Re: [NTLK] What the Newton "essence" is? - WAS: "Upgrading NIE" (the Newton is nearly dead)

Well,

I am talking now as a new Newton user (yes, I've never
seen a Newton on my hands except a E-Mate last year in
a scene-party, but now I have a excellent 120) and
also as a "obsolete machine" user because I am a very
active MSX user.

Four years ago, I bought my MSX. It's a MSX 2 with 3,5
Mhz Z80A processor and 128 KB RAM. I bought it because
I've always loved this kind of machines and because
MSX community is still developping new software and
hardware.

Ok, why I am talking now about MSX? Now we have a
TCP/IP complete suite (Called Internestor Lite or
INL), so we can connect to Internet: Special MSX BBS,
http get, Irc client, there is a project (pre-alpha
but working) of a lynx-like web broser, ftp clients,
web server... Also, we can use Ethernet cards like the
Obsonet (now part of Dumas Project which is a cart
with ethernet + 512 KB ram + USB, yes, USB working
perfectly on MSX, and it's working as I saw some
months ago in a MSX users meeting). Now also we have a
great multitasking, graphical and multimachine
operating system called SymbOS, which is 1.0 stable
version in Amstrad CPC and 2nd alpha on MSX. We have
also IDE, SCSI, Compact Flash, MMC reader, etc...

So... do you think that a machine like Newton (for
example, my 120), which is 9 years (120 is from 1995)
newer than my MSX, much powerful, portable, with more
RAM and with very advanced os (Far more that 1983
MSX-DOS 1, from we can use Internestor Lite perfectly)
can't do all the things that can do my MSX?

Yes, it can be incredible, but it's totally real.

Yours,

Salva

 --- Jon Scordia <jscordia@mac.com> escribió:

> I agree, and I welcome this debate!
>
> I have to say though, that I feel that part of the
> Newton's 'essence'
> is it's form factor. It's a combination that's not
> yet been beaten:
>
> 1. An intuitive, easy to use, flexible and very
> functional GUI.
> 2. A useable, holdable, writeable, robust, tactile
> and highly legible
> screen/box/stylus combo.
>
> EVERY other PDA to date has been designed by the
> marketing men, aided
> and abetted by the techie boffins, and NEVER by, or
> for, the user.
> Their maxim is:
>
> 1. Make it as small as possible. (can you use it?!)
> 2. Cram in as much stuff as possible. (will you use
> it?!)
>
> In this competitive PDA/smartphone market nothing
> else matters.
>
> My piece of junk SonyEricsson P910i is about to fall
> apart and be
> replaced by my office. And I just cannot find a
> decent replacement.
> I'm hoping the M600i will fit the bill, because it's
> actually SIMPLER
> and does LESS than the P910i!
>
> But it's no Newton.
>
> Jon.
>
>
>
>
> On 4 Jun 2006, at 09:43, Ervino Cus wrote:
>
> > The point is deciding what the Newton "essence"
> is.
> > The MessagePads hardware is bulky and obsolete,
> the OS structure
> > hardly compatible with today Web standard, etc.
> >
> > What remains is what, IMHO, is the 90% of the
> Newton experience: its
> > GUI. The most original and functional GUI ever
> concieved, and not
> > only for a PDA, but in absolute terms. A GUI that,
> eg, included an
> > ebook reader still more functional today than all
> the one now around,
> > and all the other stuff that make it unique.
> >
> > In my opinion every effort to preserve the Newton
> GUI and transfer it
> > on up-to date-hardware (as Paul is doing) should
> be the priority of
> > the Newton community.
> >
> > Just my two newts... ;-)

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