My Newton: Why I Won't Buy an iPhone or iPod touch
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We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
I find myself once again in the deserts of the Middle East. I have
been here a long time and am almost ready to go home.
One of my best friends (other than my wife, who I talk to through
emails and Skype
calls) is my Newton. I have both my PowerBook G4 and
my black MacBook, but what I carry on me as part of my gear is my
MessagePad
120. This is my second deployment with it, and I have it custom
painted tan to match my old desert camouflage uniform.
In one sentence, I am waiting for Apple to replace the Newton.
The iPhone, with its email and Internet capabilities, is great, but
most of Iraq doesn't have cell towers. I need an Apple-based PDA. The
new iPod touch seems good, but it's still missing email, fax, text
editing, and handwriting recognition like my Newton can do.
My Newton doesn't have a WiFi card, but it has a good fax/modem
card. I haven't tried to get my Newton to work with Mac OS X, but
it's simple enough to store everything I need on hand in this hectic
combat zone.
Things I have on my Newton:
Email contact list
Phone numbers
Addresses
Notes
Poems
Serial numbers
LEM articles brainstorms
A letter in case something happens to me
Unclassified job related notes
Training notes
I also have a few games that keep me busy.
My Newton helps me do my job better, and I keep backups of documents
on my 5G iPod.
GIs
love it when I pull out my Newton while I'm instructing or
troubleshooting equipment; they often ask what the NSN (National Stock
Number) - commonly know to civilians as a part number - to order one.
People don't believe me when they see the Apple logo up close and I
tell them its not a piece of military gear.
I want Apple to simply update the software on the iPhone and iPod
touch to have these capabilities. I would go out right now and buy both
and simply take the iPod touch with me overseas.
Sadly my Newton's screen got crushed a few weeks ago, when I had it
in one of my cargo pockets and had to get in the prone position
unexpectedly. I know that many people believe that the Newton is
obsolete and that the only ones worth using were the 2000/2100, but I
loved my MessagePad 120.
I got my MessagePad 120 in the summer of 2000 after a successful
summer at the business I was running. I paid around $100 and really
wanted something better, like the 130 with its backlit display or the
all powerful 200/2100, but that was all I could afford back then. And I
just got used to it and never upgraded.
I already mailed my Newton with a bunch of other things home while I
am in the process of redeploying. If anyone wants to say hi to boost
morale, feel free to email me at mulderbean (at) gmail (dot) com.
Page not found | Low End Mac
Welcome Image and Text
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
GIs
love it when I pull out my Newton while I'm instructing or
troubleshooting equipment; they often ask what the NSN (National Stock
Number) - commonly know to civilians as a part number - to order one.
People don't believe me when they see the Apple logo up close and I
tell them its not a piece of military gear.