Newton Poetry

Ryan Vetter at Liquidpubs:

Since the Macintosh division, as well as many others at Apple, saw the Newton as something that could very well make desktop computers extinct, they decided to develop a Newton-like Mac. Something that could act like a portable, slate-like device. But, unlike the Newton, these devices would run Mac software, with a full Mac operating system, and work with a keyboard and mouse. It was a bridge between the original Macintosh and the new, mobile powerhouse: the Newton.

What proceeds this is a fascinating tour of Apple’s history designing tablet computers – and not just the Newton, but tablet-style Apple IIs and Macs as well.

Reading through this, you get the impression that the folks at Apple have been obsessed with portables for a very long time. All these years later, it’s what the company is best know for.

[Via Minimal Mac.]

It’s interesting to imagine what the Newton could’ve become.

Wikiwikinewt gives us some food for though, including some early prototypes before the Newton came of age.  Or how about the “Cadillac?”  There’s a whole set of Flickr photos dedicated to it:

The web is just full of this stuff.  The Apple Museum has a list of prototypes and codenames.  The Newton’s codename?  The all-too fitting “Batman.”

Here’s what it could’ve looked like:

Sleek and stylish!

The ol’ slab-black, flip-cover look never really went away on the actualy production models, with the obvious exception of the eMate.

And what a shame.  To think that we could be debating Newton styles like we do now with Blackberries or Blackjacks or whatever.

If only…