Lately, most of the tablet talk has centered on HP and the TouchPad/webOS soap opera. The drama continued today when various tech news outlets reported that HP may be making as many as 1,000,000 more TouchPads to fulfill commitments with their supply-side vendors. At an estimated loss of almost $200 per unit I’ve got to believe that those vendor contracts must have had some significant penalty clauses. In any event, in just a few weeks everyone’s $99 TouchPad dreams may be answered and the eBay scalpers may be facing a bit of a nightmare.

With TouchPad fans now in a waiting game, and Apple not introducing a new iPad until sometime in 2012, tablet fans turned their attention towards Germany and IFA 2011 (a super-sized version of the Consumer Electronics Show). Everyone is chasing after the iPad and using different methods of attack. Google’s Android OS is the base for at least three major manufacturers to launch tablets of different sizes, shapes, designs and price points.

Sony entered the tablet wars with a couple of devices; a standard full-sized slate (SonyTablet S) and an interesting clam-shell design (Sony Tablet P). Toshiba added a second tablet to its lineup, joining the “Thrive” is the super-slim (.3-inch) Toshiba AT200. Toshiba has always been great at making computing devices smaller, lighter and thinner. I expect their latest handiwork will be well received. Lenovo, who already has two full-sized and priced tablets on the market appears to be trying to garner some of the low-priced TouchPad interest with its announcement of the 7-inch IdeaPad A1 priced at $199.

Then it was Samsung’s turn…and today they decided to go small rolling out a new Samsung Galaxy Tab at 7 inches and a 5.3-inch little gem called the ”Galaxy Note” that made my heart flutter.

The Galaxy Note is a 5.3-inch phone/tablet that includes all of the usual top-of-the-line bells and whistles; HD Super AMOLED display, 1.4ghz dual-core processor, and dual cameras (8mp and 2mp). The big difference though is a real, honest-to-goodness stylus. You can use the stylus or your fingers interchangeably throughout the UI and it includes handwriting recognition capabilities.

Yes, I know that Steve Jobs has declared the stylus a sign of device design failure, but for those of us that need to input text or are sick of pressing the wrong link or are just tired of carrying screen cloths everywhere we go the stylus is a wonderful implement. Hey, Steve, we all finger-painted at one time, but most of us progressed to crayons and then pens and pencils.

My first tablet was the Apple Newton MessagePad. I purchased it back in 1993. While it took Apple a few revisions to get it right the Newton 2100 became my constant business companion. It was the right size for taking notes in a meetings, reading and composing emails, looking at websites without having to scroll side-to-side or zoom in and it could easily be held in one hand. While writing by hand isn’t nearly as fast as typing on a full-sized keyboard it sure beats pecking away on glass or, even worse, the thumb stretch we’re all trying to do with our iPads, TouchPads, etc.

When the iPad came out,  Steve Jobs made a brilliant strategic move in downplaying a design decision Apple had made. Rather than be faced with the iPad as a finger only device and the others as the stylus UI he discredited the concept entirely. It worked, at least for a while; his competitors went along with the Jobs’ law of tablet input and created finger-only work-alike devices.

It’s my belief that there is a significant market for people that want a device that is smaller than carrying a “netbook-sized” screen around and larger than an iPhone-sized mobile phone. There was a time when almost every businessperson carried a calendar/notepad of sorts. Generally men carried them in the inner pocket of their suit jacket and women had them in their purse or business case. They were close by and allowed for notes to be quickly jotted down. In the early 90s companies tried to replace this item with the Personal Digital Assistant. It was a bit smaller, had a stylus for input and allowed for some form of handwriting recognition.

Then Handspring/Palm decided to insert a phone into the mix and created the Treo. Somewhere along the line the basic functions of taking notes, and real calendar functions got pushed into the background and gaming, video, and  internet/app use took over.

There’s nothing wrong with playing games, watching videos, running apps or reading the web, but as screen size has grown to accommodate those needs phones are becoming more and more cumbersome to carry. A mobile phone should be smaller, and meant for the quick retrieval of information, short text input and even an actual phone call or two. The smaller and lighter the phone is the more convenient it becomes.

When we’re going to be in a situation where we need more such as a business meeting few people are going to try and type notes on their phone…or pull out a full-sized tablet. That’s the time for what I hope devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note will become. Small and light enough to carry around regularly, but not all the time, fully stylus capable for relatively quick and accurate input and still large enough to allow it to make sense as a notepad, calendar, email client and even a semi-reasonable browser in landscape mode.

Hey, we know that all of this technology started with Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek…and Starfleet officers always carried a communicator (which got smaller as the series went on ) and a tricorder for gathering information and then when it was time to kick back with a video they pulled out their larger PADD. If they all could work in the 26^th century…I think they can work now.

Filed in categories: Android related, News, webOS

Tagged: Android, HP, IFA 2011, Lenovo, Newton, PDA, Samsung, Tablet, toshiba, webOS

Samsung Galaxy Note – Boldly Going Where Tablets Were Meant To Go originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

The Apple Newton MessagePad hasn’t been in production since 1998, but there are people that still use this touchpad device as their main PDA. I was curious to find out why this product continues to be popular, so I sat down with Marisa Giancarla, a self-proclaimed Newton fan.

Marisa is a retired software engineer from the IT department of Macromedia, who is located in Redwood City, California.

When did you first discover the Newton?

I first discovered the Newton when it was first announced back in 1993. I loved the idea of something that could use a pen for input and neaten-up my drawings. I did not buy one of the first units but waited until the 110 came out to purchase one…

How many models have you owned over the years?

I have owned a 110, 130, 2100 and eMate.

What types of things do you use your Newton for during a typical day?

I am retired so I don’t have a day job to use the Newton at anymore. In a typical day I use it for checking email, making sketches and taking notes.

Is there still an active community of Newton users?

Yes, the Newton community is quite active, with the NewtonTalk email list seeing around 10 posts a day. The community still produces software such as ATA Flash card, WiFi and BlueTooth drivers.

Tell me about your website PocketFiction.com and your project to create an eBook reader for the Newton.

My website is primarily for Pulp Fiction ebooks, but I do have sections for the Newton and General Magic PDAs as book reading targets. I am working on creating an ebook reader for the Newton to be able to read the 700+ ebooks on my website, but the fact that connectivity software is so spotty it is quite a project.

What programming language do you use?

I am using the native NewtonScript to do the project. It is quite a nice OOP environment for developing and testing software. It is hard to believe it is as old an environment and it features most of the modern properties of current IDEs. It uses a VM processor with byte-code interpretation, much like the new Google G1 phone and maybe the iPhone (showing my ignorance of the iPhone here).

What are you thoughts on the iPhone and iPod Touch? Do you think they are the Newton of the 21st century?

I have not seen the iPhone SDK so I don’t know how it compares development-wise to the Newton, but the lack of pen and ink support and handwriting recognition still haven’t been reached on the iPhone. There is a natural draw to try and compare the two, both being handheld computing devices from the same company, but they are still quite different. I would love to see a tablet device from Apple, then at least the hardware features would be comparable.

What keeps you coming back to the Newton as your main PDA after trying other devices and what phone do you use?

I keep coming back to the Newton due to its screen-size which makes it good for taking notes, and how well integrated the pen is to the whole OS. I use a Google G1 phone, but it was a close call to an iPhone 3G. In the end it was a matter of diversity which I expect the Google phones will have as they can come from any phone company instead of being locked-in to one from Apple…

What are some of your favorite newton apps?

The software I use most is Mail V (email plugin), NewtsCape (web browser), PaperBoy (NNTP news client), and Solito DX (solitaire game).

What kinds of modifications have people been able to do with their Newtons?

There have been projects to replace the backlight, overclock the system, add a 2nd serial port, a headphone jack (for streaming MP3 music) and fixes for some of the hardware issues that various models of the Newton are prone to.

Have you done any hardware modifications to your Newton?

I am thinking of doing the backlight upgrade to a white model, but I would hate to be away from my Newton while it was getting done. I may just buy one with it preinstalled and swap my data from the two units.

Do you think you’ll be using a Newton for another 10 years? And if not, what would your dream device be?

It all depends on how well the patch to fix the 2010 issue works. The Newton runs out of bits to store the date in 2010, and there is a user created patch to get around that but I don’t know if anyone has fully tested it.

My ideal device would be something like an iPhone or G1 but with a screen the size of the Newton 2100 or slightly larger. It is a testament to the design of the Newton that 10 years later it is still a useful device…

Well, there you have it, the Apple Newton Messagepad continues to thrive for some people – at least for another year. Do we have any other Newton hold-outs here on The Gadgeteer? If so, please speak up and share your stories.

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged: Apple, Interview, Newton

An Interview with an Apple Newton User originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 23, 2008 at 7:50 pm.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any PDA

An imagination is a great thing. And, you’ll definitely get to exercise yours
if you decide to check out the PDA Pivot
from CyberKnight Intl. Corp. What is the PDA Pivot? Well, it is basically a
hinge that you attach to your PDA with Velcro. Doesn’t sound very exciting does
it? Well, that’s where your imagination comes in…

Made of a thick black plastic, the PDA Pivot is comprised of two 2.5" x 3.25"
sections that are attached at a pivot hinge point. Serrated knobs on either side
of this hinge allow you to tighten or loosen the opening / closing tension of
the two sections. From closed to open, the pivot can rotate 270 degrees.

One side of the hinge has a large square of Velcro (the hook half) attached
to it. The other side has a strip of Velcro (the loop half), a strip of closed
cell foam and a plastic document clip. Still unimpressed?  Ok, just wait a
sec…

First you need to attach a square of Velcro (loop half) to the back of your
PDA. Yeah I know, Velcro is evil… But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta
do. Once you’ve done that, you can then affix the PDA Pivot to the back of the
PDA. At this point, it can serve a variety of purposes from a desk stand, car
dashboard stand, or
document holder, to a PDA pocket clip. It’s all up to you as to what you want to do with
it. The documentation actually lists 10 different uses, with even more listed on
the CyberKnight website.

I’ll admit that when I first saw this accessory, I really couldn’t see myself
using it. I didn’t think I needed a desk stand, or a document clip… But then, there came
a moment when the PDA Pivot was the perfect solution to problem that I just happened
to need solved. That problem was how to prop up the iPAQ while using the
Zeta Game Pad.

Since then, I’ve found myself using the PDA Pivot for non-PDA uses. One such
use is a nifty document holder. If you ever need to type something into your
computer, having the copy laying flat on a table isn’t the most convenient. The
PDA Pivot can actually hold your page for you at a angle that is easy to read as
you type.

I’m sure there are many other uses for this accessory just waiting to be
discovered by someone with a little imagination.

Price: $19.95

Pros:
Many uses
 

Cons:
Attaches to PDA with Velcro

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Generic PDA related, Mount, Newton, Palm, Pocket PC, Stand

PDA Pivot Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 22, 2002 at 12:00 am.

The CM220 Universal Mount for Palm-sized Computers by Arkon
Resources Inc. is a PDA holder that can be affixed to a vehicle or other location.
This holder unlike the Unimount by Revolve Design is
compatible with any PDA that is between 4.5" and 5.3" tall. Some of the PDAs
that will work with this mount are: Philips Nino, Everex Freestyle, HP Jornada, Compaq
Aero, Casio E10, 15, 100, 105, Royal daVinci, PalmPilot, Palm IIIx, Palm V and Palm VII.

alt="cm220-1.jpg (10727 bytes)"/> width="276" height="314" alt="cm220-2.jpg (9968 bytes)"/>

I tested the CM220 with a Palm V, Palm III and a Casio E-100. It will attach to your
windshield via 3 large suction cups. The first day that I tested this mount, I just stuck
it on the glass and proceeded to drive to work. About 15mins later, I hit a bump and the
CM220 fell to the floor. Luckily, I didn’t have a PDA in it at the time. But, this wasn’t
Arkon’s fault, It was mine. I failed to read the directions. The first thing you are
supposed to do is clean the windshield area with an alcohol pad (which is included). The
next day, I did this and suffice to say, the mount has been securely attached ever since.

Once you attach the mount to the windshield, you can adjust the viewing angle by
fiddling with 2 thumb screws. This is easy to do and only takes a few seconds.

Also included with the CM220 is an optional adhesive mount that you can use to mount to
other hard surfaces like the side of a computer monitor or a car console.

The bottom part of the mount has spring loaded holder feet. To insert your PDA, you
just position the bottom of it on these padded feet, press down, and then press the top
part of the PDA into the padded top stop.  The padding is a closed cell foam and
holds the PDA securely in place. I drive a small pickup truck and tend to not slow down to
drive over rough railroad tracks and potholes. I never had a problem with any PDA popping
out of the CM220 due to this.

The CM220 is made of a hard black plastic. It feels very sturdy. The spring loaded feet
have a sufficiently stiff spring that holds them in place. The mount has a Pen/Stylus
holder and includes a dual ink pen/stylus. There is also an area that can hold either 2
batteries or a small post-em note pad. The holder feet are separated so that you can use
the serial port of PDA (if the serial port is located at the bottom middle of your PDA)
while it is in the mount. This is convenient if you need to use a GPS, keyboard or other
accessory. 

I think the CM220 is very well constructed and works well with the PDAs that I tested
it with. I found that it was somewhat easier to use with the smaller PDAs like the Palm V
and PalmPilot over the Casio E-100. The Casio E-100 is pretty tall and it takes a bit of
effort to pull the spring loaded feet down far enough to press the PDA into the mount. I
was afraid that the whole mount might pop off the windshield when I was doing this… but
it didn’t. If you need to use your PDA while you are in a vehicle, then you should
definitely consider this product.

Price: $49.95

Pros:
Works with a variety of PDAs.
Made well.
Can still use the serial port while in the mount.

Cons:
A little pricey.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Generic PDA related, Linux Based PDA related, Mount, Newton, Other PDA related, Palm, Palm OS related, Pocket PC, Stand

Universal Palm-size Computer Mount Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 1999 at 12:00 am.

The C.E.O. (Classic, Elegant, One-of-a-kind) case by MarWare
is a leather play-through type case that comes in black or burgundy. This case earns
instant points from me because it doesn’t require you to put Velcro on the body of your
Newton! Your MP2xk is held in place by two elastic bands and by sliding the screen cover
of the MP into a leather sleeve. Because of this sleeve, you really only need to use one
of the elastic bands. It’s best to use the band on the bottom so that you won’t cover up
the power switch with the one on top. The MP can be put into the case in either
orientation for left handed users. I am left handed, but either way didn’t really make a
difference to me. The instructions that come with the C.E.O. say to remove the screen
cover from the MP before inserting or removing the MP to avoid damaging it. I personally
did not do this (children, don’t try that at home…).

The C.E.O. has lots of room for ‘stuff’.  It has 10 separate credit / business
card slots. 3 separate pcmcia card slots,1 large slot for papers or a checkbook and a
holder for your stylus.  The section with the pcmcia slots folds over and lays
against the Newton’s screen when the case is closed. You can also fold that part of the
case under the MP so that holding it is more comfortable while using it.

Because of all the storage compartments in the C.E.O., the case can get a little bulky.
Thankfully, the case has two snaps that be used depending on how full the case is. If you
look at the pictures below, the image on the left is of an empty (except for the MP) case.
The other picture is a totally full C.E.O. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but when
the case is full, it is more bulky.

The C.E.O. case really reminds me of a Day Timer or Franklin Planner that you see the
suits carrying around. It has a more business like look to it so your average Joe Schmoe
might not appreciate. The case is nicely padded all over and I think it would fully
protect the MP in case of a short fall. The snaps, and stitching were both of very good
quality. The leather is very soft and supple. Because of this, it makes me worry just a
little about the potential for punctures. Other than this, I think that the C.E.O. is a
quality leather case for your MessagePad 2000 or 2100. One other nice feature of this case
is that the pcmcia slots, serial port and ac port are all accessible while the MP is in
the case.

Price: $59.95

Pros:
No Velcro!
Many compartments
Looks great

Cons:
Slightly expensive

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Newton, Other PDA related

C.E.O. Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 23, 1999 at 12:00 am.

Are you a couch potato? Love movies and TV?  If so, welcome to the club!  I am a big movie and TV fan and own a DSS satellite system. With all those channels, I sometimes miss shows that I didn’t know were on.  I don’t really like paper TV guides because they aren’t easy to search through.  To solve this problem, I use a program called Couch Fire by Tempest Productions.

Couch Fire is one of the coolest software titles for any Newton device running OS 2.0 or greater. It lets you view your favorite channels in a grid view like the familiar paper TV guides.  Every week (Saturday) you receive the programming info via email. It arrives in one package that you transfer to your Newton. The package contains all the programming info for one week -9days (Saturday morning of the first weekend through Sunday night of the second weekend).

There are tons of channels to choose from. A total of 194 channels with cable, satellite, and quite a few local network affiliates. Some of the stations include: American Movie Classics, Bravo, Cinemax (West Coast & East Coast), Cinemax 2 (West Coast & East Coast), Encore (West Coast, East Coast, Westerns, Love Stories, Mystery, Wam!, Actioventure & True Stories), fXM: Movies from Fox, HBO (West Coast & East Coast), HBO 2 (West Coast & East Coast), HBO 3 (West Coast & East Coast), HBO Family (West Coast & East Coast), FLiX (West Coast & East Coast), Independent Film Channel,  The Movie Channel (West Coast & East Coast), Showtime (West Coast & East Coast), Showtime 2 (West Coast & East Coast), Showtime 3, STARZ! (West Coast & East Coast), STARZ! 2 (West Coast & East Coast), Turner Classic Movies, TBS, WGN, and many more. It’s easy to sign up and change the stations that you want at any time via the Couch Fire WebPages.The more channels you choose to download, the more space they take up on your Newton.  As a rule of thumb, 8 channels take about 800k and each additional channel takes about 85k. I subscribe to 37 channels. Each Saturday I receive a compressed email that is about 1.2meg in size. Uncompressed this file is about 3.3meg. That’s alot of space, but it’s worth it!

Couch Fire has 3 different modes for viewing the programming information. Grid, Details and Overview views. In the Grid view you see the time at the top and channels down the side. The shows title and brief description are also displayed. You can easily switch to any day or time that you want to view by pressing the arrow buttons at the top of the display or using the day and time pull down menus.  If you want to get more info on a certain show, you can double tap on it or just select it and press the ‘details’ button.

The Details view displays the channel number, year the show was filmed, genre (like drama, comedy etc.), actors in the show, full description, running time for the show and special details like ratings.In this view (and the grid view) you can also press the ‘Remember’ button which will let you schedule the show in the Dates application for that time and day. This very handy for reminding you that your favorite show is about
to come on the TV.

The other view that is available is the Overview view. To switch to this view, you have to press the ‘overview’ button or what I like to call ‘the-black-dot-thing-beside-the-up-and-down-arrows’.

In this view, you are given a text based listing of shows that are on at the current time.  I like this view because it’s easy to look at. You can see which shows are just beginning and which ones have already been playing by the title. Shows that have already started have a ‘…’ in front of them. Tapping on a show once automatically takes you to the detail view of that show.  You can also easily scroll up and down through the channels or sideways through time slots.In all the views you can press the Find application button to search the Couch Fire programming data. You can use this function to search for a movie title, actors name or whatever. You will then be presented with a listing of all the shows that contained the searching criteria that you entered. You can then tap on a show in the listing to see the details. This is great for displaying all the times during the week that Buffy The Vampire Slayer airs, or every show this week that has Harrison Ford in it.  The only bad thing about using find is that once you tap on a show to see the details, the find listing is gone. To get it back you have to do the search again which can take several seconds depending on how many channels you have. I really wish there was a way to save the searches. This would be a great way of keeping track of all your favorite shows easily during the week. If Tempest Productions could add this feature, this program would be almost perfect!

Note from Julie : I just found out that you can get the Find listing back by pressing the Overview button!

Couch Fire doesn’t have much available in the way of customization. What you can do is change the order in which the channels are displayed, the channel label and channel number. You can also define which view you want the program to always start up in.This program is terrific. I really like using it.  It’s quick, and displays all the info you need in an easy to use format.

There are a couple of things that would make this program even better in my opinion though.  One would be to allow the subscribers to either receive the weekly info via email or download from an ftp server or website. Another more important feature would be to beef up the search tools by having more control on what to search for. I would like to be able to create a search that would show me all the shows on HBO that are dramas and are on between 7pm – 11pm… and Couch Fire really needs the ability to save search results.

If you enjoy TV as much as I do and you have a Newton, you NEED this program.  But don’t just take my word for it, you can try a 30day trial of the program with programming information for free. Just visit the Tempest Production website for details.<

For those of you out there that like what you see but aren’t fortunate enough to have a Newton, there’s hope! Tempest Productions is working on a version for another PDA. I can’t give out specific details, but this PDA doesn’t have a Windows logo  . Release dates are not available yet so keep visiting the Tempest Production website. I for one can’t wait!

Price: $39.00 for one year (52 weeks)

Pros:
Easy to use
Interfaces with the Dates app

Cons:
Programming data takes up lots of storage space
No way to save search results

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Newton, Other PDA related, Software

Couch Fire Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 1998 at 12:00 am.

The Newton MP2K Glove by E&B Cases is a black leather play through case for your Apple MessagePad 2000 or 2100.

Inserting and removing the MP is easy. It slides into the case and a zipper wraps around to secure it. The screen flap on the case is very rigid and protects well. It is held closed with a Velcro strip. This flap can also be folded all the way under the case while using the MP. One thing that I’d like to see changed is to move the fuzzy part of the Velcro strip to the screen flap and the hooked part to the case. I found that when
folding the cover under the case, the hooks would sometimes ‘grab’ my clothes.

Some nice features of this case are the perforations for the MP’s mic and speaker. The openings for the power switch and stylus are just the right size for easy use. You might have to tip the case forward to remove the stylus though because it doesn’t pop up high enough to grab it with your fingers. The bottom of the case is also nicely padded.

There are a few minor things that I don’t like about this case. One is that there isn’t a way to access the pcmcia cards, serial port or AC adapter connector while the MP is in the case. The other thing I wish the case had was maybe one long zippered pocket on the bottom to put papers in. I don’t think you’d want to add much storage to this case because that would take away from it’s compact form.

The workmanship on this case is first rate. The leather feels rich, the stitching is perfect, and the zipper action is smooth. I REALLY like this case. It’s my favorite Newton case so far. It’s compact and is easy to carry. I think almost any Newton user would enjoy using this case.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Newton, Other PDA related

Newton Glove Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 1998 at 12:00 am.

The newtSuit is a nice slip on type case made by MarWare. The case is made of black Neoprene. Most people refer to this material as ‘wetsuit’ type material. It has a great feel to it, slightly stretchy and spongy. The newtSuit has 2 pockets, one on the outside of the case and one small pocket on the inside. The outside pocket can hold papers, the AC adapter, or other small things. The inside pocket is big enough to slide a PC Card all the way in and not have any of the card sticking out to rub against your Newton.

Inserting and removing the Newton is easy and comfortable. A heavy duty zipper is used to open and close the case. I found the zipper easy to use and didn’t have any problems with it getting stuck or hung up on the corners of the case.

This case also has a reinforced spine with a plastic ring at the end. I’m not quite sure if this really adds anything to the case, but it doesn’t hurt anything. The plastic ring is supposedly there so you can attach a handle. I think it would be better if they added another ring at the other end of the spine so that a real handle could be added if desired. The material and stitching (on the outside of the case) are very good. The stitching of the inside PC Card pocket could be just a bit better. The zig-zag type stitch that is used looks a little cheap.

This case doesn’t offer much protection in the case of a drop. But it is a case that will protect your Newton from scratches and bumps. I really like using this case because it doesn’t add anything to the weight of the Newton and it looks and feels great.

One last note:  This case can also be used with the Toshiba Libretto.

Price: $29.95

Construction: A-
Usefulness: A
Overall Rating: A

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Newton, Other PDA related

newtSuit Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 21, 1998 at 12:00 am.

Do you use the keyboard with your Newton and are you looking for a case that will hold them both? Then you will definitely want to check out the Hand Stand case made by PDA Concepts. This is a ‘play-through’ case that holds both the Newton and the keyboard. It is made of a very durable stain and water resistant black ballistic nylon with leather trim. An adjustable shoulder strap comes with case, or you can buy a leather handle for $7.95. I preferred the leather handle. The adjustable shoulder strap would be much better if it was about twice as wide.

The Hand Stand is a play through case which means you don’t have to remove the Newton or the keyboard to use them. When the Hand Stand is opened, it can be laid flat so that Newton and Keyboard are in the perfect position for use. Everything about this case is adjustable. The angle of the Newton can be adjusted from 5 to 70 degrees. The palm rest for the keyboard can also be adjusted. This is all made possible by the use of Velcro. Usually I hate Velcro, but the Hand Stand doesn’t require you to attach it to the actual PDA. You can attach Velcro to the keyboard to keep it in place if you wish… it’s optional though.

The Newton is put in a special leather holster that has Velcro on the back. This lets you attach the Newton to the Hand Stand in the best position or remove the Newton from the Hand Stand to use it outside the case. Getting the Newton into the holster was not that easy. At first I was sure that the holster was too small. But, with a little pulling and stretching, I finally was satisfied with the way it fit. I think that the holster would be much better if it was just a bit larger. The holster allows access to all the ports on the Newton. There is also an opening on the back of the holster that allows you access to the reset button.

Because the holster is so tight, I found that it was a little hard to access the power switch and to open the serial port door. This wasn’t a big problem, and could probably be fixed by some extra stretching of the holster. I think that the main idea of the holster design is to put the Newton in once, and leave it in… so once you get it ‘just right’, you’ll be ok.

Some great features of the Hand Stand are all the pockets that it has. There are 12 credit business card pockets (1 that is a see through pocket for an ID card), 2 PC Card pockets, one long pocket, and one long zippered pocket on the outside of the case. I found that the credit card pockets were just slightly too narrow. The cards fit ok, but were just a little hard to insert. This would probably get better with use. I don’t know why you’d really want to use these slots for credit cards since the Hand Stand is way to large to be used as a wallet type case.  The other pockets are mostly for papers, not for bulky items. If you arrange things just right inside the Hand Stand, you can fit in the AC adapter and some extra batteries.

The Hand Stand is made extremely well. The stitching, zippers, leather trim, form and function of the case are all top quality. I wouldn’t use this case every day, but it is perfect for those times when I want to use the keyboard with the Newton or for traveling. This case makes me feel that my Newton is very well protected… I don’t think even dropping it while it’s in this case would worry me.

The only things that I can really complain about with this case are the leather holster and credit card slots. The holster just needs to be the slightest bit larger and the card slots either need to be a bit wider, or turn them into bigger pockets. Besides those two very small complaints, I would say that this is one of the best cases I’ve ever reviewed for any machine so far.

On a side note, check out the PDA Concepts web site. It has many more pictures of the Hand Stand. There is an online manual, FAQ and
order tracking page.

Price: $89.95, Leather Handle accessory ($7.95)

Construction: A
Usefulness: A
Overall Rating: A

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Newton, Other PDA related

Hand Stand Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 16, 1998 at 12:00 am.

Note: This product is no longer available.

The Xpress Newton Stand by Hi-Rizer is an adjustable stand for any Newton model. This stand is just what I needed to prop up my MP2K while using it at work.  I seemed to always be searching around for a book or something else to use as a prop. The Xpress is made of a light weight (6 oz.) alloy metal. The construction is top quality. I didn’t find any rough or sharp edges. The platform that the Newton rests on is padded. When your Newton is in the stand, it will not touch any metal. On the bottom of the Xpress are 6 non-skid rubber feet. These feet will keep the stand from sliding around on your desk while the Newton is in it.

The Xpress is an adjustable stand. It can be adjusted from its flat position all the way up to 60 degrees. There are actually 11 different positions counting the flat position. Adjusting the stand is easy. You just lift the platform as high as you would like it, and the prop will slide into the appropriate notch.

Your Newton can be placed in landscape or portrait mode. Two padded stops hold the Newton in place no matter which position it is in.

In summary, the Xpress is a great stand for your Newton. It’s light weight, and easy to use. It’s also very easy to travel with because it can fold flat to fit in a briefcase or backpack. I couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like about this stand. If I had to pick one thing that I would change to make it absolutely perfect, it would be a way to fold the padded stops. This would allow the Xpress to be folded totally flat for travel.

Price: $39.99
Construction: A
Usefulness: A
Overall Rating: A

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Mount, Newton, Other PDA related, Stand

Xpress Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 1998 at 12:00 am.

PDA Panache make some very nice replacement styli for various PDAs/HPCs. Their Newton Messagepad 2×00 styli is no exception. There are three different models of the newton styli.  All three styli will fit the stylus holder of your MP2K or MP21K just as well as the original stylus.

Referring to the picture above, the leftmost stylus is their Black Chrome model. This is a custom crafted brass stylus that has a nice heft to it. The ‘cap’ of the stylus has a silver chrome accent which gives it a classy look. The middle stylus in the picture to the left is their Multi-colored Anodized Aluminum stylus. This stylus is lighter weight than the Black Chrome model, but it is well balanced. The finish is a cool purple, gold, and red speckle. The rightmost stylus is the Black Anodized Aluminum model. It has the same weight as the multi-colored stylus, but this one is all black.

All three styli are very well crafted with fingertip grips, and a smooth finish. What I like best about them all is the orange writing tip. It feels so much smoother to me than the stock stylus tip. Writing with the PDA Panache styli is easier, more fluid. I think my HWR even has improved! The orange tip is also easier to see in low light. After using these styli, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the original Newton stylus… it just feels inferior. Another great thing about PDA Panache is that they will replace damaged writing tips for free for the lifetime of the stylus. You can’t beat that!  Was there anything that I didn’t like about this product? Well, just one thing… The tubes that they ship the styli in are a %$&@ to open! 

Price: $32.95 (Black Chrome), $19.95 (Black Anodized Aluminum),
$19.95 (Multi-colored Anodized Aluminum)

Construction: A
Usefulness: A
Overall Rating: A

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Newton, Other PDA related, Stylus

PDA Panache MP2K Styli Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 29, 1998 at 12:00 am.