In late 1992 to mid-1993 I was working on a project at Apple for the Newton. There were two Newton prototypes being developed at the time. I was working on a screen calibrator for the larger of the two Newtons. I never saw anything but the LCD and its controller. Then, there was a big layoff, about 2500, if I recall. Our whole division, Manufacturing R & D was wiped out, my boss, his boss, and his boss and nearly all their people. Later, the $40,000 calibrator we'd been building went in the dumpster. IIRC, the Newton whose calibrator I was working on was shelved and the smaller one, the Newton as we know it, got to market as the 100.
The one whose calibrator I'd worked on had a larger screen than the 100. Its screen and the surrounding board/controller were made by Sharp.The screen may have been about the size of the 2000/2100, but the board surrounding it added more than an inch around the perimeter of the screen. Does anybody know if the the larger one was produced? Did it become the 2000/2100?
What's worse is the "Senior" never made it to the light of day. THAT was sweet. Take a 2000 and put it in an 8.5x11" tablet form. Several prototypes existed, I wonder whatever happened to them?
Not unless you're talking about the wedge-shaped thing, I think it was called the 'cadillac'? That had a 2000 sized screen but a large bezel area around it. One prototype I saw had a wired pen on it.
> In late 1992 to mid-1993 I was working on a project at Apple for the > Newton. There were two Newton prototypes being developed at the time. I > was working on a screen calibrator for the larger of the two Newtons. I > never saw anything but the LCD and its controller. Then, there was a > big layoff, about 2500, if I recall. Our whole division, Manufacturing > R & D was wiped out, my boss, his boss, and his boss and nearly all > their people. Later, the $40,000 calibrator we'd been building went in > the dumpster. IIRC, the Newton whose calibrator I was working on was > shelved and the smaller one, the Newton as we know it, got to market as > the 100.
> The one whose calibrator I'd worked on had a larger screen than the > 100. Its screen and the surrounding board/controller were made by > Sharp.The screen may have been about the size of the 2000/2100, but the > board surrounding it added more than an inch around the perimeter of > the screen. Does anybody know if the the larger one was produced? Did > it become the 2000/2100?
> In late 1992 to mid-1993 I was working on a project at Apple for the > Newton. There were two Newton prototypes being developed at the time. I > was working on a screen calibrator for the larger of the two Newtons. I > never saw anything but the LCD and its controller. Then, there was a > big layoff, about 2500, if I recall. Our whole division, Manufacturing > R & D was wiped out, my boss, his boss, and his boss and nearly all > their people. Later, the $40,000 calibrator we'd been building went in > the dumpster. IIRC, the Newton whose calibrator I was working on was > shelved and the smaller one, the Newton as we know it, got to market as > the 100.
> The one whose calibrator I'd worked on had a larger screen than the > 100. Its screen and the surrounding board/controller were made by > Sharp.The screen may have been about the size of the 2000/2100, but the > board surrounding it added more than an inch around the perimeter of > the screen. Does anybody know if the the larger one was produced? Did > it become the 2000/2100?
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "calibrator"...
-Laurent. -- ================================================================= Laurent Daudelin Logiciels Nemesys Software mailto:laurent.daude...@ihatespam.net <http://nemesys.dyndns.org> Replace ihatespam with verizon to reply +++++++++++ Sent using an Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 ++++++++++
> In late 1992 to mid-1993 I was working on a project at Apple for the > Newton. There were two Newton prototypes being developed at the time. I > was working on a screen calibrator for the larger of the two Newtons. I > never saw anything but the LCD and its controller. Then, there was a > big layoff, about 2500, if I recall. Our whole division, Manufacturing > R & D was wiped out, my boss, his boss, and his boss and nearly all > their people. Later, the $40,000 calibrator we'd been building went in > the dumpster. IIRC, the Newton whose calibrator I was working on was > shelved and the smaller one, the Newton as we know it, got to market as > the 100.
> The one whose calibrator I'd worked on had a larger screen than the > 100. Its screen and the surrounding board/controller were made by > Sharp.The screen may have been about the size of the 2000/2100, but the > board surrounding it added more than an inch around the perimeter of > the screen. Does anybody know if the the larger one was produced? Did > it become the 2000/2100?
The short answer is: Probably not.
As many people know, the "Newton" started out life as an expensive and bulky keyboardless pen-based laptop computer. It later became a tablet computer which was still expensive, and then became two competing 'products' within Apple's R&D department - the bigger "Senior" which was still a tablet computer, and the smaller, cheaper "Junior" which eventually became the palmtop Newton we know and love. It's possible that the expensive and gadget-complex "Senior" later got downgraded to form the basis for the eMate laptop.
The Newton and the eMate are the only two "Newton" products (plus of course the 'Ink' handwriting recognition in Mac OS X) to ever make it to the market place and be able to be bought and used by the general public.
BUT, there were stories of Disneyland workers walking around with tablet-style Apple devices bigger than the Newton, which were rumoured to be prototypes for a new Newton. Nothing has ever come of those rumours ... yet, but despite Steve Jobs assertion that he won't be making a PDA the "new Newton" rumour continues pop up every other year in one form or another (eg. iWalk), usually just before a big Expo announcement. Or maybe it's because of Steve's assertion ... perhaps the "Newton2" will be more than a simple PDA. :o)
It's possible (even probable) that Apple is still working on Newton and tablet style devices in their R&D department, but whether any of these devices ever see the light of day on a shop shelf is unknown. No doubt some of the ideas will make it into future devices and future versions of the Mac OS though.
> As many people know, the "Newton" started out life as an expensive and > bulky keyboardless pen-based laptop computer.
Err, not really. The expectation was to have it be a PDA, that early prototypes were larger is less relevant.
> It later became a tablet > computer which was still expensive, and then became two competing > 'products' within Apple's R&D department - the bigger "Senior" which > was still a tablet computer, and the smaller, cheaper "Junior" which > eventually became the palmtop Newton we know and love.
I think you might be exaggerating the 'competing' angle.
> It's possible > that the expensive and gadget-complex "Senior" later got downgraded to > form the basis for the eMate laptop.
The Senior was quite far along, plastics existed for it's case. It was more rounded on the sides than an MP2000, had two PCMCIA slots and a battery 'tube' along the expected 'grip edge' of it. I'd hardly categorize it a 'gadget complex' since all it really had was a larger screen. The circuit boards were different, of course, but not significantly so.
> The Newton and the eMate are the only two "Newton" products (plus of > course the 'Ink' handwriting recognition in Mac OS X) to ever make it > to the market place and be able to be bought and used by the general > public.
Well, there were also the Schlumberger and other embedded units. Those weren't retail products though.
> BUT, there were stories of Disneyland workers walking around with > tablet-style Apple devices bigger than the Newton, which were rumoured > to be prototypes for a new Newton. Nothing has ever come of those > rumours ... yet,
The Senior did exist and was quite close to being a unit capable of being put in to production. Whether or not anyone from Disney had any of them I don't know. It's certainly possible.
> but despite Steve Jobs assertion that he won't be > making a PDA
When Steve Jobs was given a demonstration of the Motorola Marco (wireless newton) he was his usual rude and dismissive self, go so far as saying "real computers have keyboards". It's no surprise all the Newton people jumped ship on news of his return.
It's tragic they essentially just turned out the lights and bricked up the doors on the Newton. Entombed as it were.
In article <fLSdnShJK4lOlCLcRVn...@speakeasy.net>, "wkearney99"
<wkearne...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > As many people know, the "Newton" started out life as an expensive and > > bulky keyboardless pen-based laptop computer.
> Err, not really. The expectation was to have it be a PDA, that early > prototypes were larger is less relevant.
I meant the ORIGINAL device before "Senior" that years later evolved into Newton. It wasn't meant to be a "PDA" as such (a term not even invented then), it was basically a pen-based tablet PC.
> > It's possible > > that the expensive and gadget-complex "Senior" later got downgraded to > > form the basis for the eMate laptop.
> The Senior was quite far along, plastics existed for it's case. It was more > rounded on the sides than an MP2000, had two PCMCIA slots and a battery > 'tube' along the expected 'grip edge' of it. I'd hardly categorize it a > 'gadget complex' since all it really had was a larger screen. The circuit > boards were different, of course, but not significantly so.
"Senior" also originally reportedly had a pile of other technology (basically an 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach) that bumped up the price and size, much of which was dropped for "Junior" ... at least to start with. Some of it did come back again though and eventually "Junior" was doing many of the more useful abilities "Senior" could, only smaller and cheaper (and perhaps slightly slower).
> > The Newton and the eMate are the only two "Newton" products (plus of > > course the 'Ink' handwriting recognition in Mac OS X) to ever make it > > to the market place and be able to be bought and used by the general > > public.
> Well, there were also the Schlumberger and other embedded units. Those > weren't retail products though.
> > BUT, there were stories of Disneyland workers walking around with > > tablet-style Apple devices bigger than the Newton, which were rumoured > > to be prototypes for a new Newton. Nothing has ever come of those > > rumours ... yet,
> The Senior did exist and was quite close to being a unit capable of being > put in to production. Whether or not anyone from Disney had any of them I > don't know. It's certainly possible.
There's many products around that can't be bought by the public and/or are prototypes undergoing testing, so it is possible that "Senior" or a derivative of it was used by Disneyland workers, but more likely those people actually saw were really versions of Windows-based tablet PCs or perhaps some sort of larger Palm device. Apple doesn't usually put "secret" R&D products out in such a public arena.
> > but despite Steve Jobs assertion that he won't be > > making a PDA
> When Steve Jobs was given a demonstration of the Motorola Marco (wireless > newton) he was his usual rude and dismissive self, go so far as saying "real > computers have keyboards". It's no surprise all the Newton people jumped > ship on news of his return.
> It's tragic they essentially just turned out the lights and bricked up the > doors on the Newton. Entombed as it were.
And yet 'Ink' was inserted into Mac OS X ... so much for having to have a keyboard. :o)
> > The Senior was quite far along, plastics existed for it's case. It was more > > rounded on the sides than an MP2000, had two PCMCIA slots and a battery > > 'tube' along the expected 'grip edge' of it. I'd hardly categorize it a > > 'gadget complex' since all it really had was a larger screen. The circuit > > boards were different, of course, but not significantly so.
> "Senior" also originally reportedly had a pile of other technology > (basically an 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach)
I've actually seen, held and written code for one. It wasn't a 'kitchen sink' approach. It was larger with more RAM/ROM and a second PCMCIA slot. But that's about it. It would of course have been more expensive but that and available battery life had everyhing to do with it not coming to market. That among the rest of the non-technical reasons the Newton group tanked.
> There's many products around that can't be bought by the public and/or > are prototypes undergoing testing, so it is possible that "Senior" or a > derivative of it was used by Disneyland workers, but more likely those > people actually saw were really versions of Windows-based tablet PCs or > perhaps some sort of larger Palm device. Apple doesn't usually put > "secret" R&D products out in such a public arena.
Pegasus-based tablets (windows) were horrible, people wouldn't have confused it. Likewise there weren't (still aren't?) any larger Palm-based devices available at the time.
> > When Steve Jobs was given a demonstration of the Motorola Marco (wireless > > newton) he was his usual rude and dismissive self, go so far as saying "real > > computers have keyboards". It's no surprise all the Newton people jumped > > ship on news of his return.
> And yet 'Ink' was inserted into Mac OS X ... so much for having to have > a keyboard. :o)
Uh, the box is still sold with one, isn't it? It basically cannot be used without a keyboard and the ink is just tacked on as another alternative input device (and rather poorly at that).
<wkearne...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > > The Senior was quite far along, plastics existed for it's case. It was > more > > > rounded on the sides than an MP2000, had two PCMCIA slots and a battery > > > 'tube' along the expected 'grip edge' of it. I'd hardly categorize it a > > > 'gadget complex' since all it really had was a larger screen. The > circuit > > > boards were different, of course, but not significantly so.
> > "Senior" also originally reportedly had a pile of other technology > > (basically an 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach)
> I've actually seen, held and written code for one. It wasn't a 'kitchen > sink' approach. It was larger with more RAM/ROM and a second PCMCIA slot. > But that's about it. It would of course have been more expensive but that > and available battery life had everyhing to do with it not coming to market. > That among the rest of the non-technical reasons the Newton group tanked.
DOH!
That should have said "the pre-'Senior' device" had everything but the kitchen sink. "Senior" came along later when the original was considered too expensive and over-gadgeted. :-)
> > > When Steve Jobs was given a demonstration of the Motorola Marco > (wireless > > > newton) he was his usual rude and dismissive self, go so far as saying > "real > > > computers have keyboards". It's no surprise all the Newton people > jumped > > > ship on news of his return.
> > And yet 'Ink' was inserted into Mac OS X ... so much for having to have > > a keyboard. :o)
> Uh, the box is still sold with one, isn't it? It basically cannot be used > without a keyboard and the ink is just tacked on as another alternative > input device (and rather poorly at that).
True for now, but who knows what the future holds ... probably a small phone-style keyboard for entering data like TXT Messaging. :o\
"Helpful Harry" <helpful_ha...@nom.de.plume.com> wrote in message
news:161220040850267050%
> DOH!
> That should have said "the pre-'Senior' device" had everything but the > kitchen sink. "Senior" came along later when the original was > considered too expensive and over-gadgeted. :-)
Well, I've seen most of the previous designs and none qualified as 'kitchen sink' either. The earlier units were usually larger or more strange due to the limits of available materials at the time. Using wired pens, wider bezels and the like, were almost always because getting alternatives for /that stage/ of development weren't practical.
> True for now, but who knows what the future holds ... probably a small > phone-style keyboard for entering data like TXT Messaging. :o\
No amount of technology will help until they address the problem of people without 'real lives' writing software for devices that are supposed to help people that do. I've often said, letting programmers make lifestyle software is like letting deaf people make musical instruments (no insult to the hearing impaired intended). It may well LOOK like the right thing but it sure as hell won't sound right.
In article <QIudnRJQm5tiTl3cRVn...@speakeasy.net>, "wkearney99"
<wkearne...@hotmail.com> wrote: > "Helpful Harry" <helpful_ha...@nom.de.plume.com> wrote in message > news:161220040850267050%
> > True for now, but who knows what the future holds ... probably a small > > phone-style keyboard for entering data like TXT Messaging. :o\
> No amount of technology will help until they address the problem of people > without 'real lives' writing software for devices that are supposed to help > people that do. I've often said, letting programmers make lifestyle > software is like letting deaf people make musical instruments (no insult to > the hearing impaired intended). It may well LOOK like the right thing but > it sure as hell won't sound right.
That'd explain all of Microsoft's applications. ;o)
