Newton Get Serious
Volume Number: 13
Issue Number: 4
Column Tag: Tools Of The Trade
Newton? Get Serious!
By Edward Ringel
Life is changing in the hand-held computer world
Several months ago I got interested in mobile computing, and I discovered the Newton
MessagePad 2000 from Apple. I believe this new palmtop computer is a very appealing
product for a large segment of the portable computing public. The introduction of this
device is a significant, new, and exciting marriage of hardware, software and market
opportunity that demands careful scrutiny by MacOS developers.
I was fortunate enough to be allowed to use a MessagePad 2000 for a month. Apple
Computer and its staff were most gracious in their support of this project and I wish
to thank all involved publicly. I was also given the opportunity to use and examine the
Apple development environment for Newton, the Newton Toolkit. It is beyond this
article to give a comprehensive evaluation of the market, the hardware, and the
development environment. However, I would like to give you my perspective on this
product, and justify my obvious personal enthusiasm.
Some Background
In the last several years, as portable computers have become commonplace, mobile
computing has taken on a life of its own; the distinctive laptop traveling bag is an icon
at all major airports. Despite their utility, many companies don't want to buy their
employees laptops because the computers are expensive and many of the users do not
need that kind of horsepower. Financial issues notwithstanding, there are a large
number of individuals who need a mobile computer, but to run one or two or three
simple, relatively small programs, and do not need all the bells and whistles of a full
operating system. Furthermore, most people in a mobile computing situation are
working on just a piece of a project at any given time. The user needs only part of the
data because the necessary processing is occurring in a distributed manner.
Mobile computer users, in addition to specific applications that are needed for
execution of job specific tasks (such as specialized electronic forms, order/inventory
entry, etc.) have two needs that apply across the market. First, there is need for
productivity software. This is the contact management, address file, and datebook
paraphernalia that sometimes seems to be the meat and potatoes of modern corporate
computing. In addition to this category I would add lightweight versions of basic word
processing and spreadsheet programs that integrate with desktop applications, so that
a piece of the current project can be brought on the road. Second, there is a need for
connectivity software. The mobile user will not have all necessary information with
him or her at all times, and it is imperative that the user be able to retrieve data and
send messages easily and in multiple formats. Connectivity is perhaps the most
important paradigm shift in all of computing in the last five or so years, and the need
for this capability is particularly pronounced for portable users.
Mobile users are more likely than those at a desktop computer to engage not only in
sustained data entry, like typing this article, but in bursts of data entry such as filling
out an electronic form, jotting down an idea or an outline, or drawing a quick diagram.
Unlike desktop users, mobile users will sometimes be in a situation where physical
space may be at a premium, or position may be awkward. These two factors make size
of the device and stylus entry a strong positive.
As an alternative to traditional laptops, Apple introduced the Newton several years ago.
I've had the opportunity to talk to several devoted (and not so devoted) users. People
have been intrigued with the handwriting recognition, the relative power compared to
organizers, the clever and friendly operating system, and the size relative to laptops.
Sadly, handwriting recognition has been slow and spotty, particularly pre-Newton OS
2.0, and this has rendered stylus based input a misery for any sizable amount of
information. Memory has been expensive, and general processing has been slow.
Screen pixel depth has not permitted any kind of serious graphics, and until the MP
130, backlighting was not available. Both of my friends who still use Newtons use
them almost exclusively for data retrieval from electronic books.
Nonetheless, the promise of the idea of a small, powerful, hand-held computational
device continues to beckon, waiting for a hardware/software combination that finally
allows the genre to come into its own. Hitachi, Philips, NEC, and Digital have created
low voltage, low current very powerful CPU's that are being used in palmtops, and
many hardware and software developers see the enormous potential market. Microsoft,
in particular, has decided that this aspect of mobile computing is sufficiently
interesting to warrant its attention, and the result is a series of palmtops using the
Windows CE OS. (The OS isn't bad. I don't like the hardware I've seen.)
It is in this setting that Apple has introduced the MessagePad 2000. Just as a
PowerMac 9500 and a Mac Plus are both Macintosh computers, a MessagePad 100 and
a MessagePad 2000 are Newtons. However, you can do some things with a 9500 that
you can't do with a Mac Plus—
Hardware and Software
The Newton MessagePad 2000 will be available first quarter 1997, probably late
March. (This article was written in January 1997.) It is about the size of a VHS
cassette, measuring about a quarter of an inch wider and three quarters of an inch
longer. The screen is just slightly smaller than a 3" by 5" index card. With no extra
stuff (fancy PC cards, etc.) it weighs slightly over a pound. The screen has a pleasant
blue electroluminescent backlighting. It has two PC card slots, a speaker, a
microphone, and a connections port. My unit had a rechargeable NiMH battery pack and
an AC adapter. I liked the battery pack in that it recharged in an hour, and lasts 24
hours. 4 AA alkaline batteries, according to Apple, will power the device for 36 hours.
I am not a physically big person; the device was comfortable to hold and carry. The
stylus that comes with it pops into a holder in the computer, and there is a cover over
the resistive screen. The screen seemed quite delicate, and I suspect that the use of
Write Right screen protectors would be mandatory for long term, heavy use.
The heart of the computer is a Digital StrongArm SA-110 RISC processor running at
161.9 MHz. The Message Pad 130, for comparison runs at 20 MHz. The result (and
maybe this is the punchline of the article) is that the MP2000 does most operations at
least two or three times faster than its best predecessor, and more in some operations.
Functionally there was a snappiness to operations that was pleasant and responsive.
Handwriting recognition was quite fast, although I would still want to use a keyboard
for sustained input. The machine comes with 8 Mb of ROM. 5 Mb of RAM, 1 Mb DRAM
and 4 Mb Flash RAM, are available to the OS and your applications. Two Type II PC
slots are available for modems, ethernet connectors and memory cards. Multiple
modem and fax protocols are supported.
The screen has 100 dpi resolution and is 480 by 320 pixels, exactly one half of a VGA
screen. The device can support 16 gray shades, and as I said above, is pleasantly
backlit. I found that I preferred the backlighting in most ambient light settings, but
this had negative impact on battery life. The stylus that comes with the MP2000 is
light and uncomfortable; I suspect the aftermarket in upscale styli will be
considerable if these little fellers catch on.
In addition to the PC slots, there are several I/O ports. Both a built in speaker and
microphone are present. There is an infrared port for data transmission supporting
IrDA and ASK modes. (IrDA is a faster, newer protocol.) The IrDA connection to my
LaserJet 5MP was seamless. There is a Newton Interconnect external port that
supports RS-422 serial connections, LocalTalk, serial modem connections, audio I/O,
and a keyboard. Apple currently makes only a DIN-9 connector that has only one plug.
However, were the connector hardware available, multiple devices (such as keyboard
and printer) could be connected simultaneously. (Do I smell a third party opportunity
here?) I used this port to connect to my desktop external modem, to my Performa
6200, and to my Personal LaserWriter LS, and again, there were no problems with
any connection. In all, the hardware platform is high quality.
The Newton ships with both operating system and end-user application software. The
software services provided by the OS (2.1 in this device) are unique and ubiquitous.
Just as the Mac provides developers with multiple tools and services, so does the
Newton.
Handwriting recognition is strongly associated with the Newton, and this is actually an
operating system service; any application can ask for a complete set of handwriting
recognition services, including delayed recognition (ink text), recognition correction
systems, access to word lists, restricted input (number only, alpha only, etc.). The
stylus input system includes tap keyboards such as typewriter, numeric, phone
dialer, and custom constructs.
I used handwriting/stylus input extensively in my testing, and after some initial
problems I was able to achieve 90 to 95% correct input. After using the MP2000 for
about 2 hours I had found the areas of greatest difficulty in recognition of my
handwriting, tweaked some parameters, modified how I wrote a couple of letters, and
was home free. Clearly, the device learned to recognize my handwriting. Word
recognition is as important as letter recognition, and I was able to add to the 93,000
word dictionary; my loaner Newton had a nice medical word list by the time I returned
it. In comparison, I used an MP 100 upgraded to a 110 OS and configured for a guest
user; my correct input rate was about 50% and recognition was very slow. In sum, I
would not be averse to using stylus input for routine "burst" entry on the MP2000.
Communications services are also an integral part of the OS, supporting Internet
protocols, serial communications, and faxes. (Tunneled AppleTalk and Ethernet are not
yet available.) Again, these services are available to any application. I was able to set
up the computer for my Internet account in about 10 minutes and it worked my first
try.
Connectivity services are somewhat different from communications; I classify this as
docking to a printer, backing up data, using the infrared port, or communicating with
a running desktop application. High level interfaces are available to any client
application.
Two less obvious but very important services are also generally available. The first is
intelligent assistance. In some respects, this is somewhat like AppleScripting, but
with a flair. When assistant services are requested, a slip (Newtonese for dialog box)
comes up that allows you to write in an action request, such as "take a note." In this
case, you would be presented with the note application and a fresh sheet of paper. It is
also possible to create a scripted action such as "phone Bob." In this case, the request
"phone Bob" triggers the script to phone Bob. It is possible to create scheduled and
repetitive actions using this mechanism, which is obviously very useful.
The second important service is data storage. The Newton operating system supports a
generic object oriented filing and indexing system, called soups, that tremendously
simplifies data storage and retrieval. Data from an application is stored in a soup,
which can be indexed, traversed, and accessed randomly. From an application
development standpoint, I see this as an outstanding system service.
Of course, there are a variety of programming interfaces to GUI services and general
application services, which will be described in the development section below.
The Newton MP 2000 also ships with several full fledged applications. There are a
number of "PDA" level applications: Name and Address Book, Calls, Notes, and Dates.
The Names application is an address book application, and the Dates application is an
organizer/datebook application. Both are high end flavors of these tools. The Notes
application is somewhat misleading, in that the notes can be quite sophisticated. Plain
text, outline mode, and audio notes can all be maintained. The Notes application accepts
stationery (more on that below) which permits specialized format notes as well.
The MP2000 will ship with a portion of Newton Works, which in some configurations
will provide both basic spreadsheet and word processor capabilities. The spreadsheet
is straightforward and similar to every Mac spreadsheet I've ever used, although it
does not have a macro capability, and the range of functions is limited. The spreadsheet
can import/export from/to Excel. The word processor has simple formatting and
fonts, rulers, cut, copy, and paste, etc. The general feel is that of relatively early
MacWrite applications. The word processing module does not permit stylus entry,
which I find surprising. Even though sustained data entry would not be done by stylus,
editing lends itself nicely to pen based input. I think this is one of the few design
decisions with which I strongly disagree.
Communications applications include an e-mail client and NetHopper, a web browser.
The e-mail client works directly with an application called In-Out Box, a manager for
all communications and connectivity functions. Dial up is automatic when either the
email client or the browser are activated. The Net browser was text and/or image
based. Unfortunately, the unit froze when I was in image mode. Some of the pages I hit
looked very odd; I think there is a development opportunity here that I will get to
shortly. The e-mail client treats messages as notes, and worked well. Attachments are
handled properly, although one would probably apply a size filter rule. The rules
editor for the email client was rudimentary and must be improved substantially.
Developing Newton Applications
Custom solution applications and shrink wrapped programs with broad appeal can be
developed for deployment on this platform. The Newton Toolkit is the primary means of
application development on this platform. This IDE is a combination text editor,
graphical GUI builder, and NewtonScript compiler engineered by Apple Computer.
There is a Newton Basic software package that I did not review. I did, however, visit
their web site and was impressed with what appeared to be a committed company and a