Newton MessagePad 110

[katie ta achoo]

At the HAAUG swap today, I bought a MessagePad 110.

It's soooooo coooooolllll... With it, I got the original receipt (HE PAID $636 FOR IT!!!! well.. his company's expense account!) and all the original stickers and packaging (no box) and other neat stuff, in a little canvas Newton bag.

I love this thing to death! It's so cute! I love the Newton Poetry that it comes up with!

BUT.... I feel like I have to press on the screen REALLY HARD sometimes.. am I just being a dumb sissy who can't write on a Newton? I feel like I'm going to break the screen sometimes!

also, the screen is SO GLAREY. It's like looking at a mirror! Any way to reduce glare? Should I aim for a uniform application of fingerprints?

and should I even bother trying to get a connecting cable to it for my Powerbook? I know I'd have to install OS 9, but I wanna really open this baby up! Let her run free, with the plethora of apps I can find on the interweb.

Is there some way I can connect the Newton to the modem, and the modem to the dial-up port on my PowerBook?
MMmmm.. overly complicated!

(it's so pretty!!)

 

[TheMonarch]

How much did you pay?

 

[katie ta achoo]

$20!

aahahahahaha
I love it!

he asked for $40.

 

[zap2]

AAAhh!!

I want one SO BAD!!

 

[katie ta achoo]

AAAhh!!

I want one SO BAD!!

In the words of the great french poet Aristide-Louis-Armand Bruant, "neener, neener."

Oh, I keed, I keed! Check ebay. They're REALLY NEAT!!! I'm putting in all my addresses now.. it's like my iPod's address book.. except for it's monocromatic, weighs like 30 pounds (I never use hyperbole), and has no os x support (or friggin' limited support), and no music..

 

[RacerX]

and should I even bother trying to get a connecting cable to it for my Powerbook? I know I'd have to install OS 9, but I wanna really open this baby up! Let her run free, with the plethora of apps I can find on the interweb.

Is there some way I can connect the Newton to the modem, and the modem to the dial-up port on my PowerBook?
MMmmm.. overly complicated!

The main limitation I think you'll find is that because that Newton can run version 2.0 of the Newton OS, some apps and the Mac OS X connection software aren't going to work. There are serial-to-usb adapters, but with that Newton it might not be worth it.

In fact, what you might want to do is find an older PowerBook and use that as a "base of operations" for it. I was given a PowerBook 3400c for free, and would be the perfect Newton companion.

I'm pretty lucky with my setup... I have a 120 which connects great with my PowerBook Wallstreet (which has a serial port). I can sync with Address Book and install software just fine with it.

also, the screen is SO GLAREY. It's like looking at a mirror! Any way to reduce glare? Should I aim for a uniform application of fingerprints?

I know what you mean... you may be able to find a clear film that you can put on the surface. I seem to recall that there was something like that at one point and still might be for Palms (though those would obviously be too small). It is the same stuff that Apple has on the face of the iPods in their packaging.

I've been thinking about that problem lately too, if I come up with a more specific solution (like were to find sheets of that stuff) I'll post it.

 

[ITASOR]

Oooo cool! Get a wifi card!

 

[katie ta achoo]

Oooo cool! Get a wifi card!

If I got a wifi card, what kind of browser would I use?

I'm so out of this, I don't know what to do with it.

If I got a wireless card, could I make a kind of network between it and my PB and sync it that way?

Ooo... I want a wireless card...

and RacerX thanks.. now I have an excuse to get an old PowerBook

 

[ITASOR]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wireless-Intern...itemZ5849622750QQcategoryZ38331QQcmdZViewItem

That's pretty much the King Newton™.

 

[5300cs]

People complained about the shinny-ness of the Newton screens, so starting with the MP120 it was given a more textured screen. This reduced glare, and made the surface feel more like pen on paper.

You can get plastic film to put over the screen. NuShield I think, is used by lots of Newton users.

Go to Newtontalk.net and join their mailing list for Newton information. There is still a thriving Newton community, and this is where they meet and talk.

Without OS 9 (or Classic) you cannot sync with your Newton. Newton Connection Utilities will not work in pure OS X.

Can you show a picture of the canvas Newton bag? I've never heard of/seen one before.

 

[RacerX]

Without OS 9 (or Classic) you cannot sync with your Newton. Newton Connection Utilities will not work in pure OS X.

In case someone reads this line as Newtons can not sync with Mac OS X... there is software to connect Newtons with Mac OS X systems. The limitation is that it requires a Newton that can run Newton OS 2.0 or later. In other words, a MessagePad 120 or later model Newton.

The quote is completely correct when remembering that "your Newton" is referring to a MessagePad 110.

Just thought that should be clarified.