NewtNews-136-15Apr97

====================



by Steve Holden <newtnews@pobox.com>.  This is a weekly freeware

newsletter that focuses on the Apple Newton and related technologies.

NewtNews Copyright 1994-97 Steve Holden.  All rights reserved.  See the

Administrivia at end for details and FAQ info.



This issue of NewtNews is sponsored in part by:



 + INFORMED FILLER FOR NEWTON - Custom Electronic Forms Integrated With

   Your Desktop - Shana Corp - <info@shana.com> - <http://www.shana.com>



 + PowerMedia presents 'Arcade Game Pack' - Birds With Lances, Rocks

   In Space, Frogs vs. Cars - US$29.95 - <http://www.powermedia.com/~pmi>



 + VITAMIN A MENU EDITOR - Stand Alone has released it's custom and caret

   menu editor and creator! - Demo at: <http://www.standalone.com/newton>



 + X-Port, KwikMenu, NewtPaint, Quicknames Pro, proCALC Ex - Newton 2.0

   solutions - <sales@landware.com> - <http://www.landware.com>



 + WinSlurp from Rare White Tiger Creations - Available via WWW at:

   <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/heringermr/winslurp.htm>.



 + PowerTrans 3.0 - Multilingual Customizable Translator and Vocabulary

   Trainer - Speech on MP2K, eMate - Demo at: <http://www.travel-cs.com>



 + PDA & HANDHELD DIRECT - Putting Technology in the Palm of Your Hand!

   800-279-4PDA 219-882-5228 [F]:219-845-0578 <http://www.pdadirect.com>



 + QuickFigure Pro v.3.1 - New version of the spreadsheet solution from

   PelicanWare! - <sales@pelicanware.com> - <http://www.pelicanware.com>



 + TeleType GPS and moving map for the Newton - Never get lost again -

   <http://www.teletype.com/gps/> - <TeleTypeGPS@teletype.com>



 + MORGAN - Organize your books, CDs, tapes, records, videos and other

   collections! - <products@catamount.com> - <http://www.catamount.com>



 + BILLS TO PAY PRO 3.5.4 - Easily Track Bills & Expenses - Supports

   German - <info@marsoftware.com> - <http://www.marsoftware.com>



 + RidgeNet - ARA, SLIP, PPP access to the Internet from Ridgecrest, CA.

   <http://owens.ridgecrest.ca.us/RidgeNET/RidgeNETWelcome.html>





Table of Contents

-----------------



 1. Top News

 2. Comments from the Editor

 3. Information from Email

 4. Information from the Internet

 5. Top Weekly Magazine Stories Of Interest

 6. NewtNews Tips and Tricks You Can Use On Your Newton

 7. Other Related Technology

 8. Edupage, 07Apr97 thru 13Apr97

 9. INNOVATION, 07Apr97

10. Dear Newton Developer

11. Other Tidbits of Information

12. Advertising Notes

13. Product and Service Information

14. Guest Opinions

15. Administrivia





Top News

--------



** APPLE OFFERS DEALS TO PREVIOUS OWNERS **



Apple is offering previous MessagePad owners either a free Newton

Keyboard or a US$80 rebate on a Megahertz CruiseCard 28.8 PC Card modem

(XJA3288). Apparently no photocopies of the rebate are allowed, and there

doesn't appear to be a pointer available to this offer on the WWW.  To

learn more information about the U.S. Robotics' CruiseCard modem check

out: <http://www.usr.com/mobileusr>.



** NEWTON CONTINUES TO CREATE RUMOR PRESS **



The 'rumor mill' got started again last week with more rumors on what is

going to happen with the Apple's Newton System Group (NSG).  While the

stories started out with Sun Computer being interested in purchasing the

NSG so that they could get a jump start on building small Java based

PDAs, but by the end of the week the rumors 'matured' into a more of a

partnership between Apple and Sun on the Newton. [EDITOR: Many sources

reported this information including Catalina Ortiz at AP Newswire.]



The USA Today (written by Julie Schmit) also reported on the Newton

status on 10Apr97.  The article did point out that even though the

MessagePad 2000 and the eMate 300 are "selling well", the high cost of

Newton R&D is what Apple is apparently trying to negotiate with Sun. This

article also mentioned that Apple talked with a Taiwanese company called

Inventec about the NSG.



This 'investing' in Newton 'idea' was also pushed by Reuters over the

weekend with quotes from Apple Internet Wizard Larry Tesler.  So you

could see 'investments' by other licenses of the Newton like: Motorola,

Sharp, Panasonic, Digital Ocean, and Schlumberger.



Some possible other Newton pointers to more info:



    - <http://biz.yahoo.com/finance/97/04/11/aapl_1.html>

    - <http://www.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/info/040297/info9_15003.html>



** BIG NEWS FROM REVELAR **



Van Evans <van@revelar.com> reports to two very important news items

related to Revelar:



	- RCU Lite has been release for free for end users

	  so that 3rd party developers can use RCU to

	  transfer their Newton applications data to Mac or

	  PC desktops. There will be a small fee or annual

	  license option for developers.

    - Revelar has announced the acquisition of TaxPro

      software for the Newton from Advanced Mobile of

      Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  A new Newton 2.0 version

      should be out by May97.



For more information check out: <http://www.revelar.com> or send Van an

email message at the address listed above.  The above WWW site also has

information about their commercial version of RCU that enables built-in

application to desktop communication.



** MP2K VERSIONS OF LIGHTSWITCH AND POWERPREFS AVAILABLE **



Jim Bailey <jdb@shore.net> reports that he has released new versions of

two of his excellent utilities -- LightSwitch 1.2 (shortcut for turn

on/off backlighting) and PowerPrefs 2.1 (activates some hidden features).

You can download them via: <http://www.tiac.net/users/jdb/index.html>,

and you can also find Jim very useful TimeStamp 2.0 utility (updates a

Note's timestamp) on this site.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  The New WriteRight Screen Enhancements protect your screen from

  scratches, reduce glare and improve your handwriting recognition by

  simulating the feel of writing on paper. WriteRights are available for

  all Newtons in packs of: 4-for $11.95, 8-for $18.95, and 12-for $24.95.

  Mention NewtNews and receive 10% off our 12-pack. For more info:

  415-929-1002 <Info@ConceptKitchen.com> <http://www.ConceptKitchen.com>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  Notion 1.5 Enhanced for Newton 2.0 OS: Notion 1.5 is a powerful, easy

  to use tool that helps the mobile professional manage all the lists

  necessary to organize, integrate and communicate vital information.

  Includes Notion Connect for Import/Export from Mac or Windows desktop.

  From PelicanWare at $59.95+S&H (Upgrades $25+S&H). For more info:

  <info@pelicanware.com>. To order 800.655.6398 or visit resellers.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Comments from the Editor

------------------------



** SOME NEWTON 2.1 PROBLEMS?!? **



The following 3rd Party applications apparently aren't working very

well with Newton 2.1 on the MessagePad 2000:



    - Solito Deluxe 2.02 but Solo Deluxe 1.63 is compatible

      <http://scoopnet.ca/solodx/download.html>

    - Symantec has reported some 'Linking'

      compatiblity problems with ACT! for the Newton

      with the MessagePad 2000.  A fix is in the works,

      and should be done within a month.



** LOOK OUT FOR STOLEN NEWTON! **



Lars Eggert <larse@usc.edu> is trying to track down his stolen

MessagePad 120 with 2MB Apple Flash RAM PC Card.  The unit was stolen in

the Los Angeles, California region, and is serial #: IV6010FF6B5.



** CORRECTION **



In last weeks Supplement, NewtNews made a mistake that accidentially

credited the "Review of FirstClass Retriever+" to Bill Moser even though

the article was written by Don Modesto.  NewtNews regrets the error, and

hopes the error caused no one any grief.



** AMAZING STUFF **



Have I mentioned how fast the MessagePad 2000 is?  Can't say it enough.

Screens pop-up instantly, fill in data, quick recognition, close windows

fast, jump to overview, do a Find, and what do you know -- Assist is now

actually usable.  Before I forget --  Freeze Package, Thaw Package --

only takes a second each (keep your heap in check, and you shouldn't have

any major problems).



Anything missing?  I've noticed the following so far ...



    - Select All menu command in NewtWorks (Cmd-A works with

      the keyboard)

    - Headers and Footers in NewtWorks

    - Multiple email accounts work, but require some heavy

      thinking (ie. it isn't totally intuitive).



** WRITING NEWTNEWS ON MY MP2K **



Several folks sent me email this past week, giving me the impression that

some of you think I'm producing all of NewtNews on my MP2K now.  This is

not true -- I did about 60% of issue 135, about 30% of last weeks

Supplement, and less than 20% of this issue on the MP2K.  While, it is

possible to do a great deal of editing and writing in NewtWorks, not

everything can be done in this application.   I don't expect this to

change much in the near future -- Mac OS 7.6.1 on a PowerPC 604 machine

running BBEdit 4.0.1 is still a pretty good editing/publishing system.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  Need more Newton information?!?  NewtNews suggests you check out:

    + Newton Reference: <http://www.panix.com/~clay/newton/>

    + Always Newton Central: <http://www.theonly.com/newton.html>

    + NewtUser: <http://www.newtuser.com>

    + NewtWorld: <http://www.fw3.com/newtworld>

    + The Ultimate Newton: <http://shell.rmi.net/~rbruce/>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  TeleType GPS is software for the Newton which displays your location

  while driving or flying. The software includes a moving map which shows

  you where you are in relation to cities and towns. It is controlled by

  the Garmin 30 TracPack, a powerful yet small Global Positioning System

  (GPS) antenna.  Never get lost again. Email: <TeleTypeGPS@teletype.com>

  or WWW to: <http://www.teletype.com/gps/> for more information.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Information from Email

----------------------



** NEW NEWTON RELATED SITES **



Eugene Gerstein <eugene@netmedia.net.il> reports the creation of a new

Newton related site at: <http://www.toptown.com/hp/eug/newton>.  Eugene

also reports a site with information about buying a Newton in Israel via:

<http://www.netmedia.net.il/pczone>.



Dave Luna <dluna@voicenet.com> reports the creation of a Newton Survey

site that attempts to make it easy for average Newton users to request

software to be developed by Newton Developers.  For more info check out:

<http://www.voicenet.com/~dluna/survey.html>.



Bob Strenger <bloby@skypoint.com> has begun publishing the Newton

Underground 2000 via: <http://www.skypoint.com/~bloby/newton>.



Ken Alan <kalan@farallon.com> has created a Farallon Newton page that

outlines their Newton related networking products via the following URL:

<http://www.farallon.com/markets/solutions/newtsolutions.html>.



M. Coan Dillahunty <mdillah@emory.edu> reports the posting of Newton

Memory Card information for the MessagePad 2000 and eMate 300 via the

following URL: <http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~mdillah/>.



** MORE INFO ON SIEMENS NEWTON DEVICE **



The 'prototype' SIEMENS Newton phone (tentatively called "Online

Terminal") continues to make news.  You can check out a picture of the

device that was recently posted to Newton Central at:

<http://newton.theonly.com/images/Siemens_OnlineTerminal.jpg>.



The German 'Computer Bild' magazine published in 07/97 has an article

about the device on page 98.  The Online Terminal first shown at the

recent CeBIT computer fair.  You can also check out a related press

release via: <http://www.siemens.de/pn/press/97pn016.htm>.



** NEW STUFF FROM FOUNDATION SYSTEMS **



Foundation Systems has released the following Newton packages:



    - Corrector+ v2.2: improves the accuracy of

      handwriting recognition by adding limited

      word-based recognition

    - Styles+ 2.0: a replacement for Apple's built-in

      style palette that offers more font sizes and

      better ease-of-use

    - WriteHere 2.0 (b8fc1): handwriting recognition

      (HWR) and text-editing solution



You can also purchase Corrector+ and WriteHere for US$34.99.  For more

information check out: <http://www.tow.com/index.html> or send an email

to: <info@tow.com>.



** MP2K AVAILABLE AT CLUBPDA **



Chris Parker <Chrisp2@pacbus.com> reports that ClubPDA has fulfilled

nearly all their pre-orders, and currently has some 200 MessagePad 2000s

in stock and ready to sell.  For more information check out:

<http://www.clubpda.com> or call: 888.258.2732.  You can also find out

more information about the MessagePad 2000 and ClubPDA availability via:

<http://www.pacbus.com/ClubPDAHome/PDAResourcesFolder/PDARMP2K.html>.



** SEVERAL COOL UTILITIES RELEASED **



Richard Schaeren <rschaeren@newton.ch> reports the release of several

new utilities via <http://www.newton.ch/compower/MP2000.html>:



    - MP2KSWIS.SIT: Swiss Keyboard-Driver for the US

      MessagePad 2000

    - MP2KGERM.SIT: German Keyboard-Driver for the US

      MessagePad 2000

    - BLC2.SIT: Backlight Control Button 2.0 which

      adds a backlight button on top of the overview

      button.

    - PWN2.SIT: PowerNavigator 2.0, this utility

      provides fast and easy access to your most used

      packages and instant Fax and Beam receive.



Dr. Darwin Liao <darwin@amtidesign.com> has announced the release of

Firefly -- a backlight toggle utility that works via the Newton 2.1

software button bar.  For more info: <http://members.aol.com/amti>.



Dan Rowley <dan@newts.com> at Innovative Computer Solution reports the

beta release of their new shareware solution called BarKeep -- a button

bar enhancement for Apple's new MessagePad 2000.  The goal of BarKeep is

to let the user "control the location, size, and appearance of the button

bar, and customize these settings for each of the four possible screen

orientations."  It is also bundled with an extension called KillBB which

will temporarily disable the button bar altogether.  For more information

check out: <http://order.kagi.com/?IC>.



Alessandro Soldo <soldoa@FH-Trier.de> has released a new collection of

software called "Make My Day" which includes the following date related

utilities -- Find Collision, Meeting Manager and Week Overview.  For more

info/demo check out: <http://www.fh-trier.de/~soldoa/MakeMyDay>.



Serg Koren <archimag@netaxs.com> reports the release of US$15 shareware

Newt'sTime 1.0 -- a time-synchronization application for communications

savvy Newtons.  Updates your internal clock via a simple phone call (does

not require NIE but does require Newton 2.0).  For more information check

out: <http://www.netaxs.com/~archimag/Newton/MyStuff/NewtsTime.html>.



** NEW VERSION OF LIFEKEEPER **



Saint John <morrisoj@post.drexel.edu> has announced the release of

LifeKeeper v2.0 -- a Newton utility for use in Magic: the Gathering card

games.  For more information check out the following LifeKeeper site at:

<http://www.dusers.drexel.edu/~stjohn/newton.html>.



** PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SHIPS **



Nomadic Technologies has announced that they are now shipping their

N*Project (Personal Edition) -- a complete project management system for

Apple Newton 2.x units.  Plans can be created and viewed as outlines,

Gantt charts, network diagrams, or budget graphs.  These views are

interchangeable and each can be printed, along with several text reports.

For more info: 800.713.6291, 216.331.5771, <http://www.NomadicT.com>, or

<info@NomadicT.com>.



** NEW NEWTON KEYBOARD REPORT **



Tetsuya Iinuma <iinuma@highway.or.jp> reports the posting of an

interviewed Tetsuya recently completed with Mr. Ohsugi of The NewtonShop

(Tokyo Japan) about the new Newton keyboard unveiled at MacWorld

Expo/Tokyo '97.  You can check out the article via Tetsuya's Web page at:

<http://www.cyborg.or.jp/~iinuma/html/Newton.html>.



** POINTER TO: "NEWTON NON-FILE SYSTEM GETS RESPECT" **



Victor Rodriguez <Bit-Man@intersolar.Com.AR> reports that those

interested in American Scientist's "Reinventing The Computer" article

with several Newton mentions (reported in issue #135) should check out:

<http://www.amsci.org/amsci/issues/Comsci97/compsci9701.html>.



** FOREIGN LANGUAGE SOLUTION GETS UPGRADE **



Frank Wegener <wegener@travel-cs.com> reports the release of their

English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian language translator and

vocabulary trainer called PowerTrans 3.0.  This version also includes 15

foreign keyboard layouts, and completely supports the new MessagePad 2000

and eMate 300.  You can get more info via: <http://www.travel-cs.com>.



** NEWTON TOOLKIT NEWS **



Several of Apple's very dedicated Newton Developer Technical Support

(DTS) folks posted some details about what is going on with Newton

Toolkit (NTK) for Macintosh and Windows recently on the USENET newsgroup

comp.sys.newton.programmer.



Currently you can upgrade from NTK 1.0 to 1.5 to version 1.6.x for US$50.

The currently shipping version for the Macintosh is version 1.6.3 and

will soon be upgraded to version 1.6.4.  One of the new features in 1.6.4

is the ability to handle grayscale pictures and icons.  If you are going

to write new Newton OS 2.1 functionality then you'll need the Newton OS

2.1 platform file which is distributed among other places on the latest

Newton Developer CDROM.



Apple Developer News #51 published on 04Apr97 reports the release of

Newton Toolkit for Windows, Version 1.6.  The software kit retails for

US$150.  For more info check out: <http://www.devworld.apple.com/> or to

purchase check out: <http://www.devcatalog.apple.com>.



What are the main differences between Macintosh NTK and Windows NTK?

Here is a summary:



    - MacNTK has Bookmaker and support for the C++

      tools (which run only on the Mac). WinNTK has none

      of these.

    - There is a converter to go from MacNTK to

      WinNTK. There is no converter for the opposite

      direction.

    - WinNTK is a port of a Mac program, and sometimes

      that shows in the interface.

    - MacNTK allows AppleTalk connections to the

      Newton device in addition to serial connections;

      WinNTK has only the serial connection.

    - The QuickView online documentation that comes

      with MacNTK is a little more accessible (easier to

      use) than the WinHelp documentation that comes

      with WinNTK.



For more info: <http://devworld.apple.com/dev/newton/tools/ntk.html>.



** EJECT THAT MODEM CARDS BEFORE RESET **



Josh Peterson <petersjf@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu> reports that the current

wisdom from Apple's SOS folks is that if you have to do a soft-reset or

your Newton system restarts automatically on you, that you should remove

a PC Card modem ASAP to insure things restart correctly.  This is

especially true if you are using a MP2000 with a Megahertz PC card modem

(specifically the Megahertz XJ1144).  Several folks on USENET newsgroup

comp.sys.newton.misc have confirmed this suggestion works well.



** NEW STATIONARY SHOULD HELP DIETERS **



Jason Dufair <funne@holli.com> has created a Newton 2.0 Notepad

stationary that he calls "ww 1.1" that should make it easier for those on

the Weight Watchers diet system to plan meals and track their food intake

based on their own individual weights.  For more information check out:

<http://www.holli.com/~funne>.



** OTHER PASSING NEWTON MENTIONS WORTH MENTION **



Cyberian Outpost <http://www.cybout.com/> is offering 'deals' on two

Newton software products from Landware: Merlin/WordSleuth and WriteStuff.

On the PalmPilot side of things you can get Landware's Financial

Consultant from Cyberian Outpost also.



Guy Kawasaki's listserver <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/> had

pointers to Catamount Software's Morgan (Media ORGANizing tool), and

RoadRunner Tracks' The BARRIER 2000 (screen protectors).



TidBITS#372/31-Mar-97 had an article called "News from Cupertino" with a

Newton MessagePad 2000 mention in a review of what was recently released

by Apple on the hardware and software front.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

$ NS BASIC  $ The latest implementation of this cool programming tool has an

$   3.6     $ easy to use graphic screen layout function, plus indexed file

$   with    $ communications, graphics and more!  Program directly on Newton

$  Visual   $ or with a PC or Mac.  Create packages in the Extras drawer and

$ Designer! $ much more. 260 pg handbook. Cost is $99+5 S&H for all Newtons.

$           $ <info@nsbasic.com>,  <http://www.nsbasic.com>,  416.264.5999

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  PDA and Handheld Direct - MP2000 Coming March 21st

   - Apple MessagePad 2000 Standard Model only $949.00 Product (#22005)

   - Apple MessagePad 2000 Business Bundle only $1099.00 Product #22008

   - Apple Message Pad 130 w/ Newton 2.0 OS $655.00

   - Type II PCMCIA Flash Memory for all Apple MPs - Mfg Lifetime Guarantee

     4MB $128 (41070) 8MB $224 (41073) 10MB $274 (41074) 16MB $424 (41077)

   - Revelar Connection Utilities for Win $49.95 #10070 Mac $49.95 #10071

   - Newton Keyboard only $69.00

  To receive special pricing please mention source code #158

  To order call 800-279-4732 or 219-882-5228 or fax 219-845-0578

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Information from the Internet

-----------------------------



** IN SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT NEWTON CASE?!? **



Timothy Killian <tkillian@eventure.com> has found his perfect case at

Bergmann Luggage store (a West Coast chain) called the Kenneth Cole Hand

Bag (Model #55425, Price US$90).  Timothy also found that Toys-R-Us has a

'great' potential MP2K case in the form of Nintendo Game-Boy cases that

run under US$10.



Simon 'Gadget Man' Coulthurst <gman@globalnet.co.uk> has found a 'good'

one at Leeds (a specialist leather-goods store) in the UK called "Extras"

made by the Italian company called Condor Leather.  It is a 'sawn-off

briefcase' that is shorter than others, made of fine leather, and

antique brass fitments, so the price is kind of steep at UK POUNDS 180.



David MacNeill <dmacneill@pencomputing.com> reports that Pen Computing

has some MessagePad 2000 cases (one designed for men, and another

designed for women) posted via their World Wide Web pages at:

<http://www.pencomputing.com/pcdesigns/index.html>



Gregory Andreas <gregor1@ix.netcom.com> has found Domke's OutPack to be a

pretty good carrying case.  The unit also has a belt loop.  Domke is also

the manufacturer of the Camere cases.



Tim Benning <tbenning@execpc.com> suggests those that want a more day

planner case, check out the Cambridge Personal Day Planner with three

ring binder.  You can much the binder, and use this under US$20 (sold at

Target stores) to hold an MP2K "perfectly".



NewtNews has found the Eagle Creek Wanderer (#D2229C) that retails for

US$30 to be pretty good case.  The size of the unit is 9 x 12 x 7 inches

(23 x 30 x 18 cm), and includes a pocket for cellular phone.  There is

enough room in the main compartment to hold a MP2K, a QuickTake 150, and

a Newton keyboard.



** MERLIN AND WORDSLEUTH UPDATED **



Clinton Logan <clinton@landware.com> reports the release of Merlin 1.1

(spell checking utility) and WordSleuth 1.1 (thesaurus) that are now

fully compatible and integrated to work with the NewtWorks wordprocessor

on the MP2K and eMate 300.  These are being bundled for US$49.95, and you

can get more information via: 201.261.7944, <info@landware.com>, and

<http://www.landware.com>.



** E-Z ACCESS UPDATED **



Jack Starmer <jack@simplemed.com> reports that Morgan Creek Medical has

released version 2.0 of E-Z Access -- a pop-up button for launching

applications and books that can be accessed from any application on a

Newton device.  For more information check out the following site:

<http://www.simplemed.com> or send email to the following address:

<freeware@simplemed.com>.



** BILLS TO PAY PRO UPDATED **



Edward Martin <EdMartin@marsoftware.com> reports the release of version

3.5.6 of Bills to Pay Pro on 31Mar97 with full support for new Newton 2.1

features, and more interoperability with other finance packages.  The

following languages are also being supported: German, Japanese, French,

and Spanish.  For more info check out: <http://www.marsoftware.com>.



** BLUEPRINT 1.6 DEMO NOW AVAILABLE **



Ashish Mishra <ash@sineware.com> reports the 12-day limited demo of Sine

of the Times' BluePrint -- a project manager -- is now available.  This

version works on Newton 2.x devices and supports multiple projects,

relational tasks, task filtering, and gantt charting.  For more

information check out: <http://www.sineware.com/products/BluePrint/>.



** NEWTON REGISTER 1.0.2 NEEDS TEXT STATIONERY **



Flash Sheridan <FlaSheridn@pobox.com> reports:



    Newton Register <http://pobox.com/~flasheridn/register> lets

    you pay for shareware programs with a credit card via

    electronic mail.  Several MessagePad 2000 users have

    recently reported being unable to use the current version

    (1.0.2, 6/27/96).  My tentative diagnosis is that these

    users don't have Apple's Text Stationery extension, which is

    installed by a number of mail clients and internet

    utilities. (This, presumably, is why my beta testers and I

    never saw the problem.) I'm investigating including the Text

    Stationery extension with Newton Register, and distributing

    it to users who already have 1.0.2.  In the meantime, the

    simplest workaround is to temporarily install the free

    CompuServe mail client from Apple

    <http://newton.info.apple.com/newton/solutions/cismail.html>.

    Once you've installed it, you're free to remove the CISMail

    extension, so long as you leave the Text Stationery

    extension.



** COOL TRAVELING PHONE CORD **



Jim Felder <jfelder@traveller.com> has found a new cool 'phone gadget'

that mobile MP2K power users should appreciate.  It is called SureLink --

an 8-foot phone cable that retracts into a Type III PC card size.  For

more info: <http://www.port.com>.



Peter <mightbe_peterw@clark.net.foo.com> followed up with information

that you can pick up these cords for US$8 + S&H via The Palmtop Network

<http://www.palmtop.net/commlink.html>.



** NS BASIC NEWS **



George Henne <gh@nsbasic.com> reports the publishing of a new Tech Note

42 published on 03Apr97 that outlines 'fun things' you can do with NS

Basic and Newton 2.1.



If you want to add a 'pop-up button' to your NS Basic application, then

check out John Schettino's <schettino@writeme.com> TechNote #35 -- "Using

PICKER widgets to create buttons that display menus" via the following WWW

page: <http://www.nsbasic.com/technotes.html>.



** NEWTON ON CABLE TV SHOW **



Paul Duckenfield <paul@widomaker.com> and Michael Stango

<PhillyMJS@aol.com> report that on a recent CNBC's "Power Lunch" there

was a MessagePad 2000 appearance.  The show highlighted the improved

handwriting recognition and also mentioned how "terrific" the MP2K was.



** NEWTCASE UPDATED **



Don Vollum <donv@teleport.com> reports that PelicanWare and ICS are now

shipping NewtCase 3.0.2 that adds support for the MessagePad 2000 and

eMate 300.  Included in this package of utilities are the two heavy

weights:" NewtCase Package Manager and NewtCase Extensions Manager, along

with Extensions Manager, Desktop, GestureLaunch, NewtInfo, SleepAid, and

Soup Kitchen (but GestureLaunch is only compatible with MP120/130

devices).  The upgrade is free for NewtCase 3.0.x users, and sells in

Newton retail stores for US$49.95.  For more information check out:

<http://www.pelicanware.com> or send an email to: <sales@pelicanware.com>.



** NEWTON HALL OF FAME OPENS **



Douglas Luckie <luckie@pilot.msu.edu> reports the creation of an annex

off The Michigan State Newton Users Group (MSNUG) called the "Newton

Gallery" which will honor Newton Programmers and Evangelists in a "Newton

Hall of Frame."  You can get a direct link to:



    - Newton Hall: <http://pilot.msu.edu/~luckie/hallofame.htm>

    - Newton Gallery: <http://pilot.msu.edu/~luckie/newtgal.htm>

    - MSNUG: <http://pilot.msu.edu/~luckie/msnug.htm>



** UPDATED NEWTON SOFTWARE DIGEST **



Ian Robinson <newton-digest@stormont.compulink.co.uk> has updated his

Newton software digest on 06Apr97.  At this site you'll find details

about the following new Newton software packages: AMazeing; Asstcalc

3.5.1; Cliphoard; Crime And Punishment (Newton Book); Emerald City Of Oz

(Newton Book); Hwrworks 1.01; Issac's Dates; Issac's Names; Movie Demo;

Newtonlink 1.0; Nofx; Promedex Manual; Pt100 0.97; Relations 2.3; Silk

1.3; Streak 1.0; The Magic Of Oz (Newton Book); The Road To Oz (Newton

Book); WorksWrite 1.01; and WriteHere Public Beta 7.  Check it out at:

<http//www.compulink.co.uk/~stormont/newton/weekly.htm>.



** NEWTON ANSWERS **



Want to learn more about FTP clients for the MP2K?  Or interested in

finding out if there is a Lotus Notes client for the Newton?  Want an

SKEY/OTP client for the Newton?  Then check out Clay Irving's

<clay@panix.com> excellent Newton Reference site on the Web at:

<http://www.panix.com/~clay/newton>.  It has answers to these and other

questions.



** MORE NEWTON UTILITIES NEWS **



Want to change all your Names to a specific card style?!?  Then check out

Paul Rekieta <rekieta@newton.apple.com> CardStyler posted to this URL:

<http://members.aol.com/fitnesslog/index.html>.



David Dunham <dunham@pensee.com> reports that if you are interested in

a Newton based dice roller that you check out his dice roller program

at: <http://www.pensee.com/netfinder/netfinder.acgi$Root=RPG||>.



** NEWTON DEVELOPERS NEEDED **



David Bills <dfbills@syr.edu> reports that Raven Zachary

<raven@rinzai.com> is looking for a Newton programmer to help port the

Hotline client to the Newton using source and input from the Macintosh

version written by Adam Hinks.  Please contact Raven if you are serious

NewtonScript programmer with NIE experience.  For more info about David

and Raven's Hotline server called Newton Intelligence check out:

<http://www.rinzai.com/ni/>.



Christian Smith <csmith@gmu.edu> reports that the developer of FileCrypt

for Macintosh and Windows -- a portable PGP Engine -- Highware

<http://www.highware.com> is interested in working on a Newton version.

Ideally the developer should be a non-US developer.  If you are

interested send an email to: Axel de Landtsheer <support@highware.com>.



** NEW STUFF FROM SCRAWL **



Scrawl Software was a guest on Newton Intelligence Hotline Server on

Sunday, 04Apr97.  They announced 'Chirval' for the Newton (a port of a

Macintosh game of the same name by Ambrosia Software) and a 'kerborized'

version of Telnet via PT100.  Check out: <http://www.scrawlsoft.com> for

more information.



** OTHER SITES WORTHY OF A BROWSE **



    - InterResearch & Development Group's (IRdg) iPost Universal

      Box & Courier: <http://www.irdg.com>

    - Browse Guide [Internet]:

      <http://poster.www6conf.org/poster/702/guide2.html>

    - The Orator Company [Macintosh]: <http://www.the-orator.com>

    - Data Ratchet [Macintosh]: <http://macspigot.netspace.org>

    - Taligent [Java]: <http://www.taligent.com>





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

   WinSlurp! - Rare White Tiger Creations provides Newton Book publishing

   services and is NOW offering WinSlurp. A windows front-end to Slurpee

   which supports transferring notes back and forth between the Newton

   notepad and the PC desktop.  Available for downloading from this URL:

   <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/heringermr/winslurp.htm>.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

   PowerMedia is your source for all the latest cutting edge Newton apps:

     + Super NotePad: Quick access arrows, encryption, tags, filters, etc.

     + DateMan 3.0: Complete agenda and contact management.

     + Stationary Construction Kit: Build your very own custom stationary.

   Commercially available at your favorite Newton retailer.  Or check out

   online demos via the following site: <http://www.powermedia.com/~pmi>.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Top Weekly Magazine Stories Of Interest

---------------------------------------



[EDITOR: This is a collection of articles of potential interest to

NewtNews readers from the leading technology print magazines.]



** MP2K REVIEW IN MACADDICT **



The May 97 edition of MacAddict has a MessagePad 2000 review on page 73.

Overall the magazine scores the MP2K as "Freakin' Awesome" with the

following Good News -- "Built-in Internet and productivity software, long

battery life, powerful processor, and new backlighting."  On the Bad News

side of things -- "Too wide to be comfortable in small hands, heavier

than predecessors, and flat serial port requires retooled cables."  The

article is written by Kathy Tafel, and includes pictures of the built-in

spreadsheet by Pelicanware, and some very detailed graphics on the new

hardware and software features found on the MP2K



** NEWTON MENTIONS IN WINDOWS MAGAZINE **



Martin Heller <http://www.winmag.com/people/mheller> had two handheld

articles recently in Windows Magazine published on 01Apr97.  The first

was on developing for the Newton and Windows CE called "Think Small-If

you're tired of bloated desktop programs, you can develop tiny ones for

Windows CE and the Newton."  The second article is called "Head to Head:

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) Give a Little", and is a review of the

Casio Windows CE savvy Cassiopeia vs. the Apple Newton MessagePad 2000.

In the end Martin can't recommend either device because they basically

don't work well for him.



[EDITOR: IMHO, the programming article makes the Newton look better.]



** NEWTONSCRIPT GETS GOOD REVIEW IN BYTE **



Marton Carungay <martonx@macconnect.com> reports that the latest issue of

BYTE magazine has a side-by-side comparison of the development

environments for Windows CE, Newton, PalmPilot, and Magic Cap.  Marton

writes:



    The Newton development platform (mentioning

    NewtonScript specifically) received a very

    favorable review from BYTE magazine.  For

    "technology", Newton development received 5 star

    out of 5 stars possible.  For "implementation",

    the Newton development side received 4 stars out

    of 5 stars possible.



** GREAT MP2K REVIEW **



The Orlando Sentinel had a Newton mention in an article entitled "Apple

has hit with Newton MessagePad" by Barry Cooper published on 03Apr97. The

article is very pro-Newton and includes quotes like "best hand-held

personal computer available"; 'innovative';"[Apple has] done everything

right with the MessagePad [2000]"; and "IBM-compatible users will love

linking" [with the MP2K].  The article did note that the MP2K competes

against Windows CE, and that other devices, like Magic Cap, has 'failed'.



** NEWTON RUMORS **



Robert X. Cringley in his 'Notes From The Field' column published in

31Mar97 of InfoWorld has the following Newton mention:



    The Newton group rumors are cranking up [Open Doc

    rumors were listed above this rumor], too.  Apple

    continues to vie resources to the Newton group --

    all part of a plan to fatten it up for market.  If

    the Newton team goes on the block, Sun is rumored

    to be a likely buyer.  Developers at Apple have a

    certain expertise in miniaturization and

    handwriting recognition technology.  Sun's getting

    customer calls for a Java-based handheld, and the

    Newton team's expertise could get Sun into that

    business pretty quickly.



Spencer F. Katt at PC Week's Rumor Central has this Merger from Hell on

page 170 (07Apr97):



    Apple could merge with McDonald's and help Gil

    Amelio Dump some dead weight by offering McNewtons

    in every Happy Meal.  Just glue some small plastic

    Ronalds, Grimaces and Mayor McCheeses on all those

    old Newtons, and you've got "insanely great

    products!"  Toss in an Apple Pie and some McJobs

    brand Kool-Aid and you'll be in Happy Meal Hell.



Robert Cringley had a Newton mention on page 118 of InfoWorld published

on 07Apr97.  Someone actually called Robert up on 01Apr97 and swore that

the following wasn't an April Fool's Joke -- "Gaia Software (a Newton

developer in Portland, Oregon) was negotiating with Apple to buy the

Newton division."



** SHORT BLURBS OF INTEREST **



You can check out the full page Apple's MessagePad 2000 ad in the 31Mar97

edition of MacWeek on page 9.



"Redemption of John Sculley?" by Lawrence Aragon, PC Week Inside,

07Apr97, page A1. Several passing historical Newton mentions.  Scully

reported that Apple never spent more than 4% of their R&D budget on the

Newton while he was at Apple.  I also said "To this day, I have never

used a Newton.  It never met my test:  It had to be an efficient,

easy-to-use wireless device."



Frank Beacham <frank@beachman.com> comes to the MP2K's rescue with his

opinion piece on page 54 - 55 of InfoWorld published on 07Apr97.  Frank

lays out all the 'good' reasons why the MP2K should have been chosen as

better than Windows CE devices in a recent review.  According to Frank

the MP2K should actually be considered a 'portable computer' that rests

between PDA and subnotebook.



Microsoft estimates that there are 4.2 million programmers in North

America and that half are C or Visual Basic programmers.  Also according

to Microsoft the number of Java programmers is only 260,000 (6%) but

JavaSoft says there are 400,000 Java programmers according to them (10%).

[John Dodge, PC Week, 07Apr97, page 3]



** OTHER RECENT NEWTON PRINT MENTIONS **



Dr. Darwin Liao <darwin@amtidesign.com> has a review of the MessagePad

2000 in the 01Apr97 issue of Ophthalmology Times that points out how the

MP2K is ideal for Ophthalmology (eyes) medical solutions.



Andrew McCarthy <ajmccar@ibm.net> reports that the latest 'Success'

magazine has full page picture of the new MessagePad 2000 and a half-page

write-up. While it still portrays the MP2K as a 'toy', the article does

point out the much improved handwriting recognition.



Andrew Tong <amwt@lehman.com> reports an interesting article published by

a Hong Kong newspaper <http://www.scmp.com>.  The article is written by

Shaun Eddleston at Vigers on how their property consultant company is

using the Newton to do "improve internal operations and win lucrative

contracts, but [the Newton] has also helped provide [their] customers

with a better service."



Michael Stango <PhillyMJS@aol.com> reports that the 07Apr97 issue of

Newsweek has a MessagePad 2000 mention ("This ain't no PDA!") on page 8,

but there is a not so nice editorial cartoon that 'takes a swipe at

Apple' on page 25.



Robert Kupbens <rkupbens@earthlink.net> reports that the most recent

Mirabella (fashion magazine) has a 'good review' of the MessagePad 2000

with a focus on helping those that are organizationally challenged.



H.R. Laser <hrlaser@netcom.com> reports that a recent Autoweek magazine

had a blurb with pictures of a new Ford Taurus wagon called the

"L'Attitude" that included a write-up with a Newton mention --

specifically about the car having a mounted in-dash Newton GPS system.



Todd Wilson <wilson3@fas.harvard.edu> reports that Simson Garfinkle has

PDA Review article in the 10Apr97 edition of the Boston Globe. The

article looks at: PalmPilot, two Windows CE devices, and the Newton

MessagePad 2000.  Several folks have commented, including Todd, that the

article was pretty fair. Check it out via (may require some searching):

<http://www.boston.com:80/globe/glohome.htm>.



** OTHER ARTICLES OF POTENTIAL INTEREST **



    - "Device Bay Spec on Tab: Technology promises

       interchangeability to PC components" by Lisa

       Dicarlo, PC Week, 31Mar97, page 8

    - "AT&T Pulls the Plug on PACT Wireless Protocol"

       by Mark Moore & Charles Cooper, PC Week, 31Mar97,

       page 100

    - "Pocket access to an NC world: Microsoft

       positions handhelds to join battle against NC

       advances" by Jeff Bliss, Computer Reseller News,

       31Mar97, page 103

    - "Digital, Oracle Team up on NC Reference spec:

       Digital's StrongARM to drive design" by Carolyn A.

       April, InfoWorld, 31Mar97, page 25

    -  Tia O'Brien has a very interesting Q&A article

       on page A1 of PC Week (31Mar97) with Be Inc.'s

       Jean-Louis Gassee entitled "My Dinner With

       Gassee."



** MAJOR WEB POINTERS **



    - Web Week: <http://www.webweek.com>

    - MacWeek: <http://www.macweek.com>

    - InfoWorld: <http://www.infoworld.com>

    - Computer Reseller News: <http://www.crn.com>

    - PC Week: <http://www.pcweek.com>





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  K2 consultants, Inc. has the best Medical titles for Newton. Just out is

  Dr. Ferri's popular book for internists with special offers! Get the hit

  references like Lexi-Comp Drug Handbook, 5 Min. Clin Consult, Archimedes

  Programmable Calculator, etc.  KJV Bible, Ole spanish translator & more,

  all working with our renowned ART engine. See ART make a big splash at

  <http://www.skyscape.com/k2> or <http://www.1stopsoft.com> for info/sales.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  INDISPENSABLE! The one word that describes The BARRIER Screen Protector.

    * Clearly Superior Protection

    * Abrasion, chemical, AND thermal resistant

    * Protecting Newton screens since 1993

  For more info: <http://www.losalamos.com/roadrunner> or call 800-882-8382

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





NewtNews Tips and Tricks You Can Use On Your Newton

---------------------------------------------------



** THE INSTANT GUIDE TO BECOMING A NEWT GURU **



By Roger Coleman <Roger_Coleman@compuserve.com>



It's great to get all of the +ve comments and tips since this column

started - many thanks, and keep them coming!  Lots of people have also

sent me details of the most invaluable utilities that they have

discovered - I shall start to include details of these in future episodes

of 'Tips and Tricks'.  If you have a tip for this column, email it to me

<Roger_Coleman@compuserve.com> with "NewtNews-Tip" in the subject field.

I am sure to run out of tips before long, so please pass on those nuggets

of knowledge to keep me going! Thanks!



** NEWT-TIP#4: TURN OFF APPS WITH A RESTART **



All the credit and glory for this week's tip goes to both Nick Mandich

<nmandich@netcomuk.co.uk> and Ralf Hinz <hinz@dbag.ulm.DaimlerBenz.COM>.



To restart the Newt without loading any apps/autoparts press the restart

button then press the pen against the left edge of the screen 1 cm above

the end of the edge of the silkscreen above Names.



    .----.

    |    |

    |    |

    |x   |

    |    |

    |    |

    '----'



A slip will ask if you want to load packages from internal. Tap no, then

press the pen again in the same spot, and another slip will ask the same

for card.



"Light" restart maximizes frame heap by sacrificing functionality. You

can still activate packages selectively by tapping an inactive package's

icon in extras which has a large X across it.



Use "Light" restart to increase responsiveness in special cases. Nick

uses it when reconciling in PocketMoney to speed up scrolling

dramatically and also to speed-up HWR recognition in long, or time

critical note taking sessions.



This tip is most appropriate on MP120/2.0. MP130 has twice the frame heap

of the MP120 so the frame conservation strategy may be less relevant. I

don't know if it works on MP2K.



** TIPS WANTED! **



Email your tips to Roger at: <Roger_Coleman@compuserve.com>.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  PDA Panache is your single source for stylus solutions.  Custom stylus

  upgrades for Newton MP130 and MP2000.  Custom styli for WinCE, USR, and

  Sharp PDAs.  Wide selection of Pocket Styli for all tastes and budgets.

  Duo multi-function stylus/pen combo. Beacon L.E.D. lighted stylus. Stylus

  inserts for Cross & other popular pens.  More info: 800.270.7196 or

  516.467.4042, FAX: 516.467.6329, <http://www.PDAPanache.com> (secure)

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  PowerTrans 3.0 - Translator and Vocabulary Trainer - 60,000 Words -

  English, Spanish, German, French and Italian (no storage card required).

    + Customize the vocabulary and/or create new languages, attach notes

    + MP2K and eMate featured - speech, classroom multi-user, keyboards

    + Vocabulary Trainer - based on approved didactical learning system

    + Adjustable filters, more than 15 keyboards, connectivity to PC/MAC

  Checkout demo: <http://www.travel-cs.com> - contact: <info@travel-cs.com>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$----------- $





Other Related Technology

------------------------



[EDITOR: News collected via snail mail, major publications, USENET

newsgroups, email, and the WWW.  For more information about Farcast check

out: <http://www.farcast.com> and for more information about iNews use:

<http://www.individual.com>.]



** WIRELESS & MOBILE **



How big is the two-way wireless market going to be?  The Strategis Group

has a new $1500 survey that says that specifically wireless email "is

going to explode in use over the next few years."  Currently only 500,000

users are doing wireless email, but by 2001 the survey predicts 15.6

million will be doing wireless email.



The following companies all recently had new wireless related press

releases posted: RadioMail, Sprint & Sprint PCS, Motorola, Sierra

Wireless, Microwave, Metricom, Rockwell, Harris Corp., Puma Technologies,

Geoworks, Pocket Communications, Telxon Corp., Nokia, Mitsubishi,

Ericsson, River Run Software Group. InterDigital Communications

Corporation (IDC), InfoSpace, and PageMart Wireless.



Steve Mann <smann@cdpubs.com> reports that Creative Digital Publishing's

Handheld Systems Conference has announced that Nokia Mobile Phones has

agreed to be one of the corporate sponsors this conference that will be

taking place 24-26Apr97 at the San Francisco Airport Hilton. For more

info: <http://www.cdpubs.com> or call: 415.621.4252.



** PILOT **



Computer Reseller News (CRN) has a small blurb on page 99 that notes that

Data Viz is not shipping their PC to PalmPilot 'sync software' until

May97. There is also a small blurb with a picture on page 103 that

declares "PalmPilot: PDA of Choice". This blurb mentions that the

PalmPilot's HotSync feature 'dampens the claim by Windows CE that Windows

CE is the exclusive extension to the desktop."  This blurb also claims

that the PalmPilot is now 'ubiquitous in corporate America." [31Mar97]



PalmPilot got press release mentions last week via Puma Technologies for

their IntelliSync for PalmPilot, and from Windward for an announcement of

their conduits to Symantec's ACT, SideKick, and for U.S. Robotics

internal PalmPilot applications.



Here is a collection of new PalmPilot links that should be of interest:



    - 4-In-Line (Connect 4) 1.1 update:

      <http://home.pacific.net.sg/~kokmun/pilotpgm.htm>

    - Translate V0.95:

      <http://www.gate.net/~dhaupert/ddhpilot.html>

    - MenuHack v1.2:

      <http://www.1stresource.com/~mistered/mischack.htm>

    - Pikoban 1.0:

      <http://home.pacific.net.sg/~kokmun/pilotpgm.htm>

    - JFile version 1.1a:

      <http://www.iag.net/~jlehett/pilprogs.html>

    - Calvin's PalmPilot FAQ:

      <http://www.pilotfaq.com>

    - Pi-Lid: <http://www.artomatic.com/pi-lid/>



** WINDOWS CE **



B Mascardo II <masc@gte.net> posted a very interesting post to the USENET

newsgroup comp.sys.palmtops entitled "VELO 1 loooong review (after 4 days

of ownership)" To check it out use your favorite search engine -- for

instance: <http://www.hotbot.com>.



Nigel Ballard <pelham123@pobox.com> reported on comp.sys.palmtops that

the Velo-1 release in the United States will start at CompUSA on 14Apr97.

 For more info check out Nigel's @The Paperless Office Consultancy via

this link: <http://www.pobox.com/~pelham123>.



InfoWorld published on 07Apr97 has a small blurb on page 3 that states

that NEC will have soon have a 2nd generation Windows CE savvy processor

available called the Vr4102 running at 66-MHz.  This issue also says on

page 29 that Microsoft has a new version of their Windows CE Explorer 1.1

posted on their FTP sites that enable compatibility with Windows NT 4.0

and Outlook 97 email.



Mark Moore has Windows CE news on page 46 of PC Week published on

31Nar97.  The article says that sometime in Apr97 Puma Technologies

<http://www.pumatech.com> will have new Windows CE data sync software,

and Microsoft will ship Visual C++ 5.0 with a Windows CE development

add-on.



Jeff Bliss has an article entitled "Windows CE slow to take off --

Underwhelming enthusiasm shown for new handheld devices" on page 6 of

Computer Reseller News (CRN) published on 31Mar97.  Some general problems

with the Windows CE HPC marketplace according to this article include:

lack of market development funds, lack of channel training, and less than

expected co-marketing with Microsoft.  The article also sited the lack of

Windows CE connectivity to Windows NT 4.0 and Outlook products as being a

problem in corporate markets.  [EDITOR: These problems have been

reportedly already addressed by Microsoft.]



Philips has a new TwoChipPIC Plus chipset that will double Windows CE

performance, make comms easier, and offer color capabilities to 2nd

generation HPCs.  In related news, Philips and CIC have announced an

agreement that will enable Philips to incorporate CIC's handwriting

technology into future Philips products. [iNews & Farcast]



Advanced Recognition Technologies (ART) has a new version of smARTwriter

for Windows CE that uses less memory and will support European character

sets. [iNews & Farcast]



** PSION **



Psion <http://www.psion.com/> has reportedly created a new Corporate

Solutions division that will focus on insuring their continued handheld

'dominance' in some corporate sectors.



Here is a collection of new Psion links that should be of interest:



    - Marc Warne's Psionopoly: http://www.alphapro.demon.co.uk/>

    - Dart3a v1.00f: <patrick.wildenborg@IAEhv.nl>

    - PSICONS on ClaraNET: <http://home.clara.net/nkb/psion/> &

      on UK Online: <http://web.ukonline.co.uk/n.bee/psion/>

    - StereoVu: <http://www.niweb.com/dnet/dnethWMo/psion1.htm>

    - RShell with Ranger Disk: <http://www.aha.ru/~kis/>

    - PsiFile, PsiBank, & PsiLink:

      <http://www.worldonline.nl/~agiessen>

    - VacTrac 1.3.16:

      <http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3591/>

    - EMCC Backgammon: <http://www.compulink.co.uk/~emcc/>

    - The TOTAL PSION Solution:

      <http://members.aol.com/netpsion/index.html>

    - X3Tree V1.2 & SnFile V 1.2:

      <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/RWakelin>

    - HOL V2.1 Agenda holidays:

      <http://decus.se/~gripenol/hol.html>

    - Minefinder: <http://members.aol.com/stark3333/psion.htm>

    - S3A HOME V1.5 Home Inventory:

      <http://members.aol.com/alanrichey>

    - GBSoftware: <http://members.aol.com/GBSoftware/>

    - S3ABANK V1.9 & and SNABANK V1.2:

      <http://members.aol.com/alanrichey>



** OTHER HANDHELD **



Olga Mandrugina <om@technologynet.com> has announced a new "ultimate

technology resource on the Internet dedicated to bringing together

thousands of worldwide computer dealers and end-users under one virtual

roof" called TechnologyNet via: <http://www.technologynet.com>.



AllPen Software was showing a Java-savvy NetHopper Enterprise Server that

should enable proxy based mobile and handheld access at the recent

JavaOne Computer conference. [iNews & Farcast]



Geoworks has announced that they have licensed Java technology from

JavaSoft, and plans to incorporate this technology into future versions of

their GEOS system for handhelds and smart phones.  In related news, Nokia

and Geoworks recently announced a new VAR/SI program targeting their

Nokia 9000 device. [iNews & Farcast]



** APPLE **



Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison continues to say that he and others are

interesting in 'taking over' Apple Computer.  Apple CEO Gil Amelio was

reportedly "unimpressed" by the talk. [iNews & Farcast]



Apple will be participating in 'force' at Seybold Seminars New York being

held 21-25Apr97 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York

City. [iNews & Farcast]



Quality Education Data (QED), a Denver research company, reports that

Apple continues to be the #1 computer brand currently installed in United

States based K-College schools, and still the #1 vendor in expected

purchases for 1997. [iNews & Farcast]



HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

recently confirmed reports that he currently holds more than 5% (worth

more than US$115 million) of Apple Computer -- which he has been

purchasing on the open market over the last several weeks. [iNews &

Farcast]



Other Apple tidbits: Fuji and Apple may form an imaging products alliance

in Japan; Sears is teaming up with Apple to promote a school rewards

program; Apple and IBM are negotiating new licensing fees; and Apple

continues to publish major advertisements in leading national newspapers.

[iNews & Farcast]



** MACINTOSH **



Apple's new 300-MHz PowerPC 603e 'Small Business' Macintosh systems

(called the Power Macintosh 6500) will be bundled with: Symantec's Norton

Utilities 3.2 and internal Zip drives.  Other processor speeds available

include 250-MHz and 275-MHz -- all of which are being manufactured by

Motorola. [iNews & Farcast]



The following Macintosh related products were recently announced:

Mountaingate's PCI-based Stampede Ultra and Mini-Array RAID systems; and

Number Nine Visual has new MacOS-savvy PCI-based 128-bit graphics cards.

[iNews & Farcast]



Apple is also now shipping a Power Macintosh 7300/180 (PowerPC 604e) with

a 166-MHz Intel Pentium PCI card. [iNews & Farcast]



UMAX Computer has announced a new SuperMac workstation called the

S900/250 that is powered by a 250-MHz PowerPC 604e. [iNews & Farcast]



Apple has announced that QuickTime 3.0 for Windows and MacOS will ship

during the Summer of 1997, and offer new video capture, editing, and

playback features. [iNews & Farcast]



** INTERNET **



Motorola has announced that they now have JavaOS 1.0 running on their

MPC821 PowerPC microprocessor. [iNews & Farcast]



Apple is now shipping their Internet/intranet publishing solution called

Personal Web Sharing 1.0 server software. [iNews & Farcast]





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  To much info in NewtNews for you?  Does all the Macintosh information

  make you want to puke?  Then maybe you should check out NewtNews-Savvy.

  For $20 you get 40 issues of just lean and mean Newton/PDA/Wireless

  information directly to your inbox of choice.  Send an email message

  with the subject containing 'NewtNews-Savvy' to <newtnews@pobox.com>

  and you'll get a sample issue and an order form.  Thanks for reading!

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  If you are too cheap to pay $20 for weekly Newton/PDA/Wireless info,

  then check out the freeware-monthly-Acrobat-savvy-version of NewtNews

  called NewtNews Pro at: <http://members.aol.com/nnpro/newton.html>.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Edupage, 07Apr97 thru 13Apr97

-----------------------------



** THE MOUSE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD **



Douglas Engelbart, the man who invented the computer mouse, accepted this

year's $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize.  As he received the award, Engelbart

was described by economist Lester Thurow as "the father of the way we do

the Internet, videoconferencing, e-mail and most of our modern

interactions with computers.  With his help, the computer has become a

friendly servant rather than a stern taskmaster."  Nicknamed the mouse

because connecting wire resembled a tail, the device was patented as an

X-Y position indicator for a display system.   Engelbart, now 72, says,

"In 20 or 30 years, you'll be able to hold in your hand as much computing

knowledge as exists now in the whole city, or even the whole world."  (AP

9 Apr 97)



** CHINESE COMPUTER MAKERS CHALLENGE BIG BLUE AND COMPAQ **



The giant Asian market that has U.S. PC makers salivating could end up

buying locally, now that Chinese PC makers are making a comeback.  After

years of being outclassed by the likes of Compaq, IBM and AST, Chinese

companies such as Legend Group, Beijing Founder Electronics and China

Great Wall Computer Group are whipping out models that often are cheaper

and just as powerful as foreign ones.  Legend Group, which ships

motherboards to 26 countries, has opened a design center in California's

Silicon Valley, and pays Microsoft $12 million a year to load the Chinese

version of Windows 95 onto most of its PCs.  As a result, "they've

translated what's going on in technology abroad and brought it to China,

where they understand the market," says a Beijing-based analyst.

(Business Week 14 Apr 97)



** VIEW THROUGH WINDOWS WILL BE WEBTV **



Microsoft is acquiring WebTV Networks Inc., the Palo Alto, California,

company that delivers Internet content directly to television sets.  The

$425-million purchase is intended to speed up the convergence of PC and

TV and to make Microsoft's Windows operating system software a standard

for the next generation of consumer devices.  A Microsoft executive said

about the deal:  "We bought these guys because we have a vision of a

better TV and a better PC."  (Washington Post 7 Apr 97)



** BUSINESS ON THE WEB:  LEMONADE STAND OR SHELL GAME? **



One participant in last week's Multimedia Roundtable, organized by UCLA

professor Martin Greenberger, said:  "It's very simple.  You buy sugar

and lemons;  you sell lemonade.  If you have some pennies left over, you

have a business.  If you don't, you have a shell game."   It's just a

shell game when an interactive media company runs through the money it

obtained from venture capitalists, then tries to get more money through a

public stock offering even though it has no realistic plan in place to

produce long-term profit.  (New York Times 7 Apr 97)



** YOU'RE NOT AS SECURE AS YOU THINK YOU ARE **



Platinum Technology CEO Andrew Filipowski doesn't think much of current

efforts to secure corporate networks:  "Today, the entire scheme of

security can be characterized by two things:  either you're making it a

hassle to get into your network so a thief will go over and steal from

someone else; and/or you just hope somebody has something more worthy to

be stolen than you do.  Only stupid people are kept out of networks.

There's plenty of them, so that's the good news....  A firewall is a

pretty crude, fundamentally stupid idea.  It often puts things that you

would prefer get stolen on one side and things you'd prefer not get

stolen on the other side -- with no real assurances that sensitive

material is being protected.... The problem, in a nutshell, is there's no

unified security scheme produced by anyone that can cover all the holes

simultaneously to present an impenetrable barrier."  (Investor's Business

Daily 10 Apr 97)



** BILL GATES SAYS "NEXT TARGET IS SIMPLICITY" **



Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, who wants the PC to take its place in the

living room as part of an all-digital home entertainment system admits

that the PC must become easier to use and promises:   "I think people are

going to be pretty stunned. They saw how quickly we adapted the PC to

Internet standards.  The next target is simplicity."  (Financial Times 11

Apr 97)





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

   This space for rent.  For more info: <newtnews@pobox.com>.  Thanks.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





INNOVATION, 07Apr97

-------------------



** TRENDS: READING THE FUTURE **



Despite pundits' hyperventilating predictions that the advent of

computers and video would spell the end of reading, it's really the

nature of reading that is changing.  "Media is not a zero sum game," says

Paul Saffo, director of the Institute for the Future.  "Just because a

new medium arrives doesn't mean an old medium dies out.  We still have

writing in an age of word processing; we still have reading in an age of

video.  That will continue, but the nature of reading will change as it

has changed all along." Technology has, in fact, boosted some book sales,

with sales of works on new technologies and the Internet more than

doubling between 1991 and 1995.  And while book sales are expected to

rise as the population ages (older people read more than younger folks),

young people are doing more of their reading on the Internet:  "For

younger people, using computers and the Internet is just a matter of

course.  They learn to do it as part of their schooling.... Certainly,

there is a fear that this will have an effect on book reading," says the

VP of the American Booksellers Association.  But Saffo discounts ABA's

fears:  "When you think about it, reading has been an antisocial act. You

go off alone with this piece of dead material."  Saffo says that younger

people's involvement in MUDs (multi-user domains) increases, so will the

acts of reading and writing:  "You can already see a style of writing

online that's different.  It's informal, with less care about things like

spelling and punctuation."  (Rebecca Piirto Heath, "In So Many Words,"

American Demographics Mar 97)



** STRATEGIES: FOLLOW THE ACTION **



A firm can choose among three basic strategic orientations:  an

orientation toward customers, or toward competitors, or toward

technology.  Choose carefully.  In a highly uncertain market, a customer

orientation is critical to gathering information necessary to reduce that

uncertainty to tolerable levels, but as demand uncertainty decreases, all

competitors have the same information about the market, and you'll just

run up marketing costs without realizing any benefit.  So what you need

to do when market demand is well-known is adopt a competitive

orientation.  The rule is:  if there is high market uncertainty, study

your customers, whereas if there is low market uncertainty, study your

competition.  Be careful not to study the competition too much when the

market is highly uncertain -- i.e., when *no one* knows what customers

want.  If you do, you'll rely unwisely on your competitors' projects and

products, on the probably incorrect assumption that your competitors must

know what they're doing.   (Hurbert Catignon & Jean-Marc Xuereb,

"Strategic Orientation Of The Firm And New Product Performance,"  Journal

Of Marketing Research XXXIV Feb 97)



** INNOVATIONS: COMPUTER DESKTOP GETS A FACELIFT **



Several universities have developed improved ways of organizing

information on the computer desktop, taking advantage of the way the

human mind conceptualizes things rather than the way we organize paper.

"We've sort of been locked in this menus-and-windows metaphor," says the

head of the computer science department at the University of New Mexico,

which has developed Pad ++ <http://www.cs.unm.edu/pad++/>.  "I think

we're seeing a movement toward more-active information space, where we're

not mimicking the printed page."  Pad ++ uses a "pan-and-zoom" interface,

which allows the user to view a large assortment of documents and then

zoom in for a closer look. Documents are arranged in much the same way

that you would lay notes and other materials out on a table when getting

organized for a writing project. Meanwhile, computer science professor

David Gelernter at Yale University has developed Lifestreams:

<http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/freeman/lifestreams.html>, which allows

users to form a kind of digital diary that functions as a chronological

guide to computer files.  Every file, whether e-mail, word-processing or

spreadsheet, is displayed in chronological order, fanned out like a hand

of playing cards, with the upper left corner exposed.  "It really helps

people deal with information overload," says one of the researchers who

worked on the project.  "People remember when something happened."  The

ultimate goal of the project "is to make life less of a nuisance," says

Gelernter.  "Make the complexities and depredations of the modern world

less of a pain.  Give us more control over our lives, and more time to go

fishing."  (Chronicle of Higher Education 4 Apr 97)



** MORE INFO ON INNOVATION **



Innovation is published weekly, with individual subscriptions available

at $15 a year. Topics are organized under the following headers: TRENDS,

STRATEGIES, and INNOVATIONS.  For a six-week free trial subscription to

Innovation, please send an email message to

<innovation-trial@newsscan.com> and in the subject line type the word:

'subscribe'.  You can also use the trial registration form on their Web

site at: <http://www.newsscan.com>.  For more info, send email to:

<gehl@newsscan.com> or <douglas@newsscan.com>





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  NEED A NEWTON PROGRAMMER? NewtNews has a list of over 48 Internet based

  Newton programmers who are interested in working on vertical or

  horizontal market solutions.  Please send email to: <newtnews@pobox.com>

  if you would like the list or would like to be added to the list.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Dear Newton Developer

---------------------



** INTRODUCTION & INCENTIVE **



This area is dedicated to trying to solve NewtNews readers programming

needs, and in turn hopefully lead to the creation of a legitimate Newton

shareware solution for the developer solving the problem.  If a developer

solves such a problem, NewtNews will give them a 50% price reduction for

any advertising service they order for that product in our Products and

Services area.  If you have a utility you need written, please let

NewtNews know by sending an email to: <newtnews@pobox.com>.



** DVORAK KEYBOARD EXTENSION **



Dan <dfrumkin@earthlink.net> would like an 'extension' that would 'trick'

a Newton into thinking that the Newton Keyboard is a Dvorak Keyboard.



** DESKTOP INTERNET CONNECTION?!? **



Jakob Peterhansel <jph@bns.dk> is interested in finding a solution that

would enable him to use Newton Internet Enabler via his Macintosh which

would then be connected to the Internet.





Other Tidbits of Information

----------------------------



** CONFERENCE POINTERS **



Inc. World & Strictly Business Computer Expo is being held 30Apr97 -

01May97 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California.  The

show runs from 10:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. on both days.  For more

information check out: <http://www.sbsandiego.com>.



Digital Wireless Enhanced Services '97 is going to be held in Boston, MA

at the Boston Park Plaza the 15-18Jun97.  For more information check out:

<http://www.ibcusa.com/conf/PCS>.



** FORBES, 21APR97 **



Interesting new two-page ad from BMW near the beginning of this issue.

On the left-hand side is a compass with the words "The Prototype" under

it, and on the right-hand side is 'handheld GPS mapping device' with the

words "The Finished Article."  Expect more navigation and 'direct route'

technology incorporated in BMW vehicles in the future.  For more

information: <http://www.bmwusa.com>.



Neil Weinberg has an one-page article called "CounterAttack: The Japanese

fell behind in microprocessors, but they have by no means dropped out" on

page 45.  The article features a picture of Hitachi's Tsugio Makimoto

holding two Hitachi processor powered/engineered/manufactured Windows CE

HPCs.



** NSG'S MARCH 1997 QUARTERLY POUCH **



The March 1997 Quarterly Pouch for Newton Solutions Providers has details

on:



    - Air Media's PocketCall 2.1 <pocketcall@exmachina.com>

    - Balcones' Leverage: <http://www.balconessoftware.com>

    - iambic's TimeReporter, Action Names, Paper Pak, and

      Sub Patrol: <http://www.iambic.com>

    - Mark/Space's PageNOW!: <http://www.markspace.com>

    - SilverWare's MoreInfo: <http://www.silverware.com>



** NET-HAPPENING POINTERS **



Gleason Sackman <gleason@rrnet.com> reported via his NET-HAPPENING site

that the Windows CEnter For Windows can be found at:

<http://www.best.com/~raychin/wince/>; RCR (weekly newspaper for the

wireless communications industry): <http://www.rcrnews.com>; and David

Hughes' NSF sponsored K-12 wireless field test info can be found at:

<http://wireless.oldcolo.com>.



** THE RED HERRING - MAY97 **



Very interesting article about the recent going ons at Disney's R&D Labs

that are run  by Bran Ferren.  Some of the big names in computer science

are now Imagineering Fellows including: Marvin Minsky, Seymour Papert,

Alan Kay, and Danny Hillis.  The article is called "The Day After

Tomorrowland", it starts on page 32, and is written by Jonathan Burke

<jon@herring.com>.



The focus of this months issue is 'Semiconductors' and there is, as

usual, a ton of related information and commentary.  The fun starts on

page 49 and goes on for 30+ pages.





Advertising Notes

-----------------



GPS MAP and ACCSYS' AMIGO are now advertising in this section.



Shana Corp., and Catamount Software recently updated their ads with new

product announcements.



If you are interested in advertising in NewtNews please send email to:

<newtnews@pobox.com>.  NewtNews is freeware because of the advertisers

that support this effort, and we appreciate their support.



When you purchase products from NewtNews vendors please mention that you

heard about their product in NewtNews.





Product and Service Information

-------------------------------



* GPS MAP and GPS MAP LITE -- GPS based navigation with real moving maps,

showing all details as familiar from paper based maps.  Features -- map

calculator, route planning, database, history track, and mission

recorder.  Import your own maps from your Mac or PC at any scale.

Connects to most GPS receiver's offering a NMEA183 interface.  For more

info/demo: <http://www.soaring.de/gps/GPS_Map.html> or <gerds@micronet.de>.



* Newt Development Environment: develop object-oriented applications in

NewtonScript on the Newton (shareware: $49.50; tools, examples, support).

* Newt's Cape: create Newton books with text, graphics, tables, links,

and forms from HTML (via web browsing or Notepad) (shareware: $38.50;

tools, examples, support). For details, software, and registration info:

<http://www.netaxs.com/~weyer/newton/releases.html> or <weyer@netaxs.com>



* INFORMED FILLER FOR NEWTON is your mobile data collection solution for

Inspection forms, Health Care forms ... in fact, for any forms you use!

Design custom forms on your Macintosh with Informed Designer.  Then, fill

out your forms on the Newton quickly and accurately using automatic

defaults, choice lists, calculations and signatures.  Finally, send

completed forms directly to Informed Filler on your desktop for further

processing.  Now when you buy Informed Designer, you'll also get Informed

Filler for the desktop AND a BONUS Newton Filler.  For more details about

this exciting offer, contact Shana Corp. at: (800) 386-7244, email at:

<info@shana.com> or visit our Web site at: <http://www.shana.com>.



* SOLUTIONS FROM LANDWARE. All work in the Newton 2.0 OS.

  - PROCALC EX: Programmable calc. w/ SAN & RPN, includes: proCALC 12c.

  - QUICKNAMES PRO: Rapid access to names and much more.

  - X-PORT: The 2.0 connection utility. Send/receive notes, contacts...

  - KWIKMENU: the Newton dashboard, includes GestureLaunch Lite.

  - NEWTPAINT: "MacPaint" on your Newton, w/zoom-in and screen shot.

  - SYNC+: Dates to Schedule+ 1.0 or 7.0

LandWare, 201-347-0031, <sales@landware.com>, <http://www.landware.com>



* Frustrated by the amount of time required to input long notes?  Looking

for a faster method?  GESTURE MOSAIC is a hybrid keyboard/recognition

system which enables the rapid (30-40+wpm) pen-based entry of text.  Now

updated for OS2.0, you can use it to quickly input text anywhere in your

Newton. FREEWARE versions are available at: <http://www.amtelcom.com/Mosaic>

For more information contact: <amtelmit@aol.com> or call: 800-696-6724.



* ChessPad 2.0 turns the Newton into a digital chess book and a portable

chess set. It contains 28 fully-annotated games played by the greatest

players of all time, 100 brilliant winning combinations by Morphy, Tal,

Fischer, and Kasparov, and 100 chess problems.  ChessPad can also import

games in Portable Game Notation format. Only $39.95. Clear Lake Research

713.663.7513 <DavidL62@aol.com> <http://members.aol.com/clrsch/chesspad.html>



* STAND ALONE offers a variety of Newton applications for Newton 2.0:

   - PACKAGE POPUP: instant access to all your packages, launch

      with a tap, automatically thaw and re-freeze. $15.

   - SECURE-A-NEWT: Password protect folders in your NotePad, Names,

      and Extras Drawer. Protect your info from prying eyes. $20.

   - KEYMAN: Adds function keys, a multi-function calculator, and a

      new keyboard designed for one-fingered typing. $20.

   - NOTEMAN: Instant access to the NotePad from any package. $10.

   - BACKGAMMON: The classic board game, brought to Newton. $20.

   - SUPER SORTER: Fast, Usable list management, featuring fully

      expandable and customizable list creation and editing. $20

For information about any of these or other Stand Alone products,

contact us at: <info@standalone.com>, or (312) 262-5150. Also check

out our Web site at: <http://www.standalone.com/newton>.



* Tim Constantine has several cutting edge Newton solutions: Flash - A

Speed Reading Tutor; CrazyDice - Multi-player Strategy Game, and Clean

Notes - Stationary w/o Lines.  For more info: <timconstan@kagi.com> or

<http://www.kagi.com/timconstan>.  Tim is also available for custom

Newton application development.  Send Tim email if you have a question

about custom application development or about his cutting edge solutions.



* NEW! 8th Volume of the Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM for Newton! This

CD-ROM from AMUG CD, Inc. contains over 1400 packages, and 600+ megs in

Mac and PC format. 2.x & 1.x Packages can be downloaded directly from the

CD to your MessagePad. Maximize your Newton experience! $29 + S/H. Call

AMUG 602.497-2244, or email <sales@amug.org> to order! See our Newton CD

web page at <http://cdrom.amug.org/>.



* BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY PACKAGES FROM PELICANWARE

   All packages for Newton 2.0 OS - Upgrades also available.

 - QUICKFIGURE PRO 3.0: Spreadsheet application  $59.95

 - NEWTCASE 3.0: The Ultimate Utility Suite  $49.95

 - NOTION 1.5: High Performance List Manager  $59.95

 - AVAILWORKS 2.0: Text, spreadsheets, drawing, and graphing $79.95.

All from PELICANWARE.  For more details email: <info@pelicanware.com>,

vox: 503-221-1148, fax: 503-221-8709, or <http://www.pelicanware.com>.



* CATAMOUNT SOFTWARE offers the following:

   - POCKETMONEY assists you in balancing your checking, savings,

       credit card and loan accounts. Export and import transactions

       to Quicken, MYM and other desktop based program.

   - NAMIGATOR gives rapid access to Names. I know, I have over 5000.

   - MPG helps you keep your vehicle records in order. Track fuel

       economy, record mileage for tax purposes, schedule repeating

       vehicle maintenance items for multiple vehicles.

   - MORGAN is the Newton Media ORGANizer. Track CDs, tapes, records

       books, laserdiscs, videos, and more...

For more information call 802-372-9512, email <products@catamount.com>, or

visit our web site <http://www.catamount.com>.



* NEW BILLS TO PAY PRO 3.5.5 Rated 5 out of 5 by Gecko Magazine! Now

available in German! For NOS 2.0. Includes support for stationery,

enhanced overview, and new printing options! Easily track bills and

expenses; create budget projections; and set alarms to remind you of

bills. Send bill info to Pocket Quicken or Pocket Money. $39.95+S&H MAR

Software at: <info@marsoftware.com> or <http://www.marsoftware.com>.



* GET AMIGO NOW! Did you know you can order AMIGO the premier 8000+ word

English/Spanish Dictionary Reference Tool and Translation program for the

Newton over the World Wide Web at: <http://www.1stopsoft.com>?  AMIGO is

available for US$24.95 and it comes with a full year of upgrades. For

more information contact ACCSYS by email at: <rkaplan@well.com>





Guest Opinions

--------------



** THE TROUBLE WITH THE MP2000 **



by Simon 'Gadget Man' Coulthurst <gman@globalnet.co.uk>



I had been without Newton for nearly four months.  Once the MP2000 was

announced I decided to sell my MP130 early to get as good a price as

possible.  I then used a Psion 3C (surprisingly good) whilst waiting for

the MP2000 to arrive.



Two weeks ago my new MP2000 arrived. The full package with all software,

but without the keyboard or case. This is the only configuration

available in the UK. I soon had the Newton Connection Utilities installed

on my NT4.0 workstation and my Names backup restored. My Dates backup was

too out-of-date, and so I re-entered my meetings, dates and calls by

hand. A simple procedure with the MP2000's seemingly near faultless

handwriting recognition. Maybe it is just the speed increase that creates

the illusion, but somehow the whole unit just seems to recognize my print

better than my MP130.



Before long I had transferred, and worked on, some of my spreadsheets.

Created some fairly long documents, using the word processor with my

Newton keyboard and the WorksWrite extension for occasional editing.

Placed all my notes into the Notepad. I use Super Notepad by StandAlone

software so that, amongst other things, I can encrypt private

information. I also use MoreInfo to provide the links I require and

because of the superb At A Glance screen that effectively replaces the

Dates application for me.



But the trouble with the MP2000 is that the novelty has now warn off. It

is simply a very productive and useful computer in a small form factor.

My Toshiba notebook has been untouched for two weeks. I find I can do

everything that I used to do with the combination of the Psion and

Toshiba on just the one device, the Newton MP2000. I no longer have to

put myself through hoops trying to achieve something on inappropriate

hardware. The MP2000 does it all, easily, without strain. A great device

and now taken for granted. Thank you Apple!



** HOW ACCURATE IS THE NYT?!? **



Macintouch <http://www.macintouch.com> had a recent pointer to an

interesting piece by David Every's MacKido Temple that focuses on the

'reporting accuracy' of the New York Times and their primary report on

tech issues -- John Markoff.  You can check out the following link:

<http://www.mackido.com/DarkSide/ai_markoff_merger.html> for more

information.



[EDITOR: Macintouch continues to publish a good deal of late breaking

Newton related news blurbs.  The site is typically updated daily, and is

a great way to track primarily Macintosh and Apple news.]





Administrivia

-------------



NewtNews Copyright 1994-97 Steve Holden.  All rights reserved.

Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if full

credit is given.  Others please contact me.  NewtNews doesn't guarantee

accuracy of articles.  NewtNews does not express or imply any

endorsement of any businesses participating in this publication.  My

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highlighting them as -- [SDH: Comments].  Official NewtNews Editor's

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This edition of NewtNews was written with the help of: Christy and I

celebrating our 3 year wedding anniversary at George's At The Cove in La

Jolla, California; the movie "The Saint"; the absolutely incredible golf

play by Tiger Woods to win the Masters; and a great dinner with Mary and

Jeff down at Karl Strauss' Brewery Downtown on Saturday night.



Disclaimer:  I am doing this on my own time, and on my own hardware

***********  and software not the government's or my employer's.