[- - e r i k - -]

The Executive Computer; 'Mother of All Markets' or a 'Pipe Dream Driven by Greed'? - New York Times

Stuck in traffic on a business trip, an executive carrying a personal communicator could send and receive electronic mail and facsimile messages from anywhere in the country. She could also call up a local map on a 3-inch by 5-inch screen, draw a line between her current position (confirmed by satellite positioning signals) and her intended destination, and the device would give her specific driving instructions (as well as real-time warnings about traffic jams or accidents). Certainly, these are just predictions for now, but they sure are fun to think about.

[analogika]

iPhone don't fax!

Oh noes! That ruins the image!

[The Godfather]

The Newton was 10-fold too expensive for its own good. Perhaps with subsidies by cellphone companies it would have taken off, and we'd be having 10th generation Newtons by now.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by The Godfather 

The Newton was 10-fold too expensive for its own good. Perhaps with subsidies by cellphone companies it would have taken off, and we'd be having 10th generation Newtons by now.

It was more the size of the unit that was the problem. Not to mention it cost MORE than the iphone even in un-adjusted dollars.

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

It was more the size of the unit that was the problem. Not to mention it cost MORE than the iphone even in un-adjusted dollars.

But the Newton was not meant to be pocketable. It was meant to travel in your suitcase or purse, replacing your datebook/organizer. The killer was its cost.

[Mastrap]

And the fact that the handwriting recognition never really worked. I had a Newton for a while (funded by work) and I think I sent an email once or twice. It was just too much hassle.

1. Find connecter cable.
2. Connect cellphone with Newton.
3. Set everything up.
4. Wait for several minutes for connection to be established...etc

The Newton was a great idea ahead of the technology of it's time.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by starman 

It was a bitch to program also. "Soups"?

I thought it was considered some of the best programming to date as applications were very stable.

[starman]

It was a bitch to program also. "Soups"?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

And the fact that the handwriting recognition never really worked.

The handwriting recognition was top notch in the 2.0 OS.

The problem with the newton was it was too big for your pocket and too underpowered for a laptop.

It was supposed to be a companion with you at all times but it was too damn large.

The OS was wicked, even better than the iPhone i most cases. I had a Newton 100, 130 and still have my 2000.

[mdc]

How much did the Newton cost when it was released?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by mdc 

How much did the Newton cost when it was released?

The 2000, 2100 were about $1000 in the 97's.

I think the first ones were about $700.

The emates were $800.

Apple Newton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[starman]

Every now and then I think about getting a Newton but I know it'll just sit there. It was a damn cool device for its day.

[hadocon]

There is a great adage from the Newton Vs. Palm days of yore (I had both, loved me some Newton, still have my 110 and 2100).

"The Newton was the right size for when you were using it, and the Palm was the right size for when you weren't"

[Eriamjh]

Email in 1992? Not many had it.

[- - e r i k - -]

Hence the insistence that these devices could send and receive faxes I guess

[Kerrigan]

How long has it been since the NewtonOS was ended? 7 years?

I read somewhere (can't remember) that the iPhone has been in development for 5 years. That sounds like a stretch, but if it's true, then perhaps it really is, to all intents and purposes, the successor to the Newton project.