From: Russell Martin (abecedarian_at_mac.com)
Date: Fri Oct 03 2003 - 06:22:51 PDT
Since there's been a discussion of the Tungsten T3 on the list. I
decided to pipe up and give my 2¢. I bought one last night to replace
my Palm Vx, and to somewhat replace my lament that there is (was) no
Newton worthy successor on the market to date.
Before I start extolling the virtues of the Tungsten T3, let me explain
my relationship with the Newton. I bought my 1st Newton (a 120) at a
labor day yard sale for $60 in 1997. The guy who sold it to me,
included a kb, a leather carrying case with an external battery pack,
the original users manual, etc. He had deciced to replace it with a
Palm. (I later decided it was either hot, or he was crazy, but that's
another story.) I was thrilled. I'd wanted a Newton since they had been
released in 1994 but, could never feel that I could pay $500 for one. I
proudly carried my 120 for about a year and a half, until it's internal
memory developed a problem. I used it constantly and loved it. I
started learning enough about Newtons, that what I really wanted was a
2100- but at the time, they were like $1000- far more than my garage
sale score of a 120 for $60. I was very saddened when it became
apparent that the 120 was really broken. For a while, I constantly
backed it up on the 2MB memory card I'd purchased off of ebay, and I
was constantly brain wiping it and restoring it. I limped by on this
method, until it wouldn't go more than about 2 hours without needing a
brain wipe.
Now, that I was PDA addicted, and the death of the Newton was imminent.
I believe it had already been "Steved" at this point. I started looking
for alternatives. I had a serious anti-palm vendetta, and this was in
the days when Palms cost like $300 for the Palm III. I'd played with
Windows CE devices and Palms, and they both seemed way over priced for
something that didn't do even 1/3 of what my Newton had done.
My 1st non Newton PDA was a TI Avigo. I settled on it, only because
Office Max was blowing them out for $88 and I could afford it at the
time. I was really disappointed with it. I mean, I know it sounds
corny, but I was down right depressed that this was what I was left
with as a PDA. But, I used it for almost a year. When I bought it, I
didn't realize that I was getting it for under a $100 because TI had
given up in the PDA market. I should have, and I should have also
realized why. Other than a few interesting features, like the T-9 text
entry system, and an included DB app, the TI was a bad Palm rip-off
(like how the Palm was kind of a bad Newton rip-off with a much better
form factor).
Within a year, I was able to buy a Palm Professional or some such model
for like $150. I remember breathing a sigh of relief when I got the
Palm Pro, but it was a mixed emotion. Suddenly, I was compatible with
nearly every other PDA carrier I met, and there were some well thought
out features in the OS, but everything also felt like a very scaled
back, over simplified version of the Newton. The Memo pad (if I
remember correctly) was my biggest disappointment.
I held onto the 120 for sentimental reasons (I still have it) and
occasionally pulled it out of the drawer and played with it, mostly to
torture myself at what I was missing and somewhat to see if magically
the internal memory problem had fixed itself. To this day, it has the
memory problem.
Since then, I've had a Palm III (yeah infrared- something the Newton
had from day 1), a Palm V (employer provided- I knew things were
changing the day I was handed a Palm V for work purposes), a Palm IIIe
Special Edition (translucent case! sucky OS, again what I could afford
when I changed jobs and had to turn in the Palm V), and a Palm Vx (this
is what's being retired by the T3).
And...oh my god...a Newton 2100. Yep, I bought one last year when a
friend pointed out to me that J&R had them for sub $200. I couldn't
fucking believe it. I had to order one. This was what had been missing
in my life- a 2100 that didn't cost $1000. I opted to get one of the
slightly worn units for $170. When it arrived, I was elated. Couldn't
believe I'd finally gotten my hands on a real PDA. The PDA. I plugged
it in. It worked. I tried the HWR- oh yeah, this was gonna be sweet. I
recorded voice memos. I let my kids record voice memos- no Palm did
this. I'd seen some really horrid flip lid contraptions that cost
nearly as much as the palms themselves, but they weren't a part of the
Palm. I grabbed the 2MB memory card out of the 120. Did a restore. All
my old data was there, plus my added programs. I was totally elated.
Until I turned on the 120- then I noticed something. The 2100 had a
horrible screen contrast. I compared it to the 120. The 120 was much
better. I compared it to the Vx- in comparison the 2100 out and out
sucked. Then I started to notice just how big and bulky it was. But I
told myself I didn't care- this was a 2100 goddamnit- I finally got one
and I was going to enjoy this.
I started to sink time and money into it. I was grabbing sw off the
net. I figured out how to transfer my Palm data to it. And, I bought
screen protectors 'cause there was no way I was gonna scratch this
screen. The screen protector made the visibility unbearable, and lasted
only a week. I bought several "purses" so I could have my 2100 as my
constant companion like my Vx had been. I tried a vertically oriented
black camera bag- just couldn't get used to wearing it everywhere.
Plus, I noticed strange looks from people when I'd take out the Newton
to jot down a note or look up an address somewhere. I knew what they
were thinking, 'cause I was thinking it too- 'why is that Palm Pilot so
freaking' huge'? I took the Newton to school and took notes on it. This
was fun. It did true outlining, but I had to have the back light on in
order to read the screen in the indoor light, which meant finding an
outlet and plugging in the ac adaptor.
People noticed the Newton, they wanted to know what it was. I gave
little mini tours, even gave some the J&R web address after they heard
the pricing. Some people were really impressed, others pointed out the
crappy screen quality and the insanely great girth of the unit. Two
things I was painfully aware of. Soon, I couldn't stand to have to wear
a purse and carry the newton everywhere. Soon, I was back to using the
Palm Vx since it fit in my pocket and did the basics- appointments,
addresses, and memos. The Newton stayed in my book bag and went to
school with me. It was now relegated to my note taking computer.
Eventually, I took the 2100 out of my book bag, bought a Palm keyboard
for under $20 on half.com and transferred all of my notes to my Vx- not
because I didn't want to use the Newton, but because my eyes finally
convinced me that they needed a rest from straining to read its screen.
I was kinda sad again. Here, I had finally gotten a 2100 and even tried
to incorporate it into my life, and I really tried, and it had simply
lost. It lost to a Palm Vx.
I even discussed some my screen display issues on this list and my
purse carrying ones. Some people were sympathetic, some were zealots. I
forgive the zealots- I'm a mac recovering mac zealot (no, I haven't
switched to another OS, I've just 'ceased my zealotry). You know it
wasn't the carrying of the "purse" either. It was that the Newton was
so heavy. I actually started wearing the nice forest green EagleCreek
satchel with shoulder strap that I'd bought around- sans Newton. I'd
put my Palm in their on days when I didn't have cargos on, and I'd put
my ipod and earbuds in their. My wife really dug having a purse
carrying man with her.
I finally had to face facts. Yes, I wanted the Newton OS/feature set.
But, no, not at the cost of carrying its bulk around all the time and
no, not with the terrible screen display quality.
Fast forward to two days ago. Palm releases the T3. Unlike Apple, who I
love, but who has a bad habit of announcing things that they can't ship
for 2 - 3 months, the T3 is already at my local retailer to play with.
This is it folks. This is as close to a Newton as the Palm has come
yet, and I think it signals the the beginning of when the Palm will
really begin to catch up and eventually surpass the Newton. No, it
doesn't do true HWR, but I am actually skipping discussing my feelings
about HWR vs. Graffiti since I know I've already gone on too long. No,
it doesn't have the character of the Newton OS. I don't think any
company outside of Apple will ever reproduce that, and I don't know if
the current Apple would either.
I bought one. I know I should have waited, 'cause in 6 months or less
it wouldn't have cost me $400, but I'm finally filling a void here
people (and I'm at a time when I can afford this- too bad this wasn't
the case in 1994). The screen rotation and virtual graffiti area are
great. Maybe not quite as cool as the Newton 2100, but as good as the
120. The form factor is awesome, something that the Newton will
(barring a resurrection from Apple) never be able to compete with. The
exapansion capabilities are finally on par with the Newton, and again
in a much better form factor.
I could go on, but I realize that this is too long already. Please, if
you reply to this, don't quote the entire posting in your reply.
===========================
Russ Martin
abecedarian_at_mac.com
russell_martin_at_yahoo.com
"That's not what a Mac does. I want a Mac on the PC, I want a Mac on
the PC."
- Bill Gates
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