I always thought of a newton as more than a PDA, or inteded to be more than a PDA with a few limitations imposed by the state of technology at the time. The current "UMPC"
I would love to have something in the iPod touch category with schedule, address book, email, etc. In that form factor, that is a PDA. and I for one don't like to cary my PDA all the time, and sometimes what a smaller phone that slips into a pocket and (god forbid) if something happened to it is cheaper to replace.
I would buy a neo-Newton to take with me on travels and maybe do all of those things plus have the ability to work on a document or two, update a website/blog, deal with email attachments, download photos from my camera when it was full... all of the things I lug my MBP around for now.
But in the end those are two different devices. I would love to see apple bring something truely useable to the UMPC market and give us a Windows or Symbian alternative. But that isn't a PDA.
How about they just add a working calendar and email program to the touch.
I would buy that today if it were available, and a lot of others would too.
There are a lot of people who want to have email and a calendar in their pocket who aren't going to buy an iPhone because of service issues or contracts.
There is no technical reason not to do this, apple is leaving $ on the table.
Bottom line is that I, and many others aren't going to wait for next year. I don't want to buy a palm or a blackberry, but if apple keeps hamstringing its products I just might have to...
Fascinating report, but I'm really not sure exactly who this product would be for.
PDAs are currently dying - they're being wiped out by smartphones.
Apple laptops are about to get even sleeker and thinner.
The main markets would seem to be vertical markets (doctors, business users for meetings, people taking notes or needing net access while walking/working) or as an e-reader where using a notebook is impossible or a nuisance (e.g. reading on the train). But that's not what Apple is interested in. They're interested in the mass market of mainstream consumers.
So, what's the mainstream use? Why do you need one of these in addition to a computer, iPod, and/or (smart)phone?
And how many people would be willing to pay (let's say) $599 for one? Or even $499?
I'm intrigued, mind you, but I'm unsure this would find a place in the mianstream market.
Palm, Dell, HP, Sony, and every other PDA manufacturer learned years ago that the standalone PDA was a dead product. Microsoft proved that the "Tablet" PC and "Oragami" had no real market. Now Apple is going to come in and somehow create this market? I don't think so.
This is a product which has a very small, albeit vocal, following. It would do Apple very little good to pursue this with any kind of hopes for selling on the level of iPod or iPhone. As a R&D project that will eventually produce fruit for the iPhone and iPod platforms, maybe. As some technology that might make it into the ultra-portable laptop that's supposed to come out soon, maybe.
I agree that the Newton was more powerful in some ways than the iPhone. That's not the point. It was a brick. A big, giant brick that wouldn't fit into a woman's purse, let alone anyone's pants pocket. That alone limits its appeal.
And for those who think this would be a laptop replacement, try running Photoshop or even iPhoto on it. Until it can do that, it's not going to replace my laptop. Most people do a lot more than Microsoft Word with their computers these days.
Hey, they could call it the Foleo now that Palm has seen sense. Really Apple, don't be so stupid - big ass PDA? WTF? Nobody wants them anymore. You've been listening to Intel and their silly MID device mockups again haven't you?
Just add the missing applications to the iPhone and iPod Touch and you've got the best PDA out there going, which also happen to be the best iPod and the best phone. Then let 3rd party developers fill the voids left. Done. Rebirth of the Newton completed.
I have been waiting a long time for this. I want a PDA device so bad that I'm seriously considering buying the IPaq 211. I would prefer the iNewton instead.
Hey, they could call it the Foleo now that Palm has seen sense. Really Apple, don't be so stupid - big ass PDA? WTF? Nobody wants them anymore. You've been listening to Intel and their silly MID device mockups again haven't you?
Well, admittedly, it's not that big - according to the mock-up it's around the size of a small paperback book (and much much thinner).
It's just not comfortably pocket-size.
And the biggest folly of the Foleo is that it required a Treo to use, which just made no sense. I assume this product, if it ever actually appears, will nicely sync up with your computer but operate as a standalone device. (Although do you have to hunt around for Wi-Fi hot spots to be able to go online, like the touch...?)
But it still seems to get real fuzzy when you think about what purpose it would serve. It's too big to be used as a music player or phone (though it'd be an fantastic video player or e-reader), and too limited to be used wholly as a laptop replacement. Unless Apple is counting on a large group of people who just want to watch videos and check e-mail on trips but (a) don't want to bring laptops (b) for some reason don't want an iPhone which does almost exactly what this device does plus is a phone, and (c) and are willing to spend hundreds of dollars for yet another device, I don't quite get it.
wut, apple will stick to the product previous name? Wow, if Apple is going to produce back PDA's, it would be soo cool to own one although I dont think I will ever need a PDA
This is what I'm waiting to happen with the iPhone. I don't to risk bricking it. I'll just wait to see what happens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aegisdesign
Hey, they could call it the Foleo now that Palm has seen sense. Really Apple, don't be so stupid - big ass PDA? WTF? Nobody wants them anymore. You've been listening to Intel and their silly MID device mockups again haven't you?
Just add the missing applications to the iPhone and iPod Touch and you've got the best PDA out there going, which also happen to be the best iPod and the best phone. Then let 3rd party developers fill the voids left. Done. Rebirth of the Newton completed.
Yeah, this product has the potential to really confuse consumers.
I have questions regarding what it is or isn't or could be or won't be:
Could we still consider it a successor to the Newton if it only has multi-touch and not handwriting recognition (Inkwell)?
Should or shouldn't it have cellular network access (implying voice and data applications)?
How should consumers see this (and how should Steve sell this as): a keyboardless Macbook? a really, really big iPhone? (Apple has gained a lot of new users. Telling them "The Newton is back!" may not mean anything to them).
Apple Inc, which helped spawn the PDA market with its Newton MessagePad line in the early '90s, plans to give the concept another go with a modern day reincarnation of the old fan favorite based on the company's new mutli-touch technology, AppleInsider has learned.
I'm paying attention! Apple has needed the functions of a PDA for a long time - and my Palm Tungsten T is getting a bit long in the tooth. But why not just add the PDA functionality to the iTouch? I'd say iPhone, but I'm not ready to pay off Verizon quite yet. So lay it on the iTouch, or maybe the iTouch 2, with more memory and an even faster engine able to handle the apps. Oh, and while you're at it, a voice recorder and/or voice command input would be welcome.
Another interesting answer to a question Steve gave during All Things D in '04 along side the PDA comment during the Q&A session:
Quote:
During a Q&A session, one individual pleaded with Jobs (as he clenched his Treo), begging for Apple to produce a PDA/Phone hybrid. Jobs told the audience member it would be best to remain happy with his Treo.
Apple was well on their way in developing the iPhone at that time, right?! Sneeky Jobs..
It'd be nice if Apple included a GPS chip in it as well, even if the mapping software had to be obtained separately.
The only real similar product right now is the Nokia N800, which is getting a small but fervent following. It's definitely a productised research platform, with some nice uses.
I think iWork would be usable on an 800x480 display, so I would hope that was some of the software available. Then again I think it should be on the iPhone as well, but maybe it will make it there in due course as Apple can't do everything simultaneously.
Also eBooks should be quite nice to view on such a device, flicking the screen to switch pages, etc. Here's hoping that iTunes gets eBooks in the store to go alongside it, with free Project Gutenberg downloads as well.
And a Frotz emulator for those old Infocom text adventures!
And a small portable external keyboard, bluetooth of course!
Comments
I would love to have something in the iPod touch category with schedule, address book, email, etc. In that form factor, that is a PDA. and I for one don't like to cary my PDA all the time, and sometimes what a smaller phone that slips into a pocket and (god forbid) if something happened to it is cheaper to replace.
I would buy a neo-Newton to take with me on travels and maybe do all of those things plus have the ability to work on a document or two, update a website/blog, deal with email attachments, download photos from my camera when it was full... all of the things I lug my MBP around for now.
But in the end those are two different devices. I would love to see apple bring something truely useable to the UMPC market and give us a Windows or Symbian alternative. But that isn't a PDA.
I would buy that today if it were available, and a lot of others would too.
There are a lot of people who want to have email and a calendar in their pocket who aren't going to buy an iPhone because of service issues or contracts.
There is no technical reason not to do this, apple is leaving $ on the table.
Bottom line is that I, and many others aren't going to wait for next year. I don't want to buy a palm or a blackberry, but if apple keeps hamstringing its products I just might have to...
PDAs are currently dying - they're being wiped out by smartphones.
Apple laptops are about to get even sleeker and thinner.
The main markets would seem to be vertical markets (doctors, business users for meetings, people taking notes or needing net access while walking/working) or as an e-reader where using a notebook is impossible or a nuisance (e.g. reading on the train). But that's not what Apple is interested in. They're interested in the mass market of mainstream consumers.
So, what's the mainstream use? Why do you need one of these in addition to a computer, iPod, and/or (smart)phone?
And how many people would be willing to pay (let's say) $599 for one? Or even $499?
I'm intrigued, mind you, but I'm unsure this would find a place in the mianstream market.
And 3d party apps.
But it's not due out until 09.
What happened!?
Oh! The Newton!! Gadzooks!
This is a product which has a very small, albeit vocal, following. It would do Apple very little good to pursue this with any kind of hopes for selling on the level of iPod or iPhone. As a R&D project that will eventually produce fruit for the iPhone and iPod platforms, maybe. As some technology that might make it into the ultra-portable laptop that's supposed to come out soon, maybe.
I agree that the Newton was more powerful in some ways than the iPhone. That's not the point. It was a brick. A big, giant brick that wouldn't fit into a woman's purse, let alone anyone's pants pocket. That alone limits its appeal.
And for those who think this would be a laptop replacement, try running Photoshop or even iPhoto on it. Until it can do that, it's not going to replace my laptop. Most people do a lot more than Microsoft Word with their computers these days.
Eat Up Martha.
Just add the missing applications to the iPhone and iPod Touch and you've got the best PDA out there going, which also happen to be the best iPod and the best phone. Then let 3rd party developers fill the voids left. Done. Rebirth of the Newton completed.
Hey, they could call it the Foleo now that Palm has seen sense. Really Apple, don't be so stupid - big ass PDA? WTF? Nobody wants them anymore. You've been listening to Intel and their silly MID device mockups again haven't you?
Well, admittedly, it's not that big - according to the mock-up it's around the size of a small paperback book (and much much thinner).
It's just not comfortably pocket-size.
And the biggest folly of the Foleo is that it required a Treo to use, which just made no sense. I assume this product, if it ever actually appears, will nicely sync up with your computer but operate as a standalone device. (Although do you have to hunt around for Wi-Fi hot spots to be able to go online, like the touch...?)
But it still seems to get real fuzzy when you think about what purpose it would serve. It's too big to be used as a music player or phone (though it'd be an fantastic video player or e-reader), and too limited to be used wholly as a laptop replacement. Unless Apple is counting on a large group of people who just want to watch videos and check e-mail on trips but (a) don't want to bring laptops (b) for some reason don't want an iPhone which does almost exactly what this device does plus is a phone, and (c) and are willing to spend hundreds of dollars for yet another device, I don't quite get it.
Hey, they could call it the Foleo now that Palm has seen sense. Really Apple, don't be so stupid - big ass PDA? WTF? Nobody wants them anymore. You've been listening to Intel and their silly MID device mockups again haven't you?
Just add the missing applications to the iPhone and iPod Touch and you've got the best PDA out there going, which also happen to be the best iPod and the best phone. Then let 3rd party developers fill the voids left. Done. Rebirth of the Newton completed.
I have questions regarding what it is or isn't or could be or won't be:
Anyone remember KORMAC?
Apple Inc, which helped spawn the PDA market with its Newton MessagePad line in the early '90s, plans to give the concept another go with a modern day reincarnation of the old fan favorite based on the company's new mutli-touch technology, AppleInsider has learned.
I'm paying attention! Apple has needed the functions of a PDA for a long time - and my Palm Tungsten T is getting a bit long in the tooth. But why not just add the PDA functionality to the iTouch? I'd say iPhone, but I'm not ready to pay off Verizon quite yet. So lay it on the iTouch, or maybe the iTouch 2, with more memory and an even faster engine able to handle the apps. Oh, and while you're at it, a voice recorder and/or voice command input would be welcome.
During a Q&A session, one individual pleaded with Jobs (as he clenched his Treo), begging for Apple to produce a PDA/Phone hybrid. Jobs told the audience member it would be best to remain happy with his Treo.
Apple was well on their way in developing the iPhone at that time, right?! Sneeky Jobs..
The only real similar product right now is the Nokia N800, which is getting a small but fervent following. It's definitely a productised research platform, with some nice uses.
I think iWork would be usable on an 800x480 display, so I would hope that was some of the software available. Then again I think it should be on the iPhone as well, but maybe it will make it there in due course as Apple can't do everything simultaneously.
Also eBooks should be quite nice to view on such a device, flicking the screen to switch pages, etc. Here's hoping that iTunes gets eBooks in the store to go alongside it, with free Project Gutenberg downloads as well.
And a Frotz emulator for those old Infocom text adventures!
And a small portable external keyboard, bluetooth of course!