[ShortcutToMoncton]

I have an iMac DV - the 400 MHz Graphite model. I also have a Newton 2100.

Of course, I need some way to install Internet software on my Newton. The Connection software seems to still work under OS 9, but I don't have any serial ports.

I was wondering about good serial port adapters that will work with the Newton. I know Keyspan has one USB-to-serial that I was looking at (they've also released OS X drivers! Anyone care to Carbonise the Newton software?!?!), but I know there are compatibility problems with most of these serial adapters.

Anyone have any suggestions on a good, functional serial adapter that will work well with the Newton?

greg

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Though the day's been
really long
I still feel I'm close to
nowhere....

[TimmyDee51]

I would just skip the whole adapter scene and just use an ethernet card to connect to your iMac. I found a card for $15 and it works great -- its fast and I can connect to the LAN at school when I need to. Plus, you don't have to mess with drivers on the Mac end, just get the ones for the Newton, which are readily available.

[Steph]

I use the Entrega USB-Serial adapter. It works about 95% of the time. It actually works better with my MP2100 than with my eMate. I've found it works best if plugged directly into the iMac, or into a port on the keyboard, but not a port on an other hub. And, don't leave it plugged in when rebooting. That's my experience, anyways.

I've also tried the ethernet method, which certainly is many times faster than serial, but because my iMac is on Airport, it means changing configurations around every time I want to connect the Newt, which became more trouble than it was worth.

At any rate, I think Greg indicated he needed to get the NIE into his newton, so the serial-connection is still needed first.

--Stephanie

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Yeah, I need to install the Newton Connection Utilities, and the browser and whatnot. The machine has none of this on it right now.

Just curious...anyone recommend the best browser/email programs for the Newt? I haven't been around for years, so I've lost touch with the updates....

greg

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Though the day's been
really long
I still feel I'm close to
nowhere....

[TimmyDee51]

For browsers, Newt's Cape is still supported and I have heard great things about it. The problem I have is that I can't figure out how to use it for the life of me. I use NetHopper which is simple but gets the job done for me.

For email, its SimpleMail by Simon Bell all the way. It's small, efficient, and does everything you want for free.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Thanks.

Just a thought...how good are Newton browsers at seeing sites?

I mean, they used to be all the same, so it was pretty decent...but now, you have Java, CSS, Flash, animations, etc.... Do these pages mean problems?

greg

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Though the day's been
really long
I still feel I'm close to
nowhere....

[TimmyDee51]

For the most part I think they just ignore those sorts of things. Images can be optionally downloaded, Flash is just plain skipped, but Java might be able to run. I thought I heard that Waba (the Newton Java VM) can run through Newt's Cape. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Huh. Pretty sweet. Seems like I'll be getting more use out of my Newton, then....

I've got a 56k PCMCIA card fax/modem by Psion...the Gold Card. As sson as I can find a decent USB/Serial adapter for a half-decent price, I'll try it and see how she goes.

Man, those serial adapters seem hardly worth the price! The Keyspan Twin is $145 Cdn. That's a LOT of money.

greg

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Though the day's been
really long
I still feel I'm close to
nowhere....

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Yes...just to revisit this again.....

I am considering getting the Entrega USB-to-Serial adapter, since it can be found on eBay for quite cheap. However, Entrega's web site was "Under Construction" for a long time, and then suddenly it just folded. I can't find an alternate one.

Obviously, I'm wondering what happened to them. If they've folded, then new drivers/OS X drivers aren't going to happen. As well, does the adapter work with OS 9.1? It's not guaranteed with it, so I don't really want to find out it doesn't.

I'm looking at the more expensive Keyspan alternative, but I'd rather grab the Entrega model if I could...does anybody know of the current status of Entrega, or of the Entrega USB/Serial adapter?

Thanks,
greg

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Though the day's been
really long
I still feel I'm close to
nowhere....

[WL2100]

Newtscape does web browsing very well, but it's a little slow, so you should get the pixsolution upgrade to 220-Mhz. But most sites display OK on Newtscape including accessing Yahoo's webmail. With Ricochet and a Merlin wireless PC card you can have fast wireless connections. Newtscape handles frames, tables, and ani.gifs. I use NetHopper 3.2 for easy sites.
On the serial adapter, I use Keyspan's Twin Adapter(I don't run OS X, yet), just to download the ethernet drivers, now it's only ethernet due to the speed increase and less wear-and-tear on the (weak)interconnect port, I hardly ever use the interconnect port except for keyboard(almost never thanks to HWR).
SimpleMail is best choice unless you need Multi-POP and a nice POP-List Manager, then use EnRoute.

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!ooW ÷)

[Paul Guyot]

Newtscape does web browsing very well, but it's a little slow

This should be fixed soon. At least, I hope.
You can say that SimpleMail is slow as well. It will be fixed with Newtscape slowness.

SimpleMail is best choice unless you need Multi-POP

SimpleMail does Multi-POP.
So I'd say: "SimpleMail is best choice".

Paul

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Newton Evangelist and developer:
http://www.kallisys.com/newton/

[Bockie]

What if you have an IrDA, serial and ethernet port? Which would be the best one to connect/sync a Newton to an iMac?

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"Life cannot be contained...Life finds a way."
-Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park (movie version)

[WL2100]

Ethernet=fastest speed.
Serial=medium speed.
IrDA=slowest and most corruptable.

Hey Paul, what version of SimpleMail is that? I gotta download the latest version.

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!ooW ÷)

[Matsu]

xxx to serial adapter???

Why do you want to get porno on your newton?

[Matsu]

Wait, I know. It's a handheld.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Damn Torontonians.


greg

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Though the day's been
really long
I still feel I'm close to
nowhere....

[WL2100]

Well, there are easy ways to transfer pics. to your Newt.

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!ooW ÷)

[Paul Guyot]

Woo,

SimpleMail 4.1.3 can handle multiple pop accounts. Just go to your owner info, and add another SimpleMail prefs.

This is the power of NewtonOS, just as you can have as many as e-mail addresses, mail addresses, phone numbers, etc. as you want.

SimpleMail also takes into account several outgoing SMTPs. I noticed that when I wanted to configure an outgoing SMTP while I was at my father's. I just thought, hey, if it was Newton-like, I would just have to add this information into the workplace directly. And of course, Simon coded it that way.
The next step is to be able to enter this with the ISP information as well (although there, there should be known rules about which SMTP overrides what). It could easily be added I think, so it will.

SimpleMail doesn't handle SMTP authentication yet, though. But I think Simon is working on it. The main problem with SimpleMail is that it uses NewtonScript TCP/IP calls which means using the ugly protoEndpoint function, and it uses NewtonScript-based text encoding conversion. This should be fixed soon, though.

Paul

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Newton Evangelist and developer:
http://www.kallisys.com/newton/

[WL2100]

Thanks Paul,

I'll try SimpleMail again but I gotta figure out which other .pkg had a conflict with SM. I miss being able to use all the plug-in's that Simon has for SM.

Any signs of SM-4.2???

BTW, has Avi released his Backdrop 1.28 yet? Victoria sounded like she got the 1.28 from you with the Birthday-update. Is it on your site?

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!ooW ÷)

[Paul Guyot]

Any signs of SM-4.2???

Please be patient. Apparently, Simon is working on it.

BTW, has Avi released his Backdrop 1.28 yet? Victoria sounded like she got the 1.28 from you with the Birthday-update. Is it on your site?

I haven't gave her the latest version (1.29) for I have the French version on my Newton. So she is still using the version you installed on her Newton. Apparently, Avi still only has Avi's BD 1.27 on his website. I lost 1.29 when my hard drive died, but fortunately, I mailed it to a couple of Newton owners, and Marco sent it back to me. So if you want it, just drop me a line specifying which language and if you want the source with it.

Paul

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Newton Evangelist and developer:
http://www.kallisys.com/newton/

[WL2100]

Oh yeah!!! 1.29!!! English, with source, WooHoo!!!
This just gets better and better!
BTW, the AppleStore is pretty cool, nice setup, hope they open up some in Europe.

Thanks Paul!!!

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!ooW ÷)

[This message has been edited by WL2100 (edited 05-24-2001).]