Re: [NTLK] might give up on newton

Frank,

> newton software developers should make a full unlocked
> version before they leave the creation for dead. i
> didnt know what i was getting in to when i bought my
> newton. i like the hardware but the lack of software
> makes it almost worthless cause of all of the
> deadware.

I think the 'deadware' tag is a little pejorative considering what's
involved in actually doing Newton software development. There is no
way to make a business writing Newton software, one can only
realistically do it with a Mac OS9 machine (and preferably one with a
serial port), the learning curve is pretty steep and it requires a
lot of commitment. Simon Bell and others who persevere with
developing for the Newton are heroic in their efforts.

A lot of the online things you would like to see would have a heavy
reliance on things that are not in the system itself and so are very
hard for developers, who have no access to the internal workings of
the Newt, to write. Even if they did, it would be massive undertaking
for no financial gain.

I think it's a matter of expectations. I have no wish to have my
Newton on the network or online and it still does for me what it has
done for 13 years - allow me to take structured notes in real-time,
carry masses of data around with me, manage my appointments and my
address book, act as my scientific calculator, database, spreadsheet,
word processor and do sketching tasks while I am (very happily) away
from the PowerBook.

Being offline makes it incorruptible, inaccessible, private and
secure. It is far more stable and respectful of may data than any
other computing device I have ever used, and by a big margin.

If Apple had done more fundamental improvements than just change the
colour of the buttons on its Mac interface in the last 20 years there
would be a bigger disparity between the Mac (& Win) and the Newton
than there actually is.

The Newton is what it is and it's easier to appreciate it on that
basis that fret that it cannot be what one would want it to be, and
likely never will be. It's far better to get the kit that does the
specific job you need to be done. All-in-one solutions tend not to be
successful ones but perhaps the iTouch platform will slowly evolve to
handle more of the things Newton owners would like them to do.
Perhaps it will even take over from the Mac one day.

Incidentally, my Newton software is still available and still
supported despite it making only a tiny annual revenue. Feel free to
browse at http://www.inventors-emporium.co.uk

Joel.

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Received on Tue May 13 05:53:46 2008