From: DJ Vollkasko (DJ_Vollkasko_at_gmx.net)
Date: Wed Dec 21 2005 - 11:05:40 PST
Subject: Re: [NTLK] Newton prices..
>> $155.00 for an obsolete Newton?
>> Wow thats pricy!
Depends. Does it have all bells and whistles?
The lid and 9W power supply can be seen at eBay for EUR 10-30,--. Each.
Recelled battery pack may be worth $ 40 or more.
Maybe it comes with the 4x AA battery tray? US$ 10 to 30 for that,
depending on luck, source and patience.
Is PCBMan's Ser-OO1 installed? That's a $50,-- value.
Linear Flash RAM cards used to cost around seven to ten dollars per MB
IIRC, but you don't have to shell out $200+ for 32 MB these days if 20
MB for approx. $20 suit you (= US $1,-- per MB). So say there's a 32 MB
card, mark up another 30 bucks.
Interconnect adapter? Pricey, but with patience US$ 15,-- incl. postage
at eBay. With more luck even cheaper. But you don't need it if you have
Ser-001 inside.
Serial cable, between for free and 20 bucks. Hmh, say ten incl.
postage, shall we?
If bundled with the leather case, that's a tenner, more likely 20 to 30
bucks.
Maybe there's even some software on CD, some commercial apps and
drivers...
Does it come with any network cards, modem, GSM, bluetooth, wifi,
keyboard, GPS, flux capacitator, ion condenser, electron
de-mogrifier... Add US$ 5 to 60 per item.
If you get all that stuff for US$ 150,-- and a working 2x00 for only a
fiver? Great deal!
If it is just a naked MP 2x00 without anything else (no power supply,
no batts, no lid, no cards, no nothing) but in decent shape (no
scratches on screen, lightly worn case), I think US$ 50 to 80,-- is
okay.
> not sure I have the quoting correct, but may I point out that just
> because something is no longer manufactured does not mean that it is
> obsolete. obsolete implys that it was replaced by something better, I
> haven't seen anything better in a similar form factor.
Hmh, you could argue that any Newton < NOS 2.0 is obsolete per this
definition, as a similar/identical form factor with better performance
was
provided by 2.0 devices (better hardware, better HWR, NIE...).
> the powerbook and the sony viao are both quite a bit larger and the
> wince / palm / blackberry / etc are much smaller and more limited.
> ergo while no longer produced methinks that 'obsolete' is the wrong
> word.
While the eMate as travel typewriter replacement could be viewed as
obsoleted by e.g. the Netbook and other subnotenooks or 12''
iBooks/PowerBooks (--all ideology and OS-ranting aside), the 2x00 form
factor remains to be pretty unique. And useful.
If you want to get all academic about what defines "obsolete" platforms,
check out the dead media mailing list started by Bruce Sterling. As
long as
it is *used*, it ain't dead.
However, following the reasoning in the paper referred to here
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/08/how_copyright_screws.html , yes,
the
Newton (or rather, the Newton OS and all software) is obsolete ("a work
is
considered to be in an "obsolete" format, eligible for preservation
copying,
only if the device necessary to play it is no longer "commercially
available." Under this formulation, even LP and 78-rpm records are not
eligible for copying as "obsolete," since turntables can still be
purchased,
even though they are no longer commonly used.").
Either way, I don't care as long as my Dr. Gruendelstein(TM) battery
pack
holds a charge and my Newton wakes up when it's supposed to and it does
what
I want it to.
'Kasko
-- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
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