[NTLK] Newton MessagePad 120 Question

[Dan]

Hey Todd,
Great to hear, and welcome aboard!  But I would like to point out the 120s have 1.3 or 2.0 Newton OS depending.  The later ones have 2.0, most are 1.3  You can't upgrade them though, well technically you can but you need a chip and soldering to do it.  Usually it is easier to find another unit if you really want to update it.  But there is a lot of good software for 1.3 if that is what you have.

There is a ton of software over at UNNA http://www.unna.org/  But you need to check and make sure what OS you have.  Most 1.3 software will work on 2.0 but not the other way around.  Of course it won't break anything if you do try to install 2.0 software on 1.3.

I don't own a Mac so I can't give you advice there, but I'm sure many of the others on the list will.

One thing you might want to do first is get the latest system update (again need to find out what version of the OS you have) and install that.  When all power is removed (including the button battery) they forget any system updates.  Unlike a 2x00 model, which never forgets them.

-Dan

On 3/11/2021 11:49 PM, Todd Allen wrote:
> Hi my name is Todd Naber-
>  I have a Newton 120 that runs the v. 1.0 software. I'm a Mac Diehard and
> have owned almost every model of beige Mac, however since times have
> changed the oldest machine I still have is a White Mid 2010 White Macbook
> running Mac OS 10.13.6 (High Sierra). I've never hooked up my Newton (I
> don't have a ADB Cable (I do have a KeySpan ADB to USB Adapter) to a Mac.
>  I rescued the Newton 120 from work- it was discovered in the back of a
> locked filing cabinet and I was in the right place at the time. It was set
> by the door to go to the shredders and they were all to happy to let me
> have it. I also acquired some Newton PCMCIA Cards and have read a few
> online manuals to get it to work- but its mainly been a novelty piece for
> me.
>  I do have a 4mb 'Lending Library' Card and some documentation from Eckhart
> Köeppen as well as the Original Newton 120 Book. I also just replaced the
> 2032 Button Battery... so everything works.
>  Thanks for reading my banter- if you have any info or apps you can offer
> me, that would be great!
> Take Care,
> Todd Naber
> applguy at gmail.com