[NTLK] FreeKey Keyboard Adapter

[Ken Whitcomb]

There are three factors working against us on this point. First, they didn't own all the IP, some, such as the handwriting recognition engines (IIRC) were licensed. Secondly, they don't necessarily have the personnel on hand that did it before to put back to work on repeating earlier successes. Even integrating existing technology into new processors and OSs presents unique challenges. Many of the people that worked on Newton OS and Message Pad engineering went to places like Palm. Thirdly, Apple has typically developed products and features that no one has asked for. Most commonly because the innovation was outside the experiences of the consumers. I consider this a design hallmark of Apple's, creating solutions that we didn't know we could benefit from.
If someone at an appropriate level declared that "the stylus is dead", then that became a design parameter going forward corporate-wide. 
There are a couple of former Apple people that worked on Newton/MP projects that have been members here. If you read their posts, you can gain a small insight into what it was like at that time. I've never heard of another company that works the way Apple does.

Ken

> On Jan 13, 2014, at 11:57 PM, Dan <dan at dbdigitalweb.com> wrote:
> 
> Of course, but again Apple owns those IP's and could add them back into
> their devices, yet don't.  That is the odd part.  Why not make a
> device/app better?  Especially when they had the development/tools
> already?  Not to mention give the customer what they actually want.
> 
> -Dan