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Choosing: Newton VS Palm

LimeiBook86

LimeiBook86

macrumors G3
Original poster
May 4, 2002
8,003
54
Go Vegan
i was thinking of getting a new Palm Pilot because my older one had broken, which is better a Newton or a Palm, I looked at the newton specs and they seem better than the Palm specs. will it work with my Mac, I have two serial ports on my G3 tower but what about connecting it to my USB iBook? Do i need any software? or where do I get new Newton software. Will it work in OS X? Sorry for so many queations but I'm thinking of weather I should get a Palm or Newton. Please compare them, are they expensive? Can they connect to the internet or what ever, can I use apps that can transfer files to say my friends Palm? Please help me out since I know nothing about Newtons... thanks :D
 
Re: Choosing: Newton VS Palm

Originally posted by LimeiBook86
i was thinking of getting a new Palm Pilot because my older one had broken, which is better a Newton or a Palm, I looked at the newton specs and they seem better than the Palm specs. will it work with my Mac, I have two serial ports on my G3 tower but what about connecting it to my USB iBook? Do i need any software? or where do I get new Newton software. Will it work in OS X? Sorry for so many queations but I'm thinking of weather I should get a Palm or Newton. Please compare them, are they expensive? Can they connect to the internet or what ever, can I use apps that can transfer files to say my friends Palm? Please help me out since I know nothing about Newtons... thanks :D
Click to expand...

The Newton is not a viable option at this time. You should get a Palm, not the Newton.

That being said... the Newton at it's release was leaps ahead of the palm ... but had a larger form factor...

Here's a video of the a 1997 Newton: http://homepage.mac.com/weeno/.Movies/newtonsayhello.mov

arn
 
Re: Re: Choosing: Newton VS Palm

Originally posted by arn


The Newton is not a viable option at this time. You should get a Palm, not the Newton.

That being said... the Newton at it's release was leaps ahead of the palm ... but had a larger form factor...

arn
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with Arn on this one. The Newton is, in my opinion, too old and too big. I've seen software that makes the Newton work with OS X, and USB, but why do it? You can sync just about every handheld with a mac now except the handheld Linux one...

pocketmac.net makes software for syncing PocketPC handhelds with your mac

http://www.markspace.com/missingsync.html makes software for syncing the Sony Clié

So you do have choices besides Palm, when choosing a new PDA. Just thought I'd spread the word.
 
i love my newton way more than my visor, but it's my visor that gets used.

THAT said, my new cellphone (t68i) should arrive tomorrow, and i'll retire the visor.

have you considered a cellphone w/ downloadable contacts and calendars?
 
you can get that phone from amazon for $50 if you sign up for service.

it's a $300 phone - you buy it, sign up for service, they send you a $250 rebate.

it's the sony-ericsson t68i. and it syncs w/ iSync over bluetooth.
 
!

I just saw that newton video arn posted (thanks) That was cool! It recondizes your type! :D I know I'm sounding like an arse here but that Newton looks cooler than any Palm I have ever seen.... :D So what software do I need to connect to OS X via USB? and software... I'm not gonna run out and BUY a Newton, heh I just want info on it, I'll probably get the Sony Palm, the guy at COMPusa Said it didnt work with macs but that software is cool, how much is it!?

-Happy Thanksgiving! :D
 
Yeah, the newton can recognize handwriting (Rosetta decoder) but it's capabilities are limited... i've never used the 2000 series, those might be better... it just can't always translate things. Has an on-screen keyboard option, tho. The newton is definitely the cooler device, but you really have to see one to see how big and heavy they are. Apple had the right idea but the miniturization just hadn't happened yet.

So i will say this. If you're a serious Apple freak, willing to put up with limitations to get a slightly cooler device, AND you don't mind the absence of new operating systems and programs, go for the newton. If you want to really use the thing, and have future software expansion options, go for a palm. Good as your intentions might be, you can carry the palm around with you in your shirt pocket and use it whenever you need, while the newton stows conveniently away in a carrying case. Not great for jotting down the email address of an old friend you ran into at the mall or anything spur-of-the-moment...

:)
pnw
 
Well how heavy is the Newton? How much do they go for, about.... Well I am an Apple Freak! LOL Well I think the newton is awsome! How much memory does it have? As long as it can store addresses and write memos with it, and maybe the ocational game or two it will be fine. Can I use a PC CompactFlash Card to expand the memory? Or what other ways can i expand the memory. is there a PDF all about the Newton? You know what ports it has and such. Is the Newton able to connect to an ethernet connection for file sharing or internet (I know its a crazy question) Thanks for you help
 
Well i have woken myself up...

The newton is cool but old. I rather would get a palm that is new and still growing. I would love to get a newton but then I have to worry about if something breaks and whatnot. Palms are great, I had one before and I'll get another one. I hear the Sony's Palms are good, they look great. Can anyone recomend a Palm? I would like to have a memory slot so I can expand my memory. I think I'll continue looking in the Apple Store they have some palms. :-D
 
Originally posted by LimeiBook86
Well how heavy is the Newton? How much do they go for, about.... Well I am an Apple Freak! LOL Well I think the newton is awsome! How much memory does it have? As long as it can store addresses and write memos with it, and maybe the ocational game or two it will be fine. Can I use a PC CompactFlash Card to expand the memory? Or what other ways can i expand the memory. is there a PDF all about the Newton? You know what ports it has and such. Is the Newton able to connect to an ethernet connection for file sharing or internet (I know its a crazy question) Thanks for you help
Click to expand...

I do agree with the others that the Newton is not the way to go if you need form factor or up to date software. But having said that, as a fellow apple freak, I think Newton's are very cool indeed. I bought a Newton MessagePad 2100 (the last in the newton series) this month and am having a lot of fun with it. I can't wait to get my wireless ethernet card so I can do a little surfing and emailing in the libraries on campus.

Most of your questions here can be answered at http://www.splorp.com/newton/faq/ which is the current Newton FAQ. Also there is a large community mailing list avaliable. Browse the past few months of talk here: http://www.newtontalk.net/archive/ For more info, do a google search for Newton MessagePad.

There are a couple of places that you could visit if you decide to purchase a Newton. eBay almost always has auctions for Newtons, and is the best place to find ethernet cards, mini-keyboards, etc. for good prices (in my experience). I bought my 2100 from http://www.jksalesinc.com/ had wonderful service and it was in top condition.

It seems that Newtons have a good resale value (although not if you bought at the original price of $1000!), so I am not too worried about getting most of my money back if I have to sell. This theory would go down the drain if Apple makes a new "Newton" though :eek: :p .

I hope this helps you with the Newton side of it. Good luck to you, your PDA search and whichever one you decide to buy.

Cheers.
 
Answers

Yes, you can connect your Newton to your Mac through USB. You will need a serial-to-USB adapter (I got mine on eBay for $12.00-Belkin brand) and a free program called Newton Connection Utilities. It can be downloaded for free. In fact, most of the software you want for the Newt is now free.

As for functionality? There is a iTunes like app for the Newton for playing MP3s on your Newt, you can now sync your Newt with iCal and Address Book, and scores of other uses. The newt can connect to the net with ethernet cards, modem cards or wireless cards. It recognizes handwriting VERY well (cursive or print), and has a nice backlight. There are a ton of other things including portable keyboards and everything the new things can do and much more.

Now, that being said, the Newton is big compared to the Palm-ANY Palm. It was designed around the idea of a hand-held computer rather than a glorified datebook/contact manager. If you want a small-size and "easier" connectivity, then by all means go with the Palm or Handspring lines, but the Newt is still quite functional.

Good Luck either way!

Regards,
Gus
 
Newton vs. Palm

What do you need... an Apple to fall on your head??? But sadly, have to agree with the above Palm lovefest... I'd still get the Newton just for the history of it all... Way Cool video link on that Newton above...

:cool:
 
for the record i've never found a wireless card company that makes drivers for the newton, tho i havent looked in a year or two... tho i've hooked one up to appletalk networks and ethernet networks, there's a cool utility out there for viewing network statistics that way... kind of a nice reference for an on-the-go LAN manager...

:)
pnw
 
I'm considering getting a new Newton from eBay to replace my aging MessagePad 110 - perhaps a nice 2100. I know the software, I like the interface, and it's a piece of history (and you can pick them up relatively cheaply, too).

However, now that Palm have released a new sleek handheld (the Tungsten T) with Bluetooth, infra-red, a media slot and colour screen with a resolution of 320x320 - and OSX compatibility - I might take a look at that instead...
 
You are right, there is no wireless card company that makes drivers for the Newton. There are, however, several Newton users who have written these drivers, and distribute them freely. Check amy Newton User message board, or join the newtontalk list, and you can get it quite easily. They work with the Orinoco line of cards.

Gus
 
There is software out for syncing Newton with OS X...

... NCU or NBU will only work in Classic, if at all. Haven't tried the new software yet. (http://www.everchanging.com)

As for Linux PDAs, the Sharp Linux PDA doesn't advertise Mac connectivity, but I had an Agenda VR1 and was able to sync it with OS X easily. OS X comes with rsync. I haven't tried this yet either, but I'm going to try backing up a Sun to a Mac using rsync; I don't expect any problem.

I bought a Newton 2100 a couple of months ago, and I haven't decided whether I like it a lot or not. It is bulky... but the screen is nice and big if you want to draw on it, and the Palm is way too small. One thought was to use the Newton for a portable sketchpad, and come up with a way to extract the drawings from the backup and put them into Appleworks, or possibly SuperCard 4.

The organizer (things to do/calendar/memos) apps on both the Palm and Newton are extremely crude. They make an arbitrary distinction between events and to-do items, and don't allow them to be linked in any way, except for category grouping. I want something more like simple project management. Mupo, an open-source project which worked on the Agenda, was close, but its user interface needs work.
 
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