[NTLK] Clear developer's Newton 110 pops up on eBay | MacNN

[James Fraser]

Hello,

--- On Wed, 1/23/13, Grant Hutchinson <grant at splorp.com> wrote:

> Replying to my own post, here's a shot of the "dedication"
> Newton that I took a year or so ago.
> 
> http://instagram.com/p/UNyb8/

Thank you for the picture. :)

Apparently, there are at least two different types of clear MP110.  Here are a couple of not-very-good pics from the normalkid site that are part of a brief description of the clear MP110 and the two known variants:

http://www.normalkid.com/collector/110.html (bottom of the page)

I wonder if the clear MP110s with the Quick Tips cards glued to the lid (like the one in your picture) were the ones that the developers got (i.e. they were considered the "finished" ones) and the clear-lidded (half-finished?) ones were the ones that were sold at random?  

Perhaps you can clear up that minor mystery when you dig out the purchased one?

(Whenever you get a chance, that is; I know you've got other stuff to do, too.) :)

Meanwhile, here is a clear Newton that I suspect really -is- one of a kind (or, at least, a great deal closer to unique than the purportedly rare MP110 is):

http://www.normalkid.com/collector/130.html

That is, that MP130 may have been produced when they first tested the production mold for the device.  IIRC, Apple tested molds by injecting them with a clear material that allowed them to examine casings for imperfections before they started cranking out regular (i.e. dark-skinned) production units.  Or something like that. 

(I'm harking back to something I read at the time when the clear Mac SE was floating around in search of a permanent owner, so please help me out here, Grant.)

At any rate, that MP130 is the only clear Newton apart from the carved-from-a-solid-block-of-Unobtainium Frozen Newtons that I would (probably) willingly trade my grandmother for, seeing as how it is NOS 2.0-capable (sorry Gran!). :p


Best,

James Fraser