[NTLK] What is a bootstrap card?

[NewtonTalk]

> A rough-but-ready translation: an insertable ?card" with certain software
on it that you
> need to install, but that also needs to be available during boot-up so
that non-original-but-still-necessary
> functions can be performed; having that software on an inserted card
during boot-up allows the functions to
> be completed during boot-up, and then allows the function-programs to be
installed more permanently on the
> Newt after boot-up.

Strictly speaking this is, at least to the best of my knowledge, not
entirely correct.

Unfortunately, the Newton Internet Enabler can't be installed on a card. The
installation routine insists on
installing it on the Newton's internal memory. I dimly remember that someone
was trying to find a solution for
this years ago, but I am not sure whether he ever succeeded.

So what you would get on the card is a backup from a Newton that has been
reset to factory conditions and then
equipped with the necessary drivers and some other goodies like e. g. the
Courier browser. You can't move the
drivers from the card to your Newton, you MUST restore
the backup from MY Newton to YOUR Newton. Although backups can be restored
selectively, e. g. only the packages
and not the notes or dates etc., I recommend making a full backup of the
Newton to a separate card first unless said
Newton doesn't contain data or packages you would like to keep. If you don't
have a separate card, no problem.
I could easily lend or sell you the bootstrap card plus an empty second
card.

Since you appear to live in the United States, though, there might be
someone closer to you who could provide
the same service, which would be faster and save some money otherwise spent
on stamps.

Frank

-- Newton software and hardware at http://www.pda-soft.de