Vintage Apple

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A place to discuss and share anything related to vintage Apple computers and products (Pre-Intel).

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any tips for someone potentially getting an apple newton soon? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by helimopp@lemmy.world to c/vintage_apple@lemmy.world

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i am very close to getting an apple newton h1000 and i was wondering what i could do with it apart from playing around with it ie, i want to use it as it was intended (as much i can anyway) so do you have any advice on how i can use it in this day and age?

also id really like to connect it to my windows laptop (windows 10) so i can put programs and the like on it if thats possible (i did find a listing for a 8 pin to usb cable thats 50 BLOODY POUNDS but thats ok because il probably find anther listing on temu for something similar

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[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Its a great device to experience the foundations of handheld computing. You'll get to see firsthand where some of the ideas that still exist in today's modern mobile phones came from. Its a piece of technological history.

Apart from that, be prepared to be disappointed with using it as a productivity tool. I got one secondhand in the late 1990s, and even then it was worthless as a productivity tool. The original model was significantly worse than the later ones.

The handwriting recognition was particularly horrible. This is one thing that got better in later Newtons. The battery life was also horrible. Even with the monochrome supertwist screen it just didn't allow for any long run time of use, and that was on functioning batteries from the day. I don't know if there are any modern replacement batteries using today's technologies.

Data transfer to and from the device was REALLY SLOW. If memory serves it was an RS-232 serial connection that topped out theoretically at 112kps, but was unreliably at that top speed requiring force drop in speed to 57.6kps or 38.4kps.

Don't forget, its large and heavy by today's mobile computing standards.

There's a reason that Palm PDAs and PalmOS ruled the 1990s and Newton didn't. You're about to get a front row seat to that experience.

[–] helimopp@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

im getting my h1000 for under 50$ so i think itl be worth it (it comes with its little baggie so thats a plus). i would get the newton 2100 but theres no listings for it where i live for under 100 atleast.

i have rechargable aa betteries that i can use with the newton so i think il be fine interns of batteries

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

i have rechargable aa betteries that i can use with the newton so i think il be fine interns of batteries

At the time rechargable AA and AAA batteries were Ni-Cad and wouldn't work because they don't produce enough voltage chemically. NIMh might have the same problem. Be prepared to have 1.5v Alkalines available.

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago

I can't speak for the h1000, but my eMate 300 runs off modern rechargeable AAs perfectly. I replaced the rechargeable battery pack with my own home made one.

I essentially did this: http://newtonpoetry.com/2009/04/13/how-to-install-a-new-newton-emate-battery-pack/

[–] helimopp@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

i think my rechargables are 1.5v