Re: [NTLK] Goodbye

~~~ On 2007/11/28 04:14, Patrick Jendraszak at indyibook@insightbb.com wrote
~~~

> Like others have said, my Newton(s) are gathering dust, either on my
> bookshelf or in my cabinet. ...
>
> On Nov 27, 2007, at 3:59 AM, Jon Glass wrote:
>
>> I suppose that, were I to admit it, I hardly use my Newton any more.
>> It makes a good note-taking platform, ...
>

Interesting juxtaposition of points -- "gathering dust", "hardly use my
Newton any more", over against "It makes a good note-taking platform".

Well, yes it does. IMIO it's in a class by itself. From what others have
said here and elsewhere about specialist software for it, I'd guess it does
a fair number of other things very well too, but for me, the one thing I
must be able to do, anytime, anywhere, is make notes. It just happens to be
a bonus that I can also keep track of appointments, keep my address list to
hand, and convert currency et al., more conveniently no matter where I am
than any other device I've tried so far (though I wouldn't mind an update to
the currency converter that showed Euros, but that's no biggie). My Newt
gives me the freedom of just scribbling on a screen and knowing that when I
want it again, it won't be in one of 8 different notebooks or on a scrap of
paper somewhere in a tray on my desk or stuck in a book, because it's
*always* in Newt, (well actually, one of 3 Newtons, but that's a long story
-- anyway, the essential stuff always ends up in the one I carry plus the
backup card).

And then there's that battery life. The worries of battery life while
travelling that I had with other devices disappeared with the Newton.

It's not that I don't see the attraction of some of the bells and whistles
on newer machines with modern technology; I do. Built-in Bluetooth, wifi
and all that? Great idea. Memory cards like the one in a phone or camera
instead of the PCMCIA cards? Another great idea. Colour screen? Well,
that's less attractive for the sake of the battery, but more advanced,
clearer monochrome screen tech that would be kinder to my ageing eyes might
not be a bad idea.

I'm not a Luddite -- really I'm not. But I won't embrace the modern if it
means I have to surrender my necessary and ideal functionality, wrapped in
something "old" though it may be, in order to get the modern. When I stack
up the "cool" I'd wish for in an upgraded Newton things, and that I see in
other gizmos that can't do what my Newton can do, against the must-haves I
already have in my MP2100, I can't seem to get all enthusiastic about
leaving my Newt(s).

Just my 2 pence' worth.

 
Shalom.
Christian

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

³Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from a Newton.²
            -- What Arthur C. Clarke meant to say

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1ZzpdPJ7Zr4
(With thanks to Chod Lang)
http://tinyurl.com/29y2dl

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Received on Wed Nov 28 05:17:00 2007