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Apple Newton celebrates 20 years of eating up Martha

Brian Heater — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:41:00 EST

History hasn't been particularly kind to the Newton. Apple's early play at the mobile device market has largely been a source of ridicule, considered a low point in the company's catalog. For every suggestion that the device was ahead its time, there are countless "eat up Martha" jokes. It's not hard to see why -- in spite of tenacious commitment on the part of John Sculley and co., the PDA never really took off, a fact blamed, in part, to hardware and software limitations. To mark the 20th anniversary of the device's on-stage debut, Harry McCracken picked a first-gen MessagePad H1000 and some accessories up on eBay, living with the device for six weeks, as part of an attempt to "reconsider" the Newton. So, how does the product hold up in the harsh light of 2012? At the very least, it offered up the opportunity for great shots like the one above.

Apple Newton celebrates 20 years of eating up Martha originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sir Isaac Newton's notes get a digital makeover, coming to a browser near you

Edgar Alvarez — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:56:00 EST

It isn't a rarity for the folks at the University of Cambridge to introduce us to some of their digital findings, and on this occasion they are delivering 4,000 of Newton's manuscripts right to your virtual door. These gems are part of an abundant collection of over 12,000 handwritten notes and hardcovers that the University holds under possession -- the plan is to make the entire selection digitally available "over the next few months." Amongst the scanned documents, you'll be able to find a plethora of his genius scribbles stamped on books that were used during his theory process, some of which are: Trinity College Notebook, Waste Book and the famed Principia Mathematica. Who said an OS would be Newton's only way through a mainframe?

Sir Isaac Newton's notes get a digital makeover, coming to a browser near you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Sculley gives an epic interview, says he was the wrong choice for Apple CEO

Paul Miller — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:27:00 EST

Comfy? Good. John Sculley has given one beast of an interview to Cult of Mac, and it's all about Steve Jobs. It's a follow-up of a sort to the candid words Sculley gave The Daily Beast in June, where he talked about how he wished things had worked out differently between him and Steve. In this new interview Sculley takes it all a step (and several thousand words) further, talking about the genius of Steve Jobs with obvious admiration. In fact, Sculley says that after Steve was ousted he basically attempted to run the company within the template for design and innovation that Steve had set down, and that Steve merely returned the company to his own original model when he came back in 1997. Outside of the very interesting examination of Steve's methods and talent, Sculley offers a multitude of tidbits. One particularly interesting story is of the Newton, which Sculley says actually saved the company from going bankrupt. Apple owned a 47 percent stake in the fledgling company that build the ARM processor for the first Newton, and when finances got tough Apple got $800 million out of selling its stake -- which easily offset the $100 million Apple "burned" on building the Newton. Of course that stake would be worth billions today, but let's not dwell on the past. We won't spoil any more of the interview for you, just hit up the source link and enjoy!

John Sculley gives an epic interview, says he was the wrong choice for Apple CEO originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Einstein brings Newton OS to the iPhone, handwriting recognition and all

Darren Murph — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:16:00 EST

Palm OS on the iPhone? Check. Android on the iPhone? Quasi-check. Newton OS on the iPhone? As of today, that's a trio of affirmations. Developer Matthias Melcher has wisely used a good bit of his free time to port one of the world's forgotten-but-not-forgotten operating systems onto Apple's iOS platform, and while things are understandably sluggish right now, he's currently working on performance optimizations that'll hopefully have it running like a clock before long. He's also made the source code available to anyone willing to tinker with the emulator, and somehow or another, he's even managed to bring over the much-hyped handwriting recognition aspect. Don't believe us? Hop on past the break and hit play.

Continue reading Einstein brings Newton OS to the iPhone, handwriting recognition and all

Einstein brings Newton OS to the iPhone, handwriting recognition and all originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Five gadgets that could have and should have done better

Michael Gartenberg — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

For every VHS, it seems there's also a Betamax -- a gadgets or standard that just didn't live up to the expectations of the mass market at the time. Despite being loved by niche audiences, these folks just didn't have what it took to make it to the big time. Here I celebrate some of my favorite gadgets and technologies that just couldn't catch on with the populace at large.

Continue reading Entelligence: Five gadgets that could have and should have done better

Entelligence: Five gadgets that could have and should have done better originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'What is iPad?' spot deviates little from the days of Newton (video)

Darren Murph — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:51:00 EST

It's far from unusual to see Apple ripping off others when it comes to spots, and the same is true in reverse. But copying itself? Head on past the break to catch the similarities between Cupertino's freshest iPad commercial and an eerily familiar Newton ad from yesteryear -- something tells us the former will make a somewhat more indelible mark on the world than the latter, though.

[Thanks, Jordan]

Continue reading 'What is iPad?' spot deviates little from the days of Newton (video)

'What is iPad?' spot deviates little from the days of Newton (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 01:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from the Apple 'latest creation' event

Joshua Topolsky — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:40:00 EST

Will the Apple tablet finally, really be unveiled? We're at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco (see above) patiently waiting to get inside and get this thing underway! Keep reading after the break for the minute by minute coverage!

Continue reading Live from the Apple 'latest creation' event

Live from the Apple 'latest creation' event originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pen input faces off against hardware and software QWERTY keyboards: there can be only one (maybe)

Paul Miller — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:59:00 EST

It's completely anecdotal and lacking in what some might call "scientific rigor," but we're digging the, ahem, relevance of Phil Gyford's little text input faceoff he performed for his blog recently. The piece pits an Apple Newton, Palm Vx, Treo 650, and Apple iPhone up against each other, with regular pen and paper and a laptop's full QWERTY keyboard thrown in for reference. The results may or may not surprise you, but (spoiler alert) after the MacBook Pro took top honors in blazing through a 221 word passage twice, the iPhone beat out the rest of the competition, with the three pen-related inputs (pen and paper, Newton MessagePad and Palm Graffiti) all taking up dead last. The iPhone, Treo and pen and paper all were relatively close in speed, and naturally your mileage may vary. That said, where do you think you fall? Drop in your results in comments (the full text he used can be found at the source link) or hit up the poll below with your best guestimate. We're dying to know!

View Poll

Pen input faces off against hardware and software QWERTY keyboards: there can be only one (maybe) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newton Peripherals' MoGo Mouse uglies up your netbook, hates your trackpad

Darren Murph — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:43:00 EST

It's one thing to sacrifice style for battery life via an extended cell, but it's another thing entirely to do this to your poor, innocent netbook. Newton Peripherals is causing all sorts of mixed emotions with its $99 MoGo Mouse, a stick-on mouse that measures in at five millimeters thick (including the holster). Granted, most netbook trackpads aren't worth the curiously textured material they're constructed from, but this just seems like an awfully short-sighted solution. After all, do you honestly think the average eBayer will be into buying a netbook with a mouse-infused lid? Doubtful.

Filed under: Peripherals

Newton Peripherals' MoGo Mouse uglies up your netbook, hates your trackpad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MoGo Talk intros Bluetooth headset for iPhone, everyone else

Darren Murph — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:03:00 EST

At this point, Bluetooth headsets are pretty played, but it's some kind of thrilling to see at least one company keeping things interesting. Newton Peripherals is that very outfit, today introducing a pair of new devices that are definitely unique in a sea of me-too ear pieces. First up is the MoGo Talk for iPhone, which adheres to the back of your handset and keeps the headset nearby at all times -- think LG's Decoy, but a tad less elegant. Next up is the MoGo Talk for VoIP & Skype (our personal favorite), which slides inconspicuously into one's ExpressCard slot in order to a) stay out of harm's way and b) charge when not in use. Too bad Apple decided that these slots were practically unwanted in its newest 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, huh? Both devices can be pre-ordered right now for $99 apiece, with shipments expected to begin next month.

[Via HotHardware]

Read - MoGo Talk for iPhone
Read - MoGo Talk for VoIP and Skype

Filed under: Peripherals

MoGo Talk intros Bluetooth headset for iPhone, everyone else originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MoGo Talk intros Bluetooth headset for iPhone, everyone else

Darren Murph — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

MoGo Talk intros Bluetooth headset for iPhone, everyone else originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Axiotron's Modbook Pro: when the Modbook just isn't enough

Jacob Schulman — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:39:00 EST

While we sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for Apple's rumored resurrection of the Newton, we'll occupy ourselves with the latest 3rd party Mac tablet -- the Modbook Pro. Based off a 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro, the Modbook Pro has all the same ports as the standard model (including the ExpressCard/34 slot), supports both pen and touch input, and has a glossy black shell. Axiotron pre-installs Quicktouch software to aid those with fat fingers, and the screen is totally flush. However, nobody said that function came cheap -- the Modbook Pro starts at $5k, but there's a $400 discount available for Macworld.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Filed under: Laptops

Axiotron's Modbook Pro: when the Modbook just isn't enough originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WWDC to launch a 3G iPhone and Atom-based MID device? [updated]

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:45:00 EST

Honestly, we're exhausted by the sheer magnitude of 3G iPhone chatter swamping the rumor channels (and our inbox). Nevertheless, it would be a disservice to you, dear reader, if we let this one slide without comment. The perennial Apple touchscreen tablet rumor was given a fresh polish yesterday by Intel's chief German Burgermeister. Hannes Schwaderer stated unequivocally that Apple would be using the new Intel Atom processor in a "future iPhone" which is slightly larger than the existing model due to a larger display. Of course, this isn't the first time that Intel has openly discussed Apple's plans to develop products based on Intel's Centrino Atom, Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform. And as MacRumors and AppleInsider point out, an older rumor calls for a new multi-touch Apple tablet to launch mid-year with a 720 x 480 display on a device said to be about 1.5x the size of the current iPhone. With Intel officially launching Atom in June and Jobs' next keynote scheduled for June 9th... well, it wouldn't surprise us to see Otellini riding a chocolate pony on stage with a multi-touch Newton in hand. Actually, that would be surprising.

P.S. That's a pic of Intel's concept MID from Mr. Blurry Cam.

Update: Er, ZDNET.de has printed a disclaimer from Intel saying that ZDNET got the whole thing wrong. Intel claims that Schwaderer's comments were generic and not based on specific knowledge about future iPhone models. Where's the damning video evidence when you need it?

[Via MacRumors and AppleInsider]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

WWDC to launch a 3G iPhone and Atom-based MID device? [updated] originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 May 2008 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Derailing the Apple touchscreen UMPC fantasy

Joshua Topolsky — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:36:00 EST

So, if you've been paying any attention to tech news over the past few days, you have probably seen an Apple UMPC rumor floating around. The cats behind these latest whisperings seem to be super-duper whizzes with Photoshop and possess pretty active imaginations. Apparently, when they heard that people were speculating on a new type of touchscreen Apple device, they decided to whip up a couple of specs, the not-so-tasty image above, and a dust cloud of hype based off of a post made on a personal -- yet largely unread -- Apple news blog. It seems to have worked, save for one small problem: there isn't one verifiable or reliable piece of information in the whole thing. Maybe Steve Jobs will see the mock-up and decide to make this thing for real so we can all get a sweet new device -- but really just so the rumor-starters in question won't be proven wrong.

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Derailing the Apple touchscreen UMPC fantasy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Apple working on a multi-touch-based Newton successor?

Donald Melanson — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:28:00 EST

This one is purely in the realm of rumor, folks, but AppleInsider is now reporting the tantalizing detail that Apple is currently working on a multi-touch-based successor to its Newton handheld. As the story goes, Apple has actually had a "small team of engineers" working on the project for the past 18 months, during which time they were occasionally forced to put the project on hold in order to help get the iPhone out the door on time. Now, with the iPhone out of the way, AppleInsider says it's "full steam ahead" on the "modern day Newton." Delving even further into the rumor mill, AppleInsider says the device will about 1.5 times the size of the iPhone, and sport a 720x480 display that fills nearly the entire surface of the unit (no surprise there). What's more, it seems that the device is intended to compete as much with UMPCs as with PDAs (something the original Newton's already taken a shot at) and, if the rumors are to be believed, it could be released "sometime in the first half of 2008," with a possible announcement as soon as MacWorld in January.

[Image courtesy of audiopollution/AppleInsider]

Filed under: Handhelds

Is Apple working on a multi-touch-based Newton successor? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newton's Mogo Mouse X54 Pro gets seriously professional

Joshua Topolsky — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:24:00 EST

Newton, inventive maker of the ultrathin, wireless MoGo Mouse has added a new variation to its game, called the MoGo Mouse X54 Pro. Just like its Bluetooth-utilizing progenitor, the X54, the new model is a credit card-thin optical mouse meant to be stored in your open ExpressCard 54 slot, but the Pro version extends functionality by rocking double-duty as a wireless presentation remote. The mouse has a small laser pointer embedded in its front, and the top panel includes buttons for navigating through your slides, blanking screens, and switching the laser on and off. It also, of course, does mousing tasks. Available in August for £54.99, or around $112.

[Via Tech Digest]

Filed under: Peripherals

Newton's Mogo Mouse X54 Pro gets seriously professional originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: Comparing Apples and Blackberrys (Part 1)

Ross Rubin — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:59:00 EST

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Apple has just introduced an incredibly promoted portable touch-screen device touted as revolutionizing an entire industry. Lines formed in anticipation of its release. The most controversial aspect of it, though, is its text-input method. And one more thing, the year is 1993 and the product is Newton. The disappointment of Newton's handwriting recognition resulted in negative reviews that left Apple with egg freckles on its face and the bold Newton MessagePad and its successors all but doomed.

Will history repeat itself with this year's model? The first sign that the iPhone's touch-screen keyboard may have a learning curve came during the Steve Jobs interview at the D: All Things Digital event when Apple's CEO offered to buy Walt Mossberg dinner if he wasn't happy with the iPhone's keyboard after coming up to speed on it.

Reinforcing that, in Apple's video walkthrough of the iPhone, the black-shirted narrator notes that "it's easiest to begin typing with just your index finger" but encourages that "as you get more proficient, migrate to using two thumbs" for the payoff that "in about a week, you'll be typing faster on iPhone than any other small keyboard. Perhaps the keyboard's tag line should be, "Give us a week. We'll take off the wait." Fortunately for Apple, most reviewers have not thrown Apple's baby out with its backspace.

Continue reading Switched On: Comparing Apples and Blackberrys (Part 1)

Filed under: Cellphones

Switched On: Comparing Apples and Blackberrys (Part 1) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How far we've come

Ryan Block — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:55:00 EST

Old school, meet new school.

[Thanks, Bob]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

How far we've come originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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30 years in Apple products: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Ryan Block — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 14:45:00 EST

Has it really been 30 years since two buddies named Steve sold off their prized possessions (Woz's HP calculator and Jobs' VW van) to raise money and launch a company? Has it really been 30 years since the two Steves, tired of selling blue boxes, built the Apple I and began selling it for $666.66? Yes, it has, and if you don't believe it, just compare Jobs' hairlines from '76 and today. And while the company has become known for many things, from its groundbreaking GUI to the iTunes Music Store, we know Apple has always been a hardware company at heart. So here's to you, Apple: the good, the bad and, yes, the ugly from the past 30 years. Happy Birthday.

Continue reading 30 years in Apple products: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Filed under: Desktops, Displays

30 years in Apple products: the good, the bad, and the ugly originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Apr 2006 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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