The dream would be complete if the "new Newton" could do speech recognition. Input is still a crucial problem.
p
Bill Davis wrote:
> On 6/6/00 2:29 PM, T.M. Camp [mailto:tmcamp@fusionary.com] wrote:
>
> >Talking with a friend earlier today, I came up with the following thought.
> >He used an eMate at work off and on for a few months, so he's familiar with
> >the Newton OS. To get ready for grad school, he bought a Visor this past
> >weekend and really likes it. The eMate couldn't persuade him to give up his
> >Franklin Planner, but the Visor has. We were discussing various features of
> >each and I came up with this...
> >
> >Newtons are the LPs of the PDA world. They're good, but their time is done.
> >Yet people hang on to them, and users seem to be fiercely loyal to them even
> >after they've bought something else.
> >
> >But the Palm is an 8-track or a cassette. It's a stopgap created by an
> >industry without a real innovation to fill the need. Sure they're
> >everywhere, but not for long. No one will miss it once the CD player shows
> >up.
> >
> >And I can't imagine what the DVD equivalent of a PDA will be.
> >
> >Just a thought,
> >
> >T.M.
>
> I can imagine:
>
> The DVD equivalent of a PDA (the 2100 is already the CD equivalent ;-)
> would be a slimmed down Newton 2100 (which with today's more improved PDA
> tech and newer battery tech COULD be made about the size of the present
> PALM units, only ALL SCREEN with only a slim bezel. The Palm IIIx units
> are almost exactly the same size as the 2100's screen...but with a LOT of
> wasted space for the bezel, hardware buttons, Graffiti writing area...get
> rid of all that junk and use it for the SCREEN!
>
> Add a color screen viewable in any light, with a good backlight like the
> Newton's (white, not green, though), add support for either PCMCIA or
> Compact Flash cards (2 or 3 of them; no less than 2). If you can use CF
> and get FOUR slots in, or a combo of 2 CF and 1 PCMCIA (with support for
> CF cards via existing PCMCIA to CF adapters), do it. Build in AirPort
> (WaveLAN/IEEE 802.11) networking (or just use a CF or PCMCIA card) and
> (again via CF or PCMCIA card) wireless wide-area Internet connectivity
> (like Palm VII). Also support USB or firewire and Ethernet (either
> built-in or thru a card). Keep Infrared. Lose the "dongle" thing the
> 2100's had ;-).
>
> Put it in a magnesium metal case for sturdiness, with rubber side grips
> (important! A Palm III is VERY slippery compared to a Newton's rubberized
> case). Put a scroll wheel and 2 or 3 user-programmable buttons on the
> sides like the WinCE machines and digital cameras.
>
> Make sure the IBM CF card hard disks work in it.
>
> Add an optional version of the cool detachable, foldable keyboard Palm
> and Targus just released (from ThinkOutside), and there you go.
>
> This should be doable TODAY...and would be, if Steve hadn't axed the
> Newton. Price: $400-$500 for the base unit (maybe without wireless or
> networking stuff; let the user decide what networking they need (Airport,
> Ether, wireless WAN, whatever) if any. It should have a built-in USB
> port at minimum. Get the base price down LOW.
>
> And then scale up the screen a bit and you have your Internet Applicance
> that everyone's going on about today (AOL, Thinknic, epod, netpliance
> i-opener, etc, etc,etc.). Basically the "slate" Newton that they were
> thinking about releasing.
>
> I agree and am thankful for most of what he did when he came back to
> Apple....but axing the Newton just when it had been pretty much perfected
> ('cept for synching) was one REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BIG MISTAKE.
>
> Of course, if they made something like the above, but instead running
> MacOS X.....perhaps even slate sized or hardcover book sized....sign me
> up! The Newton HWR engine (the printed one, not the cursive one they
> bought from Paragraph) originally ran (in some form) on the Mac - I've
> seen it at a World Wide Developers Conference in the early '90's (before
> the Newton came out, probably 91 or 92).
>
> - Bill
>
> _____________________________________________________________________
> \\ /, "Ink Different" at Info-Newt, the site for Newton PDAs
> `( Info-Newt Newton news & info web site: http://www.info-newt.com/
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>
>
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