[NTLK] Reasonable price for a 2000/2100

[NewtonTalk]

> I currently have an eMate that I use all the time. 
> I?m thinking of taking the plunge and trying to get a 2000 or 2100. T
> he question is, and I know this is super subjective, what?s a reasonable
> price to pay for one?

That depends on a couple of things:

a) Who you buy it from
b) The worst condition you are willing to accept
c) The accessories you need
d) What you want to do with your new friend

Unfortunately, the prices at eBay and elsewhere aren't what they used to be,
so most likely you'd be better off trying to buy from someone on this list.
Preferably from one who's living on the same continent.

As to accessories, it makes sense to only buy those you absolutely need. For
example, the AC adapter for the eMate is the same as that for the 2x00
series. If, as you say, you have an eMate, you probably already have one and
can make do without a second one. The same might apply to the what Newton
aficionados lovingly call "The Dongle", i. e. the serial adapter, which in
the past has occasionally been sold for more than the price of its weight in
gold.

For a beat-up, but functionally OK Newton 2000 with an AC adapter and a
battery in working, but otherwise unknown condition I'd consider something
between 60 and 80 bucks fair. A pristine 2100 with AC adapter, dongle and a
rebuilt battery could easily set you back 250 bucks or more even if the
seller doesn't intend to rip you off. Between those two prices everything's
possible I think. Of course, there are a lot of people out there who DO
intend to rip you off. With those, the sky's the limit...

I'd recommend not buying something with a rechargeable battery in "as is"
condition. This means the cells in the battery were manufactured almost a
quarter of a century ago. In my opinion the chance of such a battery being
still useful is almost zero. This is why I only sell eMates or Newtons along
with a newly rebuilt battery. Might seem a tad more expensive at first, but
it's a lot less hassle and you needn't keep your Newton close to a charger
all the time. 

Be aware that a 2000 has only one Megabyte of RAM whereas the 2100 has four.
Some Newton programs might run flaky or not at all on a 2000, especially if
you want to do E-Mail or play with the Newton's (very limited) Internet
capability.

Since you mentioned you're using your eMate every day: Make sure to take
care of its hinge spring problem or have someone take care of it. Do. It.
Now.

If you don't, your eMate will turn into a beautiful paperweight before long.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, have a look at the eMate
disassembly instructions in the hardware section of my site.

Frank

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