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Newton + Internet = Success!

Hemingray

Hemingray

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 9, 2002
2,926
37
Ha ha haaa!
This is hardly breaking news, but I just had to mention my happiness at actually getting my Newton MessagePad 2100 to connect to the internet!

I bought a Hayes Optima 33.6 card, installed NetHopper for the web and EnRoute for email, found a modem script to connect to Earthlink dial-up, and I was actually browsing the web and sending and receiving email through my messagepad!

Yeah, I know, it's not a huge deal, but I was pretty excited considering I've barely used a Newton at all, and I'm using five-year-old "obsolete" technology.

Oh, and the rest of the greatness: I went to earthlink.net, downloaded their most current access numbers, converted the html to tab-delimited text, and imported it into my Newton. So now wherever I go, as long as I have a phone line, it's all good!

Problem: NetHopper is giving me a lot of 404's for pages and even sites that I know exist! blakespot, do you know why this is? I thought it might be the DNS servers, but it's not. Is it a newer protocol that didn't exist in 1997 that's preventing me from seeing some current sites? Just curious.

I'm a happy Newton Newbie. :D
 
M

markeleven

macrumors newbie
Feb 10, 2002
21
0
NJ
Back in the day I used to get on the net with my MP 120. It was a little shaky but good enough for email while traveling, which was the real benefit. The net experience got better with the 2100 but still was shaky viewing some pages. I've even traveled abroad with my 2100 getting into the net from some far flung places. If apple could shrink OS X to newton size, keep the handwriting recognition it would totally rock as afar as I am concerned. Afterall the newt was a shrunken computer, not an organizer.
 
blakespot

blakespot

Administrator
Jun 4, 2000
1,364
142
Alexandria, VA
Originally posted by markeleven
Back in the day I used to get on the net with my MP 120. It was a little shaky but good enough for email while traveling, which was the real benefit. The net experience got better with the 2100 but still was shaky viewing some pages. I've even traveled abroad with my 2100 getting into the net from some far flung places. If apple could shrink OS X to newton size, keep the handwriting recognition it would totally rock as afar as I am concerned. Afterall the newt was a shrunken computer, not an organizer.
Click to expand...
The Newton did not try to be a shrunken desktop computer, as Windows CE does on the PocketPC. Its OS was incredibly on target for the machine's intended use. I lament the passing of the platform.


blakespot
 
blakespot

blakespot

Administrator
Jun 4, 2000
1,364
142
Alexandria, VA
Re: Newton + Internet = Success!

Problem: NetHopper is giving me a lot of 404's for pages and even sites that I know exist! blakespot, do you know why this is? I thought it might be the DNS servers, but it's not. Is it a newer protocol that didn't exist in 1997 that's preventing me from seeing some current sites? Just curious.
Click to expand...
There has been no change to the DNS structure/protocol since the Newton was kicking. I am not sure what the issue is there, I'm sorry to say.


blakespot
 
eyelikeart

eyelikeart

Moderator emeritus
Jan 2, 2001
11,897
1
Metairie, LA
obsolete or not...I'd say that's pretty resourceful!! :p

I have never used a Newton...not even seen one....and don't know much about their capabilities...but I had no idea they could be connected to the internet?! :confused:
 
blakespot

blakespot

Administrator
Jun 4, 2000
1,364
142
Alexandria, VA
I think the USRobotics modems w/ the "X-Jack" that receeded into the PCMCIA card itself were the top choice in Newton modems. I had one myself, 33.6 when I was using my 2100. An ideal e-mail machine.


blakespot
 
Hemingray

Hemingray

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 9, 2002
2,926
37
Ha ha haaa!
Originally posted by blakespot
I think the USRobotics modems w/ the "X-Jack" that receeded into the PCMCIA card itself were the top choice in Newton modems. I had one myself, 33.6 when I was using my 2100. An ideal e-mail machine.


blakespot
Click to expand...

Yup, that's what my Hayes Optima 33.6 has, the "X-Jack". It's great! Makes the modem really feel like a part of the Newton. I wouldn't use one of those external modems, it's just one extra component to worry about. I got the modem for $9.99. I also just bought a 10-base-T ethernet card for $10 and a 32 meg card for $30.

All in all, I've been surprised at how relatively inexpensive everything is for the Newton!

(P.S. I was even going to post this topic through my Newton, but I couldn't because when I clicked on the forum link from the MacRumors.com homepage it gave me one of those 404's. Hmm...)
 
blakespot

blakespot

Administrator
Jun 4, 2000
1,364
142
Alexandria, VA
Originally posted by Hemingray


Yup, that's what my Hayes Optima 33.6 has, the "X-Jack". It's great! Makes the modem really feel like a part of the Newton. I wouldn't use one of those external modems, it's just one extra component to worry about. I got the modem for $9.99. I also just bought a 10-base-T ethernet card for $10 and a 32 meg card for $30.

All in all, I've been surprised at how relatively inexpensive everything is for the Newton!
Click to expand...
A far cry from when the Newton was in its hey day. I paid $1,100 for my MP2000, $200 for the modem, lots for the memory card (12MB linear flash), keyboard, update to 2100 was $100. I can't believe I sold that thing. Here's my beloved once-owned MP2100 set:

newtonspread.jpg




blakespot
 
Hemingray

Hemingray

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 9, 2002
2,926
37
Ha ha haaa!
Well, as I write this I just finished "brainwiping" my Newton and starting all over. Somehow NotePad corrupted the memory! Every time the Newton tried to access the internal memory in any way I would get a slew of memory errors. Neither a soft reset nor a power-drain did any good. I had no alternative. :(

Good fortune must have been smiling upon me, though, because today my systems admin boss at college gave me a phased-out 8500! So I was able to connect to my Newton here at home. That was my consolation. :)
 
Ensign Paris

Ensign Paris

macrumors 68000
Nov 4, 2001
1,781
0
Europe
The whole concept of the Newton was fantastic, as the machine was.

Its amazing you can still use them and they beat the current PDAs (I would not use any other!)

Ensign
 
blakespot

blakespot

Administrator
Jun 4, 2000
1,364
142
Alexandria, VA
Originally posted by Ensign Paris
The whole concept of the Newton was fantastic, as the machine was.

Its amazing you can still use them and they beat the current PDAs (I would not use any other!)

Ensign
Click to expand...
They still, today, have the best handwriting recognition around (on NewtonOS 2.x devices). Very impressive---and Apple developed the excellent print recognizer. Size is what moved me away from the MP2100. That matters less now, as I carry a briefcase with me to and from work everyday. I wish I still had my unit. Still...the platform is for all intents and purposes--dead.

I went to the cost and trouble of placing an oldschool serial port on-line on my DP G4 800, partially to allow package installs to my MP130, but that's quite an extent to go to in order to enable a platform where production ceased, when was it, in '98?


blakespot
 
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