Newton Poetry

The switch has been made – be sure to update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, and any links.

Should be fun!

Well I’ll be darned – another Newton blog out there!

This one is called My Apple Newton, and it’s a great technical resource for hands-on projects and service comparisons. The blog is authored by Genghis7777 of New Zealand, and offers tips on how to go wireless, the latest software developments, and making Bluetooth connections.

The blog hasn’t been updated since mid May, but it still offers some great reading and handy info.

“This is Steve Wozniak. You think I’m a fat lazy billionaire who cuts the line at Apple stores and hasn’t done anything serious with my life since 1982, and I think you’re a shit stain on the underpants of journalism. So can we talk?”

Quoted by Dan Lyon (formerly Fake Steve Jobs), on his new blog “RealDan,” from his phone call from Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak.

It’s all thanks to the Steve Jobs opening line generator.

Fun! But I often think about that “haven’t done anything since 1982” part. Woz was the “good guy” back in the proto-days of Apple, and since then he’s become a teacher and a bit of an inventor, but not much else. I guess when you’re worth millions, you can do whatever the heck you want. Like call Dan up.

Playing around with WordPress’s new iPhone app, an elegant way to type out a quick post when I’m out and about. I’m getting used to the iPhone’s keyboard; this is the longest block of text I’ve attempted, and I’m doing it two-handed.

I scribbled something in the Scribble app, too – see if you can recognize it (below).

In other news, some WR Hambrecht analyst set AAPL’s target price to $257. Only $100 to go!

Gizmodo is hosting a wallpaper image to use as your iPhone backdrop, a roundabout way to relive Newton glory days.

Gizmodo is pretty harsh on us Newton users:

However, the fact is that the iPhone, while simpler than Newton, it’s an extremely powerful device. Much more than the Newton ever was. Its software is more accessible to normal users than the Newton’s; it runs an extremely fast operating system and, most importantly, it has a phone and built-in Wi-Fi, which is reason enough to make it a better communicator than the Newton. A product for the masses, rather than a niche wonder.

Whatever, Gizmodo. But we do appreciate the iPhone wallpaper. Click the above image to get your own copy.

It’ll be a slow posting week this week, because I’ll be driving around New England and discovering the “old” America for about 10 days. I leave today, May 16, and will be back on May 25 (or so).

WordPress makes it easy to schedule posts ahead of time, so Newton Poetry will have fresh content while I’m gone.

Check out my trip blog if you’re interested. I’ll be taking pictures and posting – hopefully – every night when I land somewhere. I’ll be taking the Newton, and my clamshell iBook G3 (it goes everywhere with me), plus an iPod with my entire music collection on it.

Until then!

Forbes.com has a list of the best Apple innovations ever. The Newton is where you land in the photo gallery, which then takes you to the obvious iPod and iPhone. The Forbes lists the MessagePad because:

What It Does: A commercial failure, this software put a computer with an elegant touch-screen interface in a user’s pocket.
Why It’s Great: Apple’s pocket computer failed first, setting Apple up for success with the iPhone.

Isn’t it funny how so many web sites are doing Apple-related lists? And most of them include Newton, for good or ill? And how much of life can really be put into “top ten such-and-such” lists before it loses some of its magic?

Soon, I’ll bet.

It’s like reading those magazine covers that brag “10 best ways to please your hubby” or “Five easy ways to flatter abs.” Are we so dumbed-down we need it broken up into list-sized chunks?

Speaking of which, I’ll have a “10 best things to do with your Newton” post coming up soon.

An oldie but goodie: a 2004 Cult of Mac story about bloggers using their Newtons to upload posts.

Mike (above) runs his Dumb Blogs Have More Fun moblog “almost entirely from his Newton.” What makes the Newton so handy for moblogs? Says Kahney:

the important thing for moblogging is the Newton’s portability; because it’s easy to carry, it’s always handy, and moblogging becomes a regular habit. The same is true of camera phones.

Unfortunately the link to Mike’s blog doesn’t work (you’ll notice that a lot with Newton sites), but this was an interesting look into the beginnings of the blogging craze – especially because it involves Newtons.

Pretty cool post over at the DadHacker.com blog everyone seems to be excited about these days (and for good reason – his Donkey Kong story is a trip). Seems the author was one of the original developers on the MessagePad:

There was a lot of great technology hidden away in the guts of Newton. I worked on some other pieces that were neat, but this is what I’m most happy about having shipped. It was a lot of fun to work on. Newton was one of those projects I always felt it was a privilege to be part of.

He tells a great story about the early days of flash memory, and how Newton’s system blew everyone away. Shucks, he says, if “the Newt had had a dock, decent docking support, and a few other things, it would have just killed Palm.” Amen, brother.

Lots of other good posts, too, including a link to a Newton video I’ll be posting soon.

What is the ultimate portable computer – Apple’s Newton MessagePad or Samsung’s Q1, a modern pocket-sized PC?

Thanks to the UK’s edition of CNET.com, we can finally learn the truth.

Two writers, Rory and Chris, duke it out in several key areas, like battery life and available software, to find out which is the better platform for the on-the-go Brit.

They describe their fight as, ultimately, a fight against boredom:

Having nothing better to do with our time, we’ve decided to throw them into the ring for a head-to-head comparison. In this feature we’ll take an in-depth look at their design, usability, reliability, input, output and synchronisation capabilities, and any special powers that help them stand out as the best-ever handheld.

I’m obviously biased, but the result was still a surprise to me. Based on what they found were the “knockout” features, I can’t blame the conclusion.

I won’t give away the end, but it’s a good read, and shows how – even after all these years – the Newton holds its own as a usable device for everyday tasks.