Re: [NTLK] Newly Joined

Hello,

--- Jon Glass <jonglass@usa.net> wrote:

> I say all that so you know up front what you are
> getting yourself into.

Good point. While the Newton itself is largely
intuitive, connectivity with other devices is by no
means a plug-and-play affair.

The best way to get an idea of what the Newton has to
offer would be to pay a visit to a Newton User Group.
That way, you could see what the Newton is capable of
firsthand.

The kicker is, you're not exactly spoiled for choice
these days when it comes to picking out a NUG. As the
Newton has gotten older, the user groups have gotten
smaller (and some have gone away entirely). At any
rate, here's a link to some of them. A number of
these groups may no longer be active, but their URLs
and contact information are there for you to try out
if you find one that's located near to you:

http://tinyurl.com/yqwgws

Worst case, you may want to consider picking up a
mid-model Newton to play with. A MessagePad 120b or
an MP 130 can usually be gotten fairly cheaply.

I mention these two particular models because they're
both capable of running Newton Operating System 2.0.
The release of NOS 2.0 saw the handwriting recognition
on the Newton finally hitting its stride. There are
earlier (and cheaper) Newtons to be had, but the
handwriting recognition is simply not as good. Which
means that the early model Newtons can sometimes offer
more in the way of frustration rather than
exhilaration in terms of the user experience.

So picking up a MP 120b or 130 might be an inexpensive
way to get a look at the Newton without spending too
much. The eMate I mentioned in my previous post can
usually be found fairly inexpensively, too, as a lot
of them were manufactured for the educational market.

Of course, all this assumes that *you're* the one
who'll be footing the bill for any Newton-related
purchases. If, on the other hand, you have a boss
with a bottomless wallet, (or just a boss willing to
pick up the tab) you may want to look at a MessagePad
2000 or an MP 2100. These were the last models
released by Apple and Newton Technology, respectively.
 And since they were the last models ever to come out,
they tend to command higher, if not premium, prices.

Anyway, as Mr. Glass astutely pointed out, connecting
a Newton to a desk/laptop can take some doing. And
while a Newton User Group would be the ideal way to
see how such problems can be overcome, the probability
you've got one near you isn't very high.

So to start off, you may want to read through the
Newton FAQ:

http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/

...which covers most of the basics. And if something
isn't covered there, well, that's what the list is
for.

But it's worth giving the FAQ a good look, first, to
get a thorough overview of what the Newton can (and
can't) do. Once you have a better idea of what you're
looking at, you'll be able to figure out whether or
not you want to Take the Plunge.

The Newton user experience can be exciting, but it's
only fair to say that it can also be exasperating,
too.

Of course, the same thing can prolly be said for
computing in general, so don't let us talk you out of
this *completely.* [smiles]

Hope This Helps,

James Fraser

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The Official Newton FAQ - http://www.splorp.com/newton/faq/
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Received on Thu Feb 28 05:49:24 2008