Re: [NTLK] I need a PDA, is a Newton a sane choice today?

~~~ On 2007/03/09 13:08, Mark Harter at willmark@mac.com wrote ~~~

> The HWR on the Newt blows anything else out there out of the water, and for me
> that was the 'killer app'

Jan,

Even though it seems you've decided now, I just have to say, this is one of
the 3 biggest features of the Newton (2100) for me. (The other two are the
easy way data can be shared so easily between apps, and the amazing battery
life.)

I've tried other things, but the idea of tapping a too-small keyboard or
screen keyboard on a pocket-sized device feels wrong, and the imposition of
having to learn a special character set to compensate for the designer's
failure to finish the device properly smacks of corporate arrogance.

If I'm standing somewhere wanting to make a quick record of an address,
bibliographical details, an appointment, a line-drawing, an address, a
sketch-map or a random note, the most natural thing in the world is to
scribble it down. In my ordinary everyday handwriting. And if I'm in the
Bodleian taking detailed notes on something I'm reading, I want the same.
All I want to think about is what I want to say, not how to convince my
e-device to let me record it. Unlike other devices I've used, the
"interface-overhead" on the Newton is zero.

My Newt lets me do this as easily as if I were using a notepad, but unlike
the notepad my Newt doesn't let me lose the piece of paper afterwards. And
I never cease to be amazed at how easily the Newton has learned to "read" my
scrawl with an astonishingly low rate of errors. I've gotten past thinking
it's some kind of trick; now I just accept that I can trust the Newt with my
scribblings. The "chicken" walks across the screen, and my Newton turns its
footprints into the right words.

One other thing. The Newton is criticized as being too large to be
convenient. In defence of its size, the Newton isn't just a PDA, it's a
small computer. It's the size it is so it can provide a screen big enough
to do real work, real note-taking, real reading and editing, as well as
casual jottings.

That's my pitch in favour of the Newton. But what other people have said is
right: it all depends on what you need. If you want something you can just
use without hassle for appointments, notes, addresses, and sorts of stuff,
you probably want a Newton. But if you need to use Lotus Notes (and can't
bring yourself to complain formally to your boss that this constitutes
employee abuse <g>) Newton might not be an option for you.
 
Shalom.
Christian

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