From: David M. Ensteness (denstene_at_mac.com)
Date: Wed Mar 09 2005 - 10:01:58 PST
Well, light in comparison to the current Apple portable line is
relative.
The eMate was 4 lbs. The PowerBook G4 12" is 4.6 lbs., the same as a
color Duo was back in the day.
The grey scale Duos came in at 4.2 lbs.
I find the Duo and the eMate very similar. Both are highly attractive
but today are only good choices for odd-ball reasons [remember I say
this as an avid Newton MessagePad and eMate user].
I can carry a PowerBook G4 12" that allows me to author DVDs after
doing post production work all on its battery life ... I have a
plethora of software and features available including high speed
wireless, FireWire, etc ...
The Duo and the eMate can't come close to this today. But when they
were available? That is a different story. What did you use a PowerBook
for in 1996? Not video, not generally a lot of audio work, mostly it
was sold to people who used it for general office productivity.
Now in that environment, the eMate and the Duo were big competition for
things like the 1400 and 3400, even the famed 2400. Sure there was
stuff you could do on the PowerBooks that you couldn't do on the eMate
or Duo, but there was dramatically less of it.
Today I find that the eMate's great feature is the lack of so many
other features. It allows for very necessary functionality without the
distraction of so many other things.
To get a bit more on-topic ...
If Apple does develop a Newton-esc device in the future, it will be
something unto itself, not a modified existing product. That is the
lesson of the past 9 years, from the iMac to the iPod, from the Cube to
the PowerMac G5.
As far as the eMate vs iBook debate. Remove the subjective criteria and
its pretty clear there isn't a place for an updated eMate next to the
iBook.
David
On Mar 9, 2005, at 11:17 AM, Jim Witte wrote:
> (My previous comment) Oh, I suppose they haven't shut it down.
>
> But, IMO, an 'iBook form factor' just couldn't touch the eMate - the
> eMate was light, had the carrying handle that didn't really *look* like
> a carrying handle, and had the screen that could be folded flat (and it
> looked cool to boot. Now, MAYBE an iBook that had a tablet screen that
> could flip around and fold down over the keyeboard, but I'd really like
> the ability of the emate to be able to use the pen AND the keyboard at
> the same time in some situations (maybe have it so the display could
> also be "pivoted" to "float" above the keyboard a little, like with the
> iLamp (iMac)? But on the other hand, having a "fold-flat" display like
> in the eMate, with the dimensions of a 12in iBook screen would make a
> REALLY tall palmtop (unless the bottom also unfolded back somehow..
>
> Jim
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