< Because we can.
[...]
>Basically, it's fun getting all the stuff to work. I have a PowerBook
>and a desktop, but the Newton is a lot more fun and far more convenient to
>lug around.
[...]
:) I like the "because we can" element. There's something to that.
But also: I started out using my MP120 as a mini-laptop- the first thing I
registered ever was pt100 so I could dial up & telnet into my unix shell
and run pine, edit web pages, read news, etc. A lot of the power came
from it just being a way to get to a shell. Granted the MP130 was a lot
better for this due to the extra heap.
Since then, I've used my 2100 for lots more stuff. The Newton makes a
great portable: fax machine/ email send & receive/ light browser/ radio
player. Web pages are indeed slow to render but more than a few people on
the list use scheduled web downloads to grab a handful of web sites
automatically and read the morning news etc. on their commute (hopefully,
on a bus or subway! although there is at least one avid SpeakText person
who has posted :) ). This works really well from sites like wired.com among
others. And of course there's the utility of having all your contacts
(work and play) and email addresses etc. all in one spot for easy access
for said emailing/faxing. I've received 20 page faxes without a hitch.
I've also built my own dbases (I use NewtDB but the now free Filepad should
be fine) for work-related stuff that I use a lot- restriction enzyme
tables, that sort of thing- so I have all that in there as well. Plus a
list of wineries/varieties that I've liked, troubleshooting info useful for
Win and Mac computers, networking references, error message databases, port
mapping info, anything like that.
With wireless it's even more fun to use for portable email- it's on,
connected, checked email and done before a laptop would have even booted
up; heck even before a laptop might have woken from sleep, depending on
your laptop. I have a couple places that have access points that I visit
that make this very convenient; else I'd have to fire up my laptop or use
webmail from a workstation. Or just go withoutmail <gasp> :)
And the whole thing just clips on my belt, onto my briefcase, or slips
inside my jacket pocket, depending on where I'm going. Pretty handy little
thing.
But it depends on what your needs are, if the internet stuff works for
you...but for me the contact manager/datebook is only about 50% of my
Newton use (although it's sure nice to have automated reminders of
anniversaries/birthdays).
Brian
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