[NTLK] (OT) re: Courier

[Riccardo Mori]

quoth Daniel Jagendorf:

> One thing to keep in mind is that Courier doesn't exist.

Thanks for this message, Daniel, I was about to point that out and write something similar, but you beat me to it :)

> I consider the newt to have had the capabilities of a full fledged laptop of the time, in a forearm pilot factor.  I don't need that anymore, I have a laptop that's too plugged in to external hard drives and printers and devices to be mobile without hassle, and a phone that's powerful but too small to make web viewing practical for long periods of time (and a Touch that I got so visiting relatives could have subway maps and city info available).  The iPad can go with me and make reading and viewing a pleasure (and I've unplugged the laptop the few times that I've had to design outside the apartment).

I agree with you on everything you said. I would also like to add to the debate that, in my opinion, comparing the iPad and the Newton doesn't make much sense to me. When the differences between two devices amount to more than their similarities, what's the point? "Can the iPad replace the Newton?", "Is the iPad a successor of the Newton?" -- questions like these are somewhat misleading for me. There are things the iPad does better than the Newton, and things that the Newton does better than the iPad. When I bought my iPhone 3G in 2008, I didn't decommission my MP2100 or my eMate, and when eventually I'll buy an iPad, I surely won't put them away. 

All these devices are specific tools for me, each with its strengths and shortcomings. When I finally get my iPad, of course I won't leave home with a heavy bag carrying ALL of my mobile devices (iPhone, MP2100, iPad and MacBook Pro), but based on what I plan to do off-site, I'll pick the tool(s) most suited to the task at hand. The iPhone: always in a pocket. Do I need to use specific Mac programs and use optical media and generally do complex things? I'll bring the MacBook Pro. Do I need to do lots of Web browsing (for research), lots of emailing, perhaps read a bit, and maybe write a couple of documents? The MacBook Pro is overkill; doing that on the iPhone would be too impractical; iPad, there you go. Do I need to take a lot of notes, keep on with my personal projects and glossaries, draw sketches and organise my schedule? Nothing beats my MP2100 for this, so that's what I'll bring with me.

The point is: each one of those 4 devices excels at some tasks and is more impractical at others. It's evident I can't have everything I want in one device and one only. So my logic is simply this: device follows task. If I take advantage of the strengths of each of those 4 devices, I win and I'm productive (or I have the best fun, according to what I'm doing). 

I don't understand why I should accessorise an iPad to reproduce my Newton workflow in some (lesser) way -- I know I'm going to be disappointed. The only way I'm going to abandon my Newtons is if a better Newton is introduced. Something that really works like a Newton, supports the Newton's HWR and pen input, and has a similar OS concept and applications. I see no such product, so I simply keep using my Newtons. The iPhone and iPad are certainly better for all things requiring modern, built-in technologies, but they still don't cover everything I do with my Newtons. 

So, do I try to use them for tasks I do way better on my Newtons anyway, or I just make the most of each without having to 'abandon' anything? You know my answer. Your mileage may vary.

Sorry for the length, I got carried away. :)

Cheers,
Rick



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