NewtNews-18Mar97-Supplement

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



by Steve Holden <newtnews@pobox.com>.  This is a supplement issue for the

weekly freeware newsletter that focuses on the Apple Newton and related

technologies.  The supplement is published as a reference guide during

times when NewtNews is not being published.  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:



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

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



 + 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>.



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

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



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

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



 + 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>



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

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





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

Table of Contents

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



 1. From the Editor

 2. Pen Computing, Jan/Feb 1997

 3. REVIEW: WriteHere 2.0b5

 4. Mobile Computing, March 1997

 5. Web Pointers

 6. mobilis

 7. More Expand Examples

 8. TAPPED.IN

 9. Wireless for the Corporate User

10. The PDA Connection

11. NewtNews Pro

12. Edupage, 10Mar97 thru 23Mar97

13. INNOVATION, 10Mar97

14. Handheld Systems

15. REVIEW: The Khyber Keyboard

16. Advertising Notes

17. Product and Service Information

18. Commentary: PEDs vs Airplane Safety

19. Guest Opinion

20. Administrivia







>From the Editor

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



** WELCOME **



Hello!  Welcome to the fourth NewtNews-Supplement.  The goal of this

supplement is to provide NewtNews readers with good reference material

during a week when NewtNews is not being published.  This issue includes

some software and hardware reviews, and some guest opinions.  If you have

any questions, suggestions, or comments, please send them ASAP to Steve

Holden at: <newtnews@pobox.com>.  Thanks!



** NEXT ISSUE OF NEWTNEWS **



The next issue of NewtNews (issue #134) will be published on 25Feb97.

For a complete look at a calendar of publication dates please check out:

<http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/NN_schedule.html>.



** QUICK COMMENTS **



Last weeks Apple layoffs and restructuring news really brought no new

information about the future of the Newton at Apple except that Apple

continues to ship and support the MP2K and eMate 300.  Apple also

reported that they were still evaluating their options -- keep, sell,

spinoff? -- the Newton technology.



Newton Source reportedly got several hundred MP2Ks delivered to them in a

'special' deal last week.  Not bad for Newton Source who has been

reportedly struggling financially, but this news has apparently left a

very sour taste in many developers mouths because many of them remember

Sandy Benett, vice president of the Newton System Group, promising

developers at the November 1996 Newton Developers Conference that they'd

be the first to get MP2Ks not the general public.





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

  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>

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



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

  AvailWorks 3.0 - New version adds a text layer with spell-check, find

  and replace, and support for multiple page documents.  AvailWorks

  integrates text processing, powerful tables, dynamic business charts

  and graphs, and drawing and page layout tools into one convenient package

  for the Newton.  From PelicanWare at $79.95+S&H.  For more info:

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

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





Pen Computing, Jan/Feb 1997

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



** FEATURES & NEWS **



The cover of this issue has three key words: 'COLOR' for Sharp's new

Zaurus; "SPEED" for Philips Velo 1; and "Beauty" for Apple's eMate 300.



Dominic Giangrasso has a focus article on page 18 entitled "Pen Computing

in Utilities."



Vernon Haung examines how the MessagePad 2000 will influence the 'Newton

in Healthcare' on page 33.



Peter Glaskowsky has an article called "Under the hood: Windows CE CPUs

and Chipsets" on page 33.



Tammy Parker has a good review of all the vendors 'racing' to offer

wireless HPC connectivity on page 42.



Interested in the new "mini' small PC Card formats?  Check out page 84

for William Ott's detailed article about them.



Other good stuff: Pen News by John Wilmot on page 12; Handheld cases on

page 80; and Pen Development Kits on page 83.



** OPINIONS **



Excellent PDA and handheld opinions from:



    - C.H Blickenstorfer on "reflections on emerging trends"

    - Andrew Seybold on "HPCs in wireless comms

    - John Jerney on "open memo"

    - Tim Schmidt on "rumors, gossip, opinions"

    - Dominic Giangrasso on "right tools for the job"

    - Tammy Parker on "wireless in virtual workplace"

    - Gerald Fox on "info from Japan"



** REVIEWS **



Hardware reviews of: Philips Velo 1; Hitachi HPC, Sharp Copernicus; Apple

eMate 300; Sharp ZR-3000; Sharp Color Zaurus; IBM Sure Point; Axonix 8X

CD-ROM; and KidDraw Tablet.



Software reviews of: Pocket AutoMap for Windows CE; Pocket MS Internet

Explorer 1.1; Win2Go 1.0 (Newton/PC); Merlin/Wordsleuth (Newton);

FormLogic 2.0 (Newton); Pilot Forms 1.0; Pilot Light;

TimeReporter/Expense Reporter for Pilot; and Paseo for Magic Link.



** PLATFORM FOCUS **



    - Windows CE by Staff and C.H. Blickenstorfer

      on page 32 & 40

    - Newton by David MacNeil on page 50

    - Pilot by Scott Sbihli on page 60

    - Zaurus by Daniel Rasmus on page 64

    - Magic Cap by Dan Hanttula on page 74



** ON THE WEB **



    - <http://www.pencomputing.com>



[EDITOR: The next issue of Pen Computing has reportedly gone to the

printers and should be available soon.]





REVIEW: WriteHere 2.0b5

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



** HANDWRITING UTILITY **



by Bill Moser <moserb@poboxes.com>



OK.  To start with, what is WriteHere?  WriteHere (WH) is a general

writing and editing tool to make inputing data on the Newton a much more

pleasant experience.  Users of Palm Computing's Graffiti may find the

general concept quite familiar: the application opens a floating window

which is used to write on, and text is placed where the caret is in the

underlying app.



The resemblance ends there, however.  Graffiti requires the user to learn

a special alphabet, and data input is done letter by letter.  WH uses the

Newton's own handwriting recognition software with some special additions

thrown in; it augments the Newton OS, rather than replacing it.  The most

obvious features are the cursor and style tools on the side of the

window. You can select text, and then change font, size, or style using a

more compact window than the Newton's intrusive Styles window.  It also

gives access to the hidden super- and subscript options not available in

the regular styles window.  Punctuation and cursor buttons make it easy

to move the cursor caret around and insert special symbols.



But the text manipulation features go deeper than this.  Suppose you want

to write in ALL CAPS.  WH will intelligently decapitalize text as it

recognizes it.  A similar plug-in set of recognition formats is

available; for example, if you need to write a chemical equation, WH can

automatically put numbers in reduced subscript.  Another format turns

written text into Jive (this is more of a proof-of-concept thing, I

think).  A French filter is in progress, which will allow "I speak

French" to be recognized as "Je parle francais," for example.  These

plugins can be written and added by third parties, so you can create a

custom language or technical filter to suit your needs.



Another powerful advantage that WH offers is that text can be entered

directly into the open application, or into a multi-line register

directly above the writing surface.  When the register is full, text

scrolls word by word into the application underneath.  The idea here is

simple: if the word you've just written is recognized incorrectly, you

can shift your hand up just a bit to correct it or scrub it out.  If you

want to put a word in a sentence into italic type, you can select the

word in the register and then select "italic" from the Styles popup menu

on the WH window.  Editing single words is much easier by using the

register.  Also, WH works with two other Foundation Systems utilities:

Corrector+ and Styles+.  The first automatically corrects common

recognition mistakes; the second lets font sizes go up to 72 points.



The bottom line is, does it work?  I have to say yes.  WH is a great

enhancement to the Newton's handwriting recognition system.  It puts a

lot of text editing tools in one place, and makes extended writing

possible for the first time.  Font and style changes are amazingly easy

to make.  I find it works especially well with Stand Alone Software's

Clipper and Keyman utilities.  To prove the point, I wrote this review

with WH, without touching my keyboard.  The only limitation I still find

is the slow recognition speed of my 120.  I can't wait to try this on a

2000.



Oh yeah--for those of you ticked at Apple for not putting handwriting

recognition into Newtonworks, WH works with any Newton application,

including Newtonworks.  If you want to do any serious text entry on a

2000 without your keyboard, get WriteHere.





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

        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>

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



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

  TeleType GPS - New version (2.0) - now includes U.S. Interstate Highways

  data overlay. GPS software provides plot of your position on moving maps

  while you drive or fly.  Overlay packages include cities and towns,

  Interstates, and special Aviation overlay for pilots. Bundles include GPS

  receiver and software.  Never get lost again.  For more info email:

  <TeleTypeGPS@teletype.com> or WWW to: <http://www.teletype.com/gps/>.

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





Mobile Computing, March 1997

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



** ARTICLES OF INTEREST **



Major review of "Pocket Portables" on page 77 through 90 by Scott Koegler

<skoegler@mail.earthlink.net>. The review looks at: MP130, Cassiopeia,

Compaq's Mobile PC, HP's OmniGo 120, HP's 200LX, MobilePro 400, PalmPilot

5000, Psion Series 3c, and Zaurus ZR-3000.



There are three Letters to the Editor about Windows CE on page 14.  One

is positive, one points out Psion's strengths over Windows CE, and the

other thinks that the current crop of HPCs have way too many weaknesses

for him.



Tim Bajarin tackles the subject of a "portable personality" module on

page 45 - 16 in his 'Industry Insider' column.  This PC Card that holds

our 'personality' should interoperates specifically with Network

Computers, but ideally should be compatible with all devices we use.



Detailed article with a picture on pages 52-54 of the recent news that

Physix has ported their Newton product formerly called pocketDoc (now

called pocketCHART) to Windows CE.  There is a great deal of information

about the need in the medical community for handheld devices, and also an

interesting amount of information regarding the founder of Physix -- Dr.

Thomas Giannulli.  There is also several paragraphs with opinions from

Dr. Richard Scarff who uses pocketCHART on Windows CE and Newton on the

differences (pluses and minuses) between the two operating systems.



Dan Sweeney has a good intro to "Dialing for data" on page 56 - 60.  The

article examines: AT&T PocketNet Phone, Mitsubishi's MobileAccess Phone,

Motorola's GSM MAP cellular phone, Nortel's Wireless Internet Phone,

Nokia 9000 Communicator, and Samsung's Duette.



O. Ryan Tabibian has a review article of the latest wireless data

services in an article on page 92 called "Wireless Data Shootout".  The

article examines: ARDIS, CDPD Cellular, RAM Mobile Data, and Ricochet

Wireless Network.



CES Mobile Electronics conference will be held 04-06Apr97 in Atlanta,

Georgia.  For more information send a FAX to: 703.907.7602.



** REVIEWS OF INTEREST **



Short reviews with pictures of the following products:



    - Apple PowerBook 1400 on page 28

    - Ericsson AF-738 flip phone on page 32

    - SCI Secured Communications encryption PC Card on page 37

    - Timex's Notebook Adapter for DataLink on page 38

    - PalmPilot's Macintosh HotSync utility on page 38

    - Short blurb about displays on PDAs on page 68



** HANDHELD ADS **



    - Compaq PC companion (HPC)

    - Ricoh G-1200S (Pen Based PC)

    - Casio QV-100 (camera) and Cassiopeia (HPC)

    - Philips Velo 1 (HPC)

    - Mobile Planet (Newton, Sharp, HP, and Psion)

    - AllPen Software <http://www.allpen.com>

    - Wright Strategies <http://www.wrightstrat.com>

    - Japan Palmtop Direct (IBM PC110) 800.641.5996

    - Psion Series 3c & Siena

    - PDA Direct (Newton, Pilot, Windows CE)



** ON THE WEB **



    - <http://www.mobilecomputing.com>





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

$ 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 & HANDHELD DIRECT - December96 Specials - Cool Stuff for your Newton!

   - Apple MessagePad 130 $689 (#22003) Free Win2Go Software with Purchase

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

     4MB $128 (#41071)  8MB $224 (#41073)  10MB $274 (#41074)

   - Revelar Connection Utilities $53.95 - Windows (#10070) Mac OS (#10071)

   - King James Bible for Newton $34.95 (#10260) Archimedes $39.95 (#62030)

   - FreeStyle Handwriting Recognition $39.95 (#10151)

   - MessagePad Wireless Communications Case $73.95 (#31150)

  To receive special pricing please mention source code [#151]

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

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





Web Pointers

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



** MAJOR TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY JOURNALS **



    - 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>



** NEWTON LINKS **



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

    - AMUG'S PKG Search: <http://amug.org/amug/cd/http/newtonsearch.html>

    - Gecko: <http://members.aol.com/geraldfox/gecko/gecko.html>

    - Newton Classifieds: <http://pobox.com/~bnet/newton>

    - The Ultimate Newton Page: <http://rainbow.rmi.net/~rbruce/>

    - Newton Software Digest:

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

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

    - Project Newtonberg: <http://www.aa.net/~robwest>



** GOOD INFO SERVICE LINKS **



    - The URL-minder: <http://www.netmind.com/URL-minder/URL-minder.html>

    - Farcast: <http://www.farcast.com>

    - HotBot: <http://www.hotbot.com>



** OTHER PDA SITES **



    - Ultimate Windows CE Page: <http://www.paonline.com/msmalley>

    - USR's Pilot FAQ: <http://www-etb.info.nih.gov/~weisen/pilot_faq.html>



** COMPLETE DAILY MACINTOSH NEWS SITES **



    - MacInTouch: <http://www.macintouch.com>

    - MacCentral: <http://www.maccentral.com>

    - MacSurfer: <http://www.macsurfer.com>





mobilis

-------



** MARCH 1997 **



John Jerney <mobilis@CAM.ORG> reports that the March 1997 issue of

"mobilis: the mobile computing lifestyle magazine" is now available via:

<http://www.volksware.com/mobilis>.  mobilis is a free monthly magazine

available exclusively on the Web in its entirety featuring interviews,

tutorials, reviews, and opinion concerning all aspects of PDAs, wireless

communication, and mobile peripherals.



Here are some topics that might be of interest:



    - "Poke-Den: A Look at Japanese PHS and More [Part

       II]" by Matsushita Shuji

    - "FIRST LOOKS: Taking a Peek at the New PalmPilot

       Organizers" by John Jerney

    - "MOBILE INSIDER: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the

       Mobile Industry" by Nigel Ballard

    - "NEWTON SPOTLIGHT: The Latest and Greatest from

       NewtNews" by Steve Holden

    - "Windows CE: Developers Overview [Part III]" by

       Steve Mann

    -  REVIEW: "TakeNote! 1.01" [Windows CE] by John

       Schettino

    - "A Smattering of Psion Software" - by Steve

       Clack, et. al.

    - "Five PalmPilot Shareware Apps" by Jeff

       Schaffzin

    - "Sixteen Months With My Zaurus Continued ..." by

       Egbert Verbrugge

    - OPINION: "Making Mobile Web Browsing A Reality"

      by John Jerney

    - OPINION: "Storage For Your PDA" by Marty Mankins



And some other interesting tidbits on:



    - Mobile Watch [Hardware]: Hewlett Packard's Long

      Awaited WinCE HPC, SanDisk Providing CompactFlash

      Cards for HP320LX, Apple MessagePad 2000, and Apple

      QuickTake 200 Digital Camera

    - Mobile Watch [Software]: Microsoft Entertainment

      Pack for Windows CE, Lernout & Hauspie Speech

      Recognition Licensed by LG Semicon, Pocket

      On-Schedule for WindowsCE, and Starfish TrueSync

      for USR Pilot

    - Mobile Watch [Communications]: RIM Inter@ctive

      Pager, WyndMail Bundled with HP300LX & 320LX,

      ARDIS Supports HPs New Handheld PCs, and Gold Card

      Global from Psion Dacom





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

   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>.

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





More Expand Examples

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



** MORE TRICKS AND TIPS FOR YOUR NEWTON **



Steven Weyhrich <sweyhrich@earthlink.net> writes:



    I forgot to mention that I also use the dictionary

    "expand" feature to insert certain punctuation

    that I would otherwise have the use the caret

    popup menu for.  For example, I have these

    defined:



        rt  = return

        tb  = tab

        rb  = return + tab

        rt2 = return + return

        sq  = single quote (')

        dq  = double quote (")

        bt  = bullet

        rtb = return + bullet

        ck  = check-mark



    And so on.  If I found it necessary to use things

    like the copyright or trademark symbols

    (accessible by using the "option" key on the popup

    keyboard), the same could be done there.





TAPPED.IN

---------



** VOL. 1 ISSUE 19 -- JANUARY 1997 **



ANNOUNCEMENT -- ADVERTISING UPDATE! Expect a lot of product reviews of

the eMate 300 and MessagePad 2000 in March, April, and May publications.

Their will be Apple ads for the eMate in a host of education related

publications, and MessagePad 2000 ads in technology publications and some

business dailies.  Apple is also planing direct mail campaigns for both

units.



CHIP MAGAZINE READERS RATE THE MP130 AS THE #1 PDA! -- "Chip" magazine, a

leading publication for PC-users in German speaking regions, recently saw

their readers rate the MessagePad 130 as the best organizer/PDA.  "Chip"

is a monthly magazine with a circulation of over 310,000 per issue. Every

year they ask their readers to vote for the best products of the year.

Over 15,000 readers responded and voted in  this year's contest. The

MP130 won the most votes in the best organizer/ PDA category.



INSIDE NSG: Q&A with David Austin, Director Of Engineering of the Newton

System Group.  David is a new member to NSG and is 'extremely exciting'

about working with the Newton (he has been an Apple employee since 1990,

previously doing work on Bento and OpenDoc).  He is responsible for all

the products that comes out of the NSG and thinks that Engineerings

primary goal is to "build great products for our customers."  His staff

meetings include close interaction with the other Newton groups so that

Engineering is always aware of their needs and customers needs.



MARKETING FRONT: Q&A with Jodie Gilmore, Product Marketing Manager for

the eMate 300.  Her main job is to understand and target customers needs

with regards to the technology provided by the Engineering group.  She

also does a great deal of work with Solutions Marketing and Outbound

Marketing.



VENDOR SPLENDOR1: iambic Software the developer of TimeReporter -- a time

and expense tracking and billing solution, and developer of a new NotePad

stationary solution called PaperPak.  Iambic also has a new 'addictive'

action adventure game called Sub Patrol.  For more information:

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



VENDOR SPLENDOR2: WalletWare the developer of Expense Plus 2.0 with over

24,000 users.  Version 2.0 offers export and import options, along with a

customizable interface that SIs and VARs can utilize in offering

solutions. This version also lets you use: foreign currency, per diem

rate limit tracking, and offers basic graphing and charting capabilities.

For more information check out: <http://www.walletware.com>.



TECHIE TIP: Maurice Sharp, Newton DTS Engineer tackles the subject of

"How to access the new unique serial number chip available via Newton OS

2.1 in the new MessagePad 2000 and eMate 300."  This 'feature' can be

used for among other things: "inventory tracking, copy protection, or

geek factor."



TOP PROJECT: TBS Systems, located in Derbyshire, UK recently started a

pilot program for the Derbyshire Constabulary that uses a MessagePad

120/130 to replaced the officer's little black books.  The primary

function of the system is to insure that all police reports are filled

out completely and only transferred to data once (the first time.)  The

system also transfers all data using wireless GSM networks.  The officers

in Derbyshire are also using another prototype Newton solution to access

vehicle and person identification systems in real time.  For more

information: <http://www.tbssystems.co.uk/tbsnewt>.



NEWTON PROGRAMMING COURSES:

    - Newton 2.0 Communications; 17-21Mar97; Ann

      Arbor, MI; $1500; Registration: 313.439.3828



For more info about TAPPED.IN send an email to: <tapped.in@newton.apple.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.

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



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

  BARRIER 2000 is now available - EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR NEWTON TODAY with

  The BARRIER Screen Protector - Get yours before you damage your screen!

    + Clearly Superior Protection

    + Abrasion and Chemical resistance

    + A durable writing surface with a pleasant feel

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

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





Wireless for the Corporate User

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



** FEBRUARY 1997 - VOL.6/NO. 2 **



Michael Fabiaschi at Racotek has a detail article that highlights the

difference between wireless and wireline networking on page 10.



Warren Hersch has a 'Vertical Market Focus' article on page 14 called

"Field Sales and Service" that examines a new wireless system put in

place by Xerox and Racotek using RAM Mobile Data services.  There is also

information about new wireless projects in Transportation (interactive

wireless kiosks) and Healthcare (details on a project at Lehigh Valley

Hospital).



Sean Keating has 'User Profile' of Scott Karen and Sean Cunningham at the

MSI Consulting Group.  The article focuses on how small businesses and

SOHO operations like theirs can use wireless technology.



John Bay at Paradigm4 examines the topic of "Public Safety: a primer in

implementing a wireless solution" in this edition's VAR Views on page 24

- 25.



There is a special feature entitled "On the Road with Mobile Nodes"

starting on page 34 by Ron Lindsey <comarch@aol.com> who provides

strategic planning services in the wireless technologies arena.



Andrew Seybold in his "The Wireless Outlook" column tackles the subject

of "Voice Paging" with details about upcoming services from PageNet and

PCSD (now called CONXUS).



There is also information in this edition about: Sprint PCS, paging,

Windows CE, satellites, and CDPD.



Folks with interesting advertisements in this issue:



    - Melard Technologies's Scout <http://www.melard.com>

    - SkyCell <http://www.melard.com>

    - Walkabout Computer's Hammerhead 586 (888.925.5226)

    - Qualcomm's CDMA University: <CDMA4training@qualcomm.com>

    - OTC Telecom <http://ezylink.com>



Special kudos recognition for Wright Strategies for getting their

FormLogic 2.0 for Newton mentioned in the "Featured Products" section.

The editors even included a MP120/130 next to the blurb.





The PDA Connection

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



** VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 **



This issue includes the following articles:



    - "Hand-Held & PDA Forum: PDAs in the Utilities

       Vertical Markets" by Phil Allingham

    - "PDAs aren't just PDAs anymore" by Jon Covington

    - "PDA Statistics: PDAia Implements New Research

       Program" by Phil Allingham

    - "Beyond Obvious: Marketing Where No PDA Has Gone

       Before -- Libraries" by Al Lieter

    - "Wireless Without Middleware" by Steven Baer

    - "Creating My Ideal PDA" by Al Beeman

    - "John Sculley Corrects The Red Herring" by John

       Sculley



IDC has published the following U.S. hand-held companion shipments in the

thousands:



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

    Categories           1996  1997   2000

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

    PDA                   163   256    624

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

    Personal

    Organizers             45   120    789

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

    High-end organizers/

    PC Companions         581   733   1282

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

    Total                 789  1109   2696

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



For more information about 'The PDA Connection' or PDAia (PDA Industry

Association) send an email to: <info@pdaia.org>.





NewtNews Pro

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



** MARCH 1997 **



Dave Hina <nnpro@aol.com> reports that the latest issue of NewtNews Pro

is out and can be downloaded from:



    - <http://members.aol.com/nnpro/newton.html>



It will also be available shortly from the Newton forum on AOL (keyword

"Newton").  Read the newsletter either offline or online in "pdf" format

(online version requires Netscape Navigator and Adobe Acrobat version

3.0).  The ReadMe included with the download gives additional details

about the purpose and audience of NewtNews Pro.





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

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

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





Edupage, 10Mar97 thru 23Mar97

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



** DEC ROLLS OUT MILLICENT **



Digital Equipment Corp. has taken the wraps off Millicent, a software

system designed to handle very small monetary transactions on the

Internet, enabling vendors to sell items for 10 cents or less.  The

company is making arrangements with a couple of banks that will serve as

"scrip brokers" -- dispensing $5 or $10 of Millicent scrip who can then

use it to purchase inexpensive information such as movie reviews,

horoscopes, encyclopedia articles, highway traffic reports, stock graphs,

or a 10-second use of a computer software application, from online

sellers.  Digital is currently seeking content providers to participate

in a trial program.  (Wall Street Journal 11 Mar 97)



** DOES NET IMPROVE LEARNING IN PRIMARY GRADES? STUDY SAYS NO. **



A survey of 6,000 U.S. teachers, computer coordinators and school

librarians found that 86.6% believe that Internet usage by students in

grades 3-12 does not help students improve their classroom performance

(although 76% value the Net as a research tool).  The study was conducted

by the Market Data Retrieval organization.  (USA Today 11 Mar 97)



** SPRING CLEANING TIME FOR SOME WEB SITES **



According to AltaVista, which has indexed a total of about 30 million Web

pages, five million of them haven't changed at all since early 1996, and

some 424,000 pages haven't been updated since early 1995.  "People have

enough enthusiasm to design the sites once -- but it's not clear that

they have the resources to update them regularly," says Louis Monier, the

architect of Digital Equipment's search engine.  (Wall Street Journal 11

Mar 97)



** NEWS LINK SITE SUED OVER HOT LINKS **



A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York City accuses

Phoenix-based TotalNews of "blatant acts of misappropriation, trademark

dilution and infringement, willful copyright violations, and other

related tortious acts."  The plaintiffs, which include CNN, The

Washington Post Co., Dow Jones, Times Mirror and Reuters, are upset that

the hot links provided from TotalNews to their Web sites display their

content framed by the TotalNews home page and its banner ads.  Bruce

Keller, an attorney for the plaintiffs calls totalnews.com "a parasitic

Web site with no content of its own."  However, TotalNews says it's

simply providing PC users links to some 1,200 news sources, allowing

viewers to compare information from each, and that if the case goes

against them, the precedent will endanger the ability of Web site

operators to provide hot links to other sites.  "Hot links either do or

don't violate trademarks.  That's not new.  Framing is new. And framing

and selling ads is pretty damn new," says Keller.  (Broadcasting & Cable

3 Mar 97)



** WEBTV SOLVES THE CHURN PROBLEM **



While many online services are wondering how to retain fickle customers

and make money in an increasingly cutthroat environment, WebTV Networks

seems to have solved the "churn" problem -- by making subscribers pay too

much up front to even consider leaving.  The company boasts an enviable

5% turnover since its launch last November, thanks to hefty investments

by customers in equipment needed to use the service.  WebTV customers pay

$349 for a set-top box that allows them to hook their TV to the Internet,

providing them speedy connectivity and good-looking graphics, and another

$19.95 a month for Internet access.  The company has sold somewhere

between 50,000 and 100,000 of the units so far.  (The Economist 8 Mar 97)



** INTERNET USAGE HAS DOUBLED **



A study by CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research concludes that Internet

use has more than doubled in the last 18 months, from 10% to 23% of all

persons in the U.S. and Canada over age 16.   A Nielsen executive says:

"Not that long ago, the people using the Web tended to be a rather

homogeneous group -- young, upscale and rather well educated.  The big

gains that we're seeing now are coming from outside that group."

(Washington Post 13 Mar 97)



** APPLE PARES WORKFORCE, PRUNES PRODUCT LINE **



Apple Computer announced it will cut its 13,000 workforce by several

thousand employees and will scale down the company's large product line,

particularly peripheral communications products, such as the Pippin, and

some versions of its Macintosh Performa.  "We are going to start doing

what we do well and stop doing what we don't do well," says Apple's

executive VP of marketing. (Wall Street Journal 14 Mar 97)



** AT&T PLANS $9B UPGRADE **



AT&T will invest up to $9 billion this year in upgrading its

communications network -- almost double what it usually budgets for such

improvements. About $5 billion of that will go toward the

business-markets division to beef up the backbone network, improve fast

packet technology, and enhance voice and local services. (Information

Week 10 Mar 97)





INNOVATION, 10Mar97

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



** TRENDS: MOST COMMON PC WILL BE A DIGITAL CELL PHONE **



Techno-guru George Gilder says the most ubiquitous computer in the next

decade will be not the desktop or laptop PC, but the digital cellular

telephone:  "It will be as mobile as your watch and as personal as your

wallet; it will recognize speech; it will navigate streets; it will

collect your mail and your paycheck; it will conduct transactions.  It

will command an Internet address and a Java run-time engine.  It will

link to a variety of displays, keyboards, and other input-output gear

through radio frequencies and infrared pulses.  Every device will be able

to link to every other one, like a telephone.  But unlike a telephone it

will have to manage not a homogeneous flow of 4-kilohertz voice signals,

but a variety of synchronous, isochronous, asynchronous bitstreams and

bursts, requiring constant bit rate, variable bit rate, and available bit

rate transmissions, broadcasts, and point-to-point links, all with

different protocols, error rates, and other constraints.  Wirelessly

linking these machines to the increasingly unlimited bandwidth of fiber

optics is the basic challenge of communications for the new epoch."

(Forbes ASAP 24 Feb 97)



** STRATEGIES: MEASURING THE FUTURE **



You can't just look at the financial measures to know if you're

succeeding ... you need to look at a "balanced scorecard" that also

includes measures of success with customers, with implementation of

internal business processes, and with organizational learning and growth.

 But it's not enough to add non-financial measures, you've also got to

make sure that they're measuring the present and future rather than the

past.  Why?  Because many indicators are lagging measures that show how

well you were succeeding in some prior time period, and because many

nonfinancial measures are too generic and not related to specific

strategic objectives.  "Many people think of measurement as a tool to

control behavior and to evaluate past performance ... in compliance with

a pre-established plan."  In contrast, the measures on a Balanced

Scorecard are to articulate and communicate the strategy of the business.

 So instead of outcome measures, you need to be looking for "performance

driver measures" -- which force you and your colleagues to think through

the way that work should be done in the future. (Robert S. Kaplan & David

P. Norton, "Linking The Balanced Scorecard To Strategy," California

Management Review v.39 n.1 Fall 96)



** INNOVATIONS: DISAPPEARING LOUDSPEAKERS **



London-based Verity Group PLC has developed a flat-panel speaker that can

hang unobtrusively on the wall or recessed into a corner, freeing up

space currently occupied in many living rooms by those big, boxy

loudspeakers. The new speakers, which are only an eighth of an inch

thick, consists of a rigid panel driven by a tiny transducer.  Unlike a

conventional speaker, which relies on a piston-like motion to produce

sound, the flat speakers use NXT technology to derive sound via "mode

distribution" -- a complex series of vibrations spread over the entire

panel and uniformly distributed throughout the operating frequency range.

 If Verity's new speakers become a commercial success, the NXT technology

could render speakers virtually invisible, with panels built into the

ceilings of your car or the walls of your house.  (Popular Science Mar 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 40 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.

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





Handheld Systems

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



** ISSUE 5.2 -- MAR/APR 1997 **



Regular articles:



    - "Handheld News" by Steve Mann

    - "The New PalmPilot Hits the Streets" by Steve Mann

    - "The Year of Wireless Data?" by Andrew Seybold

    - "System Integrator Profile: River Run Software"

       by Scott Sbihli

    - "NS BASIC Corner: Building Newton Applications"

       by John Schettino

    - "NewtonScript Pearls: Overriding Parent

       Inheritances" by Mark Zeren



Reviews and Previews:



    - "The Nokia 9000" by Daniel Pfund

    - "CASL [Fera's newest multi-platform developer

       tool]" by John Blue

    - "Pilot GNU Tools for Unix" by Jeff Dionne



Getting Started:



    - "Going Digital in the US" by Lee Ann Fujii

    - "Cooking with Rosemary [Magic Cap]" by Ray

       Rischpater

    - "Handheld Lynx Browsing" by Paul Quinlan



Features:



    - "Unix and Pilots: The Protocol Stack, Part 1"

       by Kevin Flynn

    - "Nokia 9000 Puzzle" by Jouni Miettunen

    - "GEOS Data Exchange" by Marcus Groeber

    - "Debugging Newton Software" by Ray Rischpater

    - "The Dark Side" by M. Montclair



Handheld Systems is also holding a conference and expo for handheld

system development the 24-26Apr97 at the San Francisco Airport Hilton.

You can get more information by sending an email to: <hhsc@cdpubs.com>.



For a complementary sample of Handheld Systems, go to Creative Digital's

Web page at: <http://www.cdpubs.com> fill out a request for a sample

issue, and email it to: <hhsj@cdpubs.com>.





REVIEW: The Khyber Keyboard

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



** LOOKS GOOD -- ALSO WORKS **



By Don J. Modesto <modesto@gol.com>



The Khyber Keyboard <http://www.industry.net/khybe> is one of those

products you immediately like for its ingenuity in playing several roles:

screen cover, Newton stand, and, of course, keyboard.



A little smaller than the Newt itself, the Khyber plugs into the serial

port and uses the Newt's cover locking mechanism to clip on just under

the screen.  Wrapping around the back of the Newt is an elastic strap

attached to a pair of legs.  A plastic tab slides into the space between

the Newt and its screen cover securing the legs at the top.  They swing

out to put the Newt at an ideal 40 degree angle on a surface and fold

away for hand-held use.  A short cable connecting to the serial port

curls too tightly for its own health; after but two or three hours use

and attaching/detaching it few times, mine pulled out of the casing to

expose wires.  It is easy enough to take the Khyber apart and reinsert

the cable but it remains a design flaw.



Khyberspace



The Khyber solution to keyboard input is multi-functional, sleeker, and

more elegant than the Apple alternative which has to be toted about

separately from the Newt itself.  Naturally given the PDA dimensions of

the Khyber, touch typing would be impractical even if all your fingers

were pinkies: It's a definite hunt and peck operation.  The keyboard

layout is a bit disconcerting at first.  The delete key is at bottom

right rather than at the top right.  Quotes are on the other side of the

board from where you expect them, too.  It took me just moments to adapt

to these differences, though.



The rubber keys lack the satisfying click of Apple's Newton keyboard for

aural feedback and it takes more than a casual swipe of your finger to

rid keys of dust.  More problematic is the impact it takes to register a

keystroke.  You will find many words in your first entries made with the

Khyber to be missing letters and punctuation.  While it makes for tense

typing, this too is largely overcome within the first few minutes of

serious usage (as I am discovering inputting this review.)



The Khyber(Don't) Pass



I find myself liking the Khyber Keyboard more than I thought I would when

I first saw that I couldn't touch type on it.  I get stuff in faster than

I can write it (or have it recognized) with fewer mistakes and far less

hassle in the correction of mistakes I do make.  I don't know your

tolerance for one-handed typing on a QWERTY layout, but if like me you

eschew pen input, the Khyber is worth a serious try.





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

  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 52 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>.

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





Advertising Notes

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



Pelicanware has updated their advertising blurb.



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

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



* 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>



* 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>



* 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>.



* NEW! 7th Volume of the Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM for Newton! This

CD-ROM from AMUG CD, Inc. contains over 1800 packages, and 590 megs in

Mac and PC format. 2.0 & 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 or better OS - Upgrades also available.

 - QUICKFIGURE PRO 3.1: Spreadsheet application  $59.95

 - NEWTCASE 3.0: The Ultimate Utility Suite (for 2.0 OS only)  $49.95

 - NOTION 1.5: High Performance List Manager  $59.95

 - AVAILWORKS 3.0: 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 3000.

   - 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.

   - SILK makes your MP130 GLOW. Floating silk screen palette so

       the built-in buttons can be seen in the dark.

For more information call 802-863-5256, email <info@catamount.com>, or

visit our web site <http://www.catamount.com>.



* NEW BILLS TO PAY PRO 3.5 Rated 4.5 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 coming

due. Send bill info to Pocket Quicken or Pocket Money. $39.95+S&H

MAR Software at: <info@marsoftware.com> or <http://www.marsoftware.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 (included).

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 Manager on your desktop for

further processing.  For a limited time when you mention this ad, you'll

receive both Informed Filler for Newton AND Informed Manager (for

desktop integration) for $99US (SRP $390US).  Contact Shana Corp. at:

800.386.7244, email: <info@shana.com> or WWW: <http://www.shana.com>.





Commentary: PEDs vs Airplane Safety

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



** A LAYMAN'S GUIDE TO RECENT RESEARCH **



by Andrew Plumb <Tekmage@io.com>



Next time you're traveling on an airplane and are asked to turn off all

personal electronic devices (PEDs for short), you should probably take

heed.  A recent article in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers (IEEE) publication, IEEE Spectrum, provides a comprehensive

explanation and summary of related studies as to how and why.  Here's my

humble attempt to describe this problem in more familiar terms.



In layman's terms, your Newton, tape player, and FM radio all generate

electrical noise.  They are only whispering compared to a Cellular Phone

or CB radio (explicitly forbidden on any aircraft, plane or balloon), but

they transmit their "thoughts" none the less.  An airplane has all sorts

of sensitive receiving antennas - ears if you will - scattered over the

body of the aircraft.  Although the majority of the body is aluminum and

shields the sensors from the racket the PEDs are making, there are holes.

The windows are obvious holes; it's the metal that shields.  The inside

of an airplane's body also acts like a satellite dish, focusing and

deflecting the PED noise.  Unfortunately, some of this noise gets focused

on the wires carrying the REALLY small signals.



I think an analogy is in order.  Some of you have probably experienced

these effects at big public events, like a baseball game or rock concert.

Picture yourself standing in the corridor of this stadium.  When nothing

is happening, you can hear your buddy chatting with you; when the games

on, every hole in the place bleeds noise.  This is what it's like for the

cables carrying the signals back and forth between the pilot up front and

the rudder control motors out back.



On top of this, you have noise which escapes through the windows.  The

sensitive antennas on the outer shell can pick up this noise directly.

It's like propping the door open with your foot at the same stadium, and

trying to listen to somebody whispering to you from across the street and

relaying this information to someone else inside the stadium.  Now you

have not only the outside street noise to worry about, but the noise from

behind you.  Not the easiest of tasks.



So, next time you're planning to travel by airplane, you may want to pack

a good book and a pen and scratch-pad with that tape player and Newton.





Guest Opinion

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



[EDITOR: The following is an edited post to comp.sys.newton.misc that

caught my eye.  Tim was gracious enough to let me place it here. Thanks!]



Tim Hodges <Timothy.C.Hodges@Hitchcock.ORG> writes ...



    Stewart Midwinter wrote:

    > The MP2000 definitely can do more, and more

    > easily. AND, it comes bundled with a number of

    > apps and the keyboard, all of which on the Pilot

    > would be extra or are unavailable - WP,

    > Spreadsheet.



    As an MP110 and MP120 owner for several years, I

    would agree.  One of the problems with the Newton,

    however, is its size and weight.  I use my Newton

    several times a day, but I ordered a new PalmPilot

    last week because I just couldn't stand to carry

    the Newton "brick" around with me anymore.  The

    MP2000, although much faster, is even heavier and

    larger than the older Newtons!  I also found that I

    never used the other capabilities of the Newton

    because (1) I was at my desk frequently enough to

    check my e-mail on a regular basis, and (2) the

    desktop connectivity with my Windows machine was

    so poor that it made getting information back and

    forth a real hassle.



    My reasoning was that if I were a person carrying

    a laptop around all day, I would welcome the

    MP2000 as a lightweight replacement, and it would

    probably be worth the extra $600.  If you are just

    looking to replace your DayTimer and have better

    organization and reminder alarms, as I am, the

    Pilot is the way to go.



    Just my $0.02



    Tim Hodges MD

    <Timothy.C.Hodges@Hitchcock.ORG>





Administrivia

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



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

Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if full

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accuracy of articles.  NewtNews does not express or imply any

endorsement of any businesses participating in this publication.  My

personal comments may be included in articles NewtNews reports by

highlighting them as -- [SDH: Comments].  Official NewtNews Editor's

comments are highlighted as -- [Editor: Comments].  Publication,

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Send contributions and comments to Steve Holden, Editor and Publisher

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