity

From: Tyler Nichols (smilr_at_mac.com)
Date: Wed Jan 25 2006 - 10:30:54 PST


>Please excuse me if I am just being dense, but after weeks of trying,
>and $$ spent, I still have no idea how to connect my Newton 2100 to
>anything. I have been using Macs for many years now, and own many
>different models; Cube, 1400cs, iBook, Wallstreet, iMacG5, iMac DV,
>and a tang.Clamshell.
>I have posted on this before, and appreciate everyones willingness to
>help, but for some reason this is going right over my head. I have
>tried bootstrapping(no response at all from the modems) via link from
>here, irda on Wallstreet(connection closes immediately as no device
>in range), and I purchased a cable from J&K(one end hooks perfectly
>into the Newton, the other end fits into absolutely nothing I own-
>looks like a parallel serial cable with 5 holes on top/4 holes on
>bottom). Any continued help, once again is appreciated. I don't want
>this Newton to turn into the best organizer ever owned, what a
>disgrace that would be!
>darak
>--

I have no experience with the modem-to-modem bootstrapping method. As someone else has commented, what you have from JKSales is an IBM PC serial to Newton Interconnect cable. There exist DB-9 (pc serial - "D" shaped plug, what you have) to DIN-8 (mac serial - round plug, whats on your macs) adapters that would let you connect that cable to one of your macs.

If you manage to find a two-ended mac serial cable, (old mac serial printer cable is your best bet) you would need a "Dongle" anyway - a little black box that has a mac serial port on one side and a connector for the newtons Interconnect port on the other. If you don't have either this dongle or an SER-001 upgrade (puts a mac serial port directly into the newton itself) finding a mac-mac "null modem" serial cable like others hae suggested wouldn't help you.

Could you be more specific about how you tried to bootstrap using IrDA with the wallstreet? What settings did you use on the newton and on the laptop. What software were you trying to connect with on the mac? This IrDA system is how I bootstrapped my MP2100, and is the first thing I thought of when you mentioned you had the wallstreet laptop. Have you seen this webpage before?

http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/MacOS987Connection

For the IrDA connection I swear by Newton DIL Tester. If you haven't tried that on the Wallstreet I encourage you to give it a shot.

If all else fails you can ask about the card-loaner project here on newtontalk. I hope the card-loan offer is still good. Someone (or a group of persons) on this list had a standing offer where they would mail anyone a Linear Flash card with the necessary packages like NIE, TCPDock, Ethernet drivers etc., all the things one needs to bootstrap a newton, to a person so they could get themselves going if they didn't have any way of connecting the newton to another computer. Said person was obligated to return the card, but other than potential shipping costs I think the whole things was offered free. It's been awhile since I've heard about it, so details are fuzzy. If it's still available - you'd want to confirm the specifics with the persons involved.

-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
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