Re: [NTLK] The future of Newton--What's your best vision?

~~~ On 2008/06/30 01:58, Goodwin, Greg P. at GoodwinG@aafes.com wrote ~~~

> I have two Newton 2000's so I guess that means I have...
>
> DOUBLE VISION!!
>
> Sorry, couldn't resist. :P
>
> Doc Clu

Nah, it just makes you more forceful than if you had one.

**counts slowly**

And I've got 4, so I guess that means I'm still "4-eyes". But I'm even more
forceful. And as for Sonny and others who have whole collections of Newts
...

But being serious for an unaccustomed moment, I'm with Kostas when he wrote:

> Hmmm, none. The world seems to be in love with touch interfaces at
> this moment. The stylus seems outdated.
> Well, my opinion is that the stylus IS bad for devices like
> smartphones. It is another extra step.
> But Newton's real strength is its use as a notepad, IMHO. This is the
> point that keeps is strong.
> Good HWR, good form factor for use as a notepad, and of course great
> battery life.
>
> So, any chances of a device with these characteristics are quite slim
> to non existent at the moment.

I concede that the iPhone's touch screen technology with all that groovy
multi-touch wizardry is top-class when it comes to manipulating existing
apps and files and such. But it seems self-evident to me that to match the
ability of the Newton to create data requires a stylus, or at least
something better than a hunt-and-peck virtual mini-keyboard such as we get
on the iPhone, as well as multi-touch.

The argument has been held (and not resolved) on this board before: can
this or that person type faster on the Newton than I can scribble on it,
etc. But if we're talking about the new generation of devices, I don't
believe the argument realistically can be held, especially if we're talking
about a long period of input like taking notes, writing an essay, and so on.
I can't imagine anybody silly enough to claim they can type on the iPhone as
fast as I can write on my Newt, without as few errors. So while the iPhone
multi-touch screen may be a great way to handle what's already on it, it's a
lousy way to create data. Give me NotePad, Dates, Names, etc., with my
stylus over that slick but ultimately lame virtual keypad on the iPhone, and
I'll create data effortlessly and even joyfully (yes, I get great pleasure
out of using the Newton and I'm a sad person; that's a given).

BTW, has anybody managed to really master typing on the iPhone without
looking where their fingers are going, and maintain a near-flawless output?
Just wondering.

So for me, my best vision is a complete change in policy by Apple, and the
release -- soon! -- of an "iNewton" or whatever they call it. It'll be a
complete upgrade of the technology to give us all the cool stuff we've come
to love about our Newts plus the new stuff we need now and the ability to
incorporate technology not yet invented.

My second-best vision is finding ways to keep my Newtons running as long as
possible -- 30 years or more(?), and then to die as soon as my last Newton
stops working forever. Meh.

May the Newton be with you!

 
Shalom.
Christian

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1ZzpdPJ7Zr4
(With thanks to Chod Lang)
http://tinyurl.com/29y2dl
http://www.diyplanner.com/node/3942

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Received on Mon Jun 30 08:30:22 2008