View source for MessagePad

{{Short description|1993 personal digital assistant}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name         = MessagePad
| image        = Apple Newton-IMG 0454-cropped.jpg
| caption      = Apple Newton MessagePad 100
| manufacturer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]
| type         =
| releasedate  = {{Start date and age|1993}}
| discontinued = {{End date and age|1998}}
| price        = <!-- this is price at initial release, not the current price -->
| connectivity =
| lifespan     =
| unitssold    =
| media        =
| os           = [[Newton OS]]
| input        =
| camera       =
| power        =
| cpu          = [[ARM architecture family#Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. – ARM6|ARM 610 RISC]]
| storage      =
| memory       = 4-8 MB (ROM)<br>640 KB-4 MB (RAM)<br>0-4 MB (Flash) (varies with model)
| display      =
| audio        =
| service      = <!-- online service/s offered -->
| dimensions   =
| weight       ={{convert|1.4|lb|g|abbr=on}} with battery
| touchpad     =
| successor    = [[iPad (1st generation)]]
| related      =
}}

The '''MessagePad''' is a series of [[personal digital assistant]] devices developed by [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]] for the [[Apple Newton|Newton platform]], first released in 1993. <!--Development was started in 1989 (as Walter Smith, one of the original developers, said on the Worldwide Newton Conference 2006 - the video can be found on YouTube.) and officially ended on February 27, 1998.--> Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was undertaken in Japan by [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]. The devices are based on the [[ARM architecture family|ARM]] [[ARM architecture#Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. – ARM6|610]] [[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC processor]], run [[Newton OS]], and all feature [[handwriting recognition]] software.<!--(this includes the whole MessagePad line and the eMate 300), however other companies, notably Sharp, Motorola and Digital Ocean, also released their own. People say, this was a prototype for [[iPad]].None of them was as successful as Apple's devices.--> Alongside the MessagePad series, Apple also developed and released the [[eMate 300]] Newton device.

==History==
The development of the Newton MessagePad first began with [[Apple Inc.|Apple's]] former senior vice president of research and development, [[Jean-Louis Gassée]]; his team included [[Steve Capps]], co-writer of [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]] [[Finder (software)|Finder]], and an employed engineer named [[Steve Sakoman]]. The development of the Newton MessagePad operated in secret until it was eventually revealed to the Apple Board of Directors in late 1990.<ref name="Ai">{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=William |date=August 3, 2023 |title=Newton launched August 2, 1993 setting the stage for what would become the iPad and iPhone |url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/02/newton-launched-august-2-1993-setting-the-stage-for-what-would-become-the-ipad-and-iphone |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503053544/https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/02/newton-launched-august-2-1993-setting-the-stage-for-what-would-become-the-ipad-and-iphone |archivedate=2021-05-03 |accessdate=2021-05-16 |website=AppleInsider |publisher=Quiller Media, Inc.}}</ref>

When Gassée resigned from his position due to a significant disagreement with the board, seeing how his employer was treated, Sakoman also stopped developing the MessagePad on March 2, 1990.<ref name="MW">{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=August 26, 2013 |title=Remembering the Newton MessagePad, 20 years later |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/221736/remembering-the-newton-messagepad-20-years-later.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503171926/https://www.macworld.com/article/221736/remembering-the-newton-messagepad-20-years-later.html |archivedate=2021-05-03 |accessdate=2021-05-16 |website=Macworld |publisher=IDG Consumer & Small Business Publishing (CSMB), IDG Communications Inc. (d.b.a. Foundry), International Data Group}}</ref>

[[Bill Atkinson]], an Apple Executive responsible for the company's Lisa graphical interface, invited Steve Capps, [[John Sculley]], [[Andy Hertzfeld]], [[Susan Kare]], and [[Marc Porat]] to a meeting on March 11, 1990. There, they brainstormed a way of saving the MessagePad. Sculley suggested adding new features, including libraries, museums, databases, or institutional archives features, allowing customers to navigate through various window tabs or opened galleries/stacks. The Board later approved his suggestion; he then gave the Newton his official and full backing.<ref name="MW" />

The first MessagePad was unveiled by Sculley on the 29th of May 1992 at the summer [[Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES) in [[Chicago]].<ref name="iMore">{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Peter |date=March 3, 2018 |orig-date=August 6, 2013 |title=From MessagePad to iPad: 20 years on, the Newton's impact can still be felt. |url=https://www.imore.com/messagepad-ipad-20-years-newtons-impact-can-still-be-felt |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127172232/https://www.imore.com/messagepad-ipad-20-years-newtons-impact-can-still-be-felt |archivedate=2021-01-27 |accessdate=2021-05-16 |website=iMore |publisher=Future US, Inc. |publication-place=New York, NY}}</ref> Sculley caved in to pressure to unveil the product early because the Newton did not officially ship until 14 months later on the 2nd of August 1993, starting at a price of {{val|p=$|699|fmt=commas}}.<ref name="Ai" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cary |first=Lu |date=September 1, 1993 |title=A Small Revelation. Newton has arrived - at long last |pages=102 |work=Macworld |url=https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9309_September_1993/page/n103/mode/2up |access-date=September 26, 2023}}</ref> Over 50,000 units were sold by late November 1993.<ref name="Ai" />

==Details==
===Screen and input===
With the MessagePad 120 with [[Newton OS]] 2.0, the Newton Keyboard by Apple became available, which can also be used via the dongle on Newton devices with a Newton InterConnect port, most notably the Apple MessagePad 2000/2100 series, as well as the Apple [[eMate 300]].

Newton devices featuring Newton OS 2.1 or higher can be used with the screen turned horizontally ("landscape") as well as vertically ("portrait"). A change of a setting rotates the contents of the display by 90, 180 or 270 degrees. Handwriting recognition still works properly with the display rotated, although display calibration is needed when rotation in any direction is used for the first time or when the Newton device is reset.

[[File:Applenewton emate300.jpg|thumb|right|upright|eMate 300]]
[[File:Apple Newton.jpg|thumb|right|upright|MP2000]]

====Handwriting recognition====
{{Main|Newton OS}}
In initial versions (Newton OS 1.x) the handwriting recognition gave extremely mixed results for users and was sometimes inaccurate. The original handwriting recognition engine was called Calligrapher, and was licensed from a Russian company called [[:ru:Параграф (компания)|Paragraph International]]. Calligrapher's design was quite sophisticated; it attempted to learn the user's natural handwriting, using a database of known words to make guesses as to what the user was writing, and could interpret writing anywhere on the screen, whether hand-printed, in [[cursive]], or a mix of the two. By contrast, [[Palm Pilot|Palm Pilot's]] Graffiti had a less sophisticated design than Calligrapher, but was sometimes found to be more accurate and precise due to its reliance on a fixed, predefined stroke alphabet. The stroke alphabet used letter shapes which resembled standard handwriting, but which were modified to be both simple and very easy to differentiate.<ref>{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Jack |date=September 19, 1994 |title=Graffiti Arrives! -- Press Release enclosed: Palm Computing Delivers Major Advance in Handwriting RecognitionTechnology. |url=http://www.grot.com/zoomer/zoomer-list/zoomer-list-3Q1994/0048.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627002502/http://www.grot.com/zoomer/zoomer-list/zoomer-list-3Q1994/0048.html |archive-date=June 27, 2016 |access-date=April 10, 2008 |website=3Q1994 Zoomer-List Archives, Zoomer mailing list archives, Zoomer PDA WWW Information Service |publisher=Palm Computing, Inc. |place=LOS ALTOS, Calif.}}</ref> [[Palm, Inc.|Palm Computing]] also released two versions of Graffiti for Newton devices.  The Newton version sometimes performed better and could also show strokes as they were being written as input was done on the display itself, rather than on a silkscreen area.

For editing text, Newton had a very intuitive system for handwritten editing, such as scratching out words to be deleted, circling text to be selected, or using written [[caret]]s to mark inserts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1995 |others=PDF file created by Kady Ingham on July 16, 2001 using Acrobat Distiller 5.00 for Macintosh |title=Newton: Apple MessagePad Handbook |url=https://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/newton/0307258ANEWTONMP.PDF |website= |publisher=Apple Computer, Inc. |publication-place=Cupertino, CA |id=Part No. 030-7258 (listed in https://web.archive.org/web/20080406215949/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50092)}}</ref>

Later releases of the [[Newton OS|Newton operating system]] retained the original recognizer for compatibility, but added a hand-printed-text-only (not [[cursive]]) recognizer, called "[[Rosetta (Newton)|Rosetta]]", which was developed by Apple, included in version 2.0 of the [[Newton OS|Newton operating system]], and refined in Newton 2.1. Rosetta is generally considered a significant improvement and many reviewers, testers, and most users consider the Newton 2.1 handwriting recognition software better than any of the alternatives even 10 years after it was introduced.<ref>HWR accuracy:

* See comments in Wired's Apple Newton Just Won't Drop: {{Cite magazine |last=Kahney |first=Leander |date=August 29, 2002 |title=Apple's Newton Just Won't Drop |magazine=WIRED |url=https://www.wired.com/2002/08/apples-newton-just-wont-drop-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305034333/http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,54580,00.html |archive-date=March 5, 2007}}
* See text under "Handwriting Recognition" in [http://www.pencomputing.com/developer/newton_20.html Pen Computing's First Look at Newton OS 2.0]: {{Cite magazine |last=Huang |first=Vernon |date=December 1995 |title=First Look: Newton OS 2.0 |url=http://www.pencomputing.com/developer/newton_20.html |url-status=live |magazine=Pen Computing Magazine |issue=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330084907/http://www.pencomputing.com/developer/newton_20.html |archive-date=March 30, 2022}}
* See "Opportunity Squandered" in Pen Computing's Why did Apple kill the Newton?: {{Cite magazine |last=MacNeill |first=David |date=June 1998 |title=Why did Apple kill the Newton? |url=http://www.pencomputing.com/frames/newton_obituary.html |url-status=live |magazine=Pen Computing Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212155656/http://pencomputing.com/frames/newton_obituary.html |archive-date=December 12, 2006}}
* See comments under "Software" in MacTech's MessagePad 2000 review: {{Cite magazine |last=Ringel |first=Edward |date=1997 |title=Newton? Get Serious! |url=http://preserve.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.13/13.04/NewtonGetSerious/index.html |url-status=live |department=Tools Of The Trade |journal=MacTech Magazine |publisher=Xplain Corporation |volume=13 |issue=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020113709/http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.13/13.04/NewtonGetSerious/index.html |archive-date=October 20, 2006}}
* Comments by Pen Computing's editor: {{Cite magazine |last=Blickenstorfer |first=Conrad H. |date=June 2000 |title=From the editor: Commentary by Pen Computing Magazine's editor-in-chief |url=http://www.pencomputing.com/editor/editor_34.html |url-status=live |magazine=Pen Computing Magazine |issue=34 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016131338/http://pencomputing.com/editor/editor_34.html |archive-date=October 16, 2006}}
* See user testing results discussed in part 6 of this A.I. Magazine article on Newton HWR: {{Cite journal |last1=Yaeger |first1=Larry S. |last2=Webb |first2=Brandyn J. |last3=Lyon |first3=Richard F. |date=1998-03-15 |title=Combining Neural Networks and Context-Driven Search for Online, Printed Handwriting Recognition in the NEWTON |url=https://ojs.aaai.org/aimagazine/index.php/aimagazine/article/view/1355 |journal=AI Magazine |language=en |publisher=American Association for Artificial Intelligence |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=86 |doi=10.1609/aimag.v19i1.1355 |issn=2371-9621 |id=0738-4602-1998}}
* MessagePad 2000 review at Small Dog Electronics: {{Cite web |last=Mayer |first=Don |date=July 1, 1997 |title=Kibbles &Bytes; #29: Don's Review of the Newton Message Pad 2000 |url=http://www.smalldog.com/newsarchive/kibbles_display.php?id=29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416113926/http://www.smalldog.com/newsarchive/kibbles_display.php?id=29 |archive-date=April 16, 2008 |access-date= |website=Kibbles&Bytes; weekly E-Mailing |publisher=Small Dog Electronics |publication-place=Warren, Vermont, USA}}
* See comments under "Note-taking" in MessagePad 2000 review at "The History and Macintosh Society": {{Cite web |last=Klingsporn |first=Geoffrey |date=May 1997 |title=The Postgraduate Newton: a month in academia with Apple's new handheld computer |url=http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~mac/mp2000.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920125747/http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~mac/mp2000.html |archive-date=September 20, 2006 |access-date= |website=H-Mac Discussion Network, H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online |publisher=The History and Macintosh Society (H-MAC), Michigan State University}}
* What's Right With The Newton: HWR: {{Cite web |last=Wittmann |first=Michael C. |title=What's Right With The Newton |url=http://perlnet.umephy.maine.edu/bio/wittmann/pooter/newtuse/hwr.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060908164609/http://perlnet.umephy.maine.edu/bio/wittmann/pooter/newtuse/hwr.html |archive-date=September 8, 2006 |website=Michael C. Wittmann: Personal pages: Random Interests I: Computing |publisher=Physics Education Research Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maine}}
* Assessment by Apple developer: {{Cite web |last=Yaeger |first=Larry |date=February 13, 2006 |title=Apple-Newton Handwriting Recognition |url=http://shinyverse.org/larryy/ANHR.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717074702/http://www.beanblossom.in.us/larryy/ANHR.html |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |website=ShinyVerse |publisher=Indiana University}}
* [http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej07/mr1.html Prof. Warden's MessagePad 130 review]: {{Cite journal |last=Warden |first=Clyde A. |date=January 1997 |title=MessagePad 130 |url=https://tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume2/ej07/ej07m1/ |url-status=live |department=Hardware Review |journal=The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language (TESL-EJ) |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |publication-place=Berkeley, CA |volume=2 |issue=3 |eissn=1072-4303 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231035454/http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/tesl-ej/ej07/mr1.html |archive-date=December 31, 2006}}</ref>  Recognition and computation of handwritten horizontal and vertical formulas such as "1 + 2 =" was also under development but never released.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharp |first=Maurice |date=November 6, 2006 |title=[NTLK] Random historical thoughts... |url=https://www.newtontalk.net/archive/newtontalk/2006-November/0127.html |website=The NewtonTalk Mailing List |publisher=NewtonTalk & Friends |postscript=.  Also archived at https://marc.info/?l=newtontalk&m=116284333623124.}}</ref> However, users wrote similar programs which could evaluate mathematical formulas using the Newton OS Intelligent Assistant, a unique part of every Newton device.

The handwriting recognition and parts of the user interface for the Newton are best understood in the context of the broad history of [[pen computing]], which is quite extensive.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ward |first=Jean Renard |date=2020 |orig-date=1992 |title=Notes on the (relatively unknown) History of Pen-based Computing |url=http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/penhist.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418162718/http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/penhist.html |archive-date=April 18, 2017 |access-date=March 21, 2010 |website=Annotated Bibliography in Touch/Pen Computing and Handwriting Recognition by Jean Renard Ward |quote=This is a short outline of a presentation on the history of "pen computing" I gave for the Pen Computing group of the Boston Computer Society, March 11, 1992. Unfortunately, I did not keep the full set of slides, which had pictures of the products and systems. However, Dan Bricklin (CTO at Slate Corporation at the time) has posted a video of the same presentation on youtube, which does show all the pictures and slides: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xnqKdWMa_8.}}</ref>

A vital feature of the Newton handwriting recognition system is the [[modeless]] [[Error detection and correction|error correction]]. That is, correction done ''[[in situ]]'' without using a separate window or widget, using a minimum of gestures. If a word is recognized improperly, the user could double-tap the word and a list of alternatives would pop up in a menu under the stylus. Most of the time, the correct word will be in the list. If not, a button at the bottom of the list allows the user to edit individual characters in that word. Other pen gestures could do such things as transpose letters (also ''[[in situ]]''). The correction popup also allowed the user to revert to the original, un-recognized letter shapes - this would be useful in note-taking scenarios if there was insufficient time to make corrections immediately. To conserve memory and storage space, alternative recognition hypotheses would not be saved indefinitely. If the user returned to a note a week later, for example, they would only see the best match. Error correction in many current handwriting systems provides such functionality but adds more steps to the process, greatly increasing the interruption to a user's workflow that a given correction requires.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

====User interface====
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Apple newton messagepad mixed note jk.jpg|right|thumbnail|Newton screen displaying a Note with text, "ink text", a sketch, & [[Vector graphics|vectorized]] shapes]] -->
Text could also be entered by tapping with the stylus on a small on-screen pop-up [[QWERTY]] [[virtual keyboard]], although more layouts were developed by users. Newton devices could also accept free-hand "Sketches", "Shapes", and "Ink Text", much like a desktop computer [[graphics tablet]]. With "Shapes", Newton could recognize that the user was attempting to draw a circle, a line, a [[polygon]], etc., and it would clean them up into perfect [[vector graphics|vector]] representations (with modifiable control points and defined vertices) of what the user was attempting to draw. "Shapes" and "Sketches" could be [[image scaling|scaled]] or deformed once drawn. "Ink text" captured the user's free-hand writing but allowed it to be treated somewhat like recognized text when manipulating for later editing purposes ("ink text" supported [[Line wrap and word wrap|word wrap]], could be formatted to be bold, italic, etc.).<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine |last=Huang |first=Vernon |date=December 1995 |title=First Look: Newton OS 2.0 |url=http://www.pencomputing.com/developer/newton_20.html |url-status=live |magazine=Pen Computing Magazine |issue=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330084907/http://www.pencomputing.com/developer/newton_20.html |archive-date=March 30, 2022 |access-date=January 27, 2007}}</ref> At any time a user could also direct their Newton device to recognize selected "ink text" and turn it into recognized text (deferred recognition). A Newton note (or the notes attached to each contact in Names and each Dates calendar or to-do event) could contain any mix of interleaved text, Ink Text, Shapes, and Sketches.

While the Newton offered handwriting recognition training and would clean up sketches into vector shapes, both were unreliable and required much rewriting and redrawing. The most reliable application of the Newton was collecting and organizing address and phone numbers. While handwritten messages could be stored, they could not be easily filed, sorted or searched. While the technology was a probable cause for the failure of the device (which otherwise met or exceeded expectations), the technology has been instrumental in producing the future generation of handwriting software that realizes the potential and promise that began in the development of Newton-Apple's Ink Handwriting Recognition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 27, 2017 |orig-date=December 6, 2007 |title=Ink: Handwriting Recognition |url=https://resources.oreilly.com/examples/9780596529529/-/blob/master/ink_handwriting_recognition.pdf |access-date=2023-09-19 |website=Supplemental Content for Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual by David Pogue |publisher=O'Reilly Media, Inc. |language=en |via=GitLab}}</ref>

===Connectivity===
The MessagePad 100 series of devices used Macintosh's proprietary [[serial port]]s&mdash;round [[Mini-DIN connector|Mini-DIN 8 connectors]]. The MessagePad 2000/2100 models (as well as the eMate 300) have a small, proprietary ''Newton InterConnect'' port. However, the development of the [[Apple Newton|Newton hardware/software platform]] was canceled by [[Steve Jobs]] on February 27, 1998, so the InterConnect port, while itself very advanced, can only be used to connect a serial dongle. A prototype multi-purpose InterConnect device containing serial, audio in, audio out, and other ports was also discovered. In addition, all Newton devices have [[infrared]] connectivity, initially only the Sharp [[Amplitude-shift keying|ASK]] protocol, but later also [[IrDA]], though the Sharp ASK protocol was kept in for compatibility reasons. Unlike the Palm Pilot, all Newton devices are equipped with a standard [[PC Card]] expansion slot (two on the 2000/2100). This allows native modem and even [[Ethernet]] connectivity; Newton users have also written [[device driver|drivers]] for [[802.11b]] wireless networking cards and ATA-type [[flash memory]] cards (including the popular [[CompactFlash]] format), as well as for [[Bluetooth]] cards. Newton can also dial a phone number through the built-in speaker of the Newton device by simply holding a telephone handset up to the speaker and transmitting the appropriate tones. Fax and printing support is also built in at the operating system level, although it requires peripherals such as parallel adapters, PCMCIA cards, or serial modems, the most notable of which is the lightweight Newton Fax Modem released by Apple in 1993. It is powered by 2 AA batteries, and can also be used with a power adapter. It provides data transfer at 2,400 bit/s, and can also send and receive fax messages at 9,600 and 4,800 bit/s respectively.

===Power options===
The original Apple MessagePad and MessagePad 100 used four [[AAA battery|AAA batteries]]. They were eventually replaced by AA batteries with the release of the Apple MessagePad 110.

The use of 4 [[AA battery|AA]] [[NiCd]] (MessagePad 110, 120 and 130) and 4x AA [[NiMH]] cells (MP2x00 series, [[eMate 300]]) give a runtime of up to 30 hours (MP2100 with two 20&nbsp;MB [[Linear Flash]] memory [[PC Card]]s, no backlight usage) and up to 24 hours with backlight on. While adding more weight to the handheld Newton devices than AAA batteries or custom battery packs, the choice of an easily replaceable/rechargeable cell format gives the user a still unsurpassed runtime and flexibility of power supply. This, together with the [[flash memory]] used as internal storage starting with the Apple MessagePad 120 (if all cells lost their power, no data was lost due to the non-volatility of this storage), gave birth to the slogan "Newton never dies, it only gets new batteries".

===Later efforts and improvements===
The Apple MessagePad 2000/2100, with a vastly improved handwriting recognition system, 162&nbsp;MHz [[StrongARM]] SA-110 [[RISC]] processor, Newton OS 2.1, and a better, clearer, backlit screen, attracted critical plaudits.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SMU {{!}} World Changers Shaped Here!|url=https://www.smu.edu/|access-date=2020-10-20|website=www.smu.edu|archive-date=October 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020053132/https://www.smu.edu/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=September 2023 <!-- create a separate line so pinging should work -->
|reason=This is just a university's homepage???? I searched their website for "MessagePad"; the only thing I found was a newspaper advertising Camp Macintosh. The citation in question was added in https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=984519698&oldid=983376085&title=MessagePad by [[User:HolSegel]].}}

====eMate 300====
{{main|eMate 300}}
[[File:Applenewton emate300.jpg|thumb|''The [[eMate 300]]'']]
The [[eMate 300]] was a Newton device in a laptop form factor offered to schools in 1997 as an inexpensive ($799 US, originally sold to education markets only) and durable computer for classroom use. However, in order to achieve its low price, the eMate 300 did not have all the speed and features of the contemporary MessagePad equivalent, the MessagePad 2000. The eMate was cancelled along with the rest of the Newton products in 1998. It is the only Newton device to use the ARM710 microprocessor (running at 25&nbsp;MHz), have an integrated keyboard, use Newton OS 2.2 (officially numbered 2.1), and its batteries are officially irreplaceable, although several users replaced them with longer-lasting ones without any damage to the eMate hardware whatsoever.

====Prototypes====
[[File:Apple Newton w Telephone (48930219127).jpg|thumb|Siemens NotePhone]]
Many prototypes of additional Newton devices were spotted. Most notable was a Newton tablet or "slate", a large, flat screen that could be written on. Others included a "Kids Newton" with side handgrips and buttons, "VideoPads" which would have incorporated a video camera and screen on their flip-top covers for two-way communications, the "Mini 2000" which would have been very similar to a Palm Pilot, and the NewtonPhone developed by [[Siemens]], which incorporated a handset and a keyboard.

==Market reception==
Fourteen months after Sculley demoed it at the May 1992, Chicago CES, the MessagePad was first offered for sale on August 2, 1993, at the Boston [[Macworld/iWorld|Macworld Expo]].<ref name="HMcC-NR">{{cite magazine |last1=McCracken |first1=Harry |date=June 1, 2012 |title=Newton, Reconsidered / Apple's Newton MessagePad PDA at Twenty |url=https://techland.time.com/2012/06/01/newton-reconsidered/ |url-status=live |department=Technologizer |magazine=Time |publisher=TIME USA, LLC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715005844/http://techland.time.com/2012/06/01/newton-reconsidered/ |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> The hottest item at the show, it cost $900.<ref name="BSsun-steals">{{cite news |date=August 9, 1993 |title=Newton steals the show at Boston Macworld Expo |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |publisher=Tribune Publishing |agency=Knight-Ridder |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-08-09-1993221046-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714133644/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-08-09/business/1993221046_1_newton-booth-messagepad |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> 50,000 MessagePads were sold in the device's first three months on the market.<ref name=HMcC-NR/>

<!--Although the Newton platform was developed and marketed for six years, it was never as successful in the marketplace as Apple had hoped. This was because the technology was too advanced for the time, as the concept of soups, stores, and packages shows.

-->The original Apple MessagePad and MessagePad 100 were limited by the very short lifetime of their inadequate AAA batteries.

[[File:Newton eat up martha.jpg|thumb|right|The Original Apple Newton's handwriting recognition was made light of in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Lisa on Ice]]".]]

{{citation needed span |text=Another factor which limited the early Newton devices' appeal was that desktop connectivity was not included in the basic retail package, a problem that was later solved with 2.x Newton devices - these were bundled with a serial cable and the appropriate Newton Connection Utilities software. |date=September 2023}}

Later versions of Newton OS offered improved handwriting recognition, quite possibly a leading reason for the continued popularity of the devices among Newton users. Even given the age of the hardware and software, Newtons still demand a sale price on the used market far greater than that of comparatively aged PDAs produced by other companies. In 2006, [[CNET]] compared an Apple MessagePad 2000 to a [[Samsung Q1]], and the Newton was declared better.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Chris |date=September 21, 2011 |orig-date=July 27, 2006 |title=Apple Newton vs Samsung Q1 UMPC |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/apple-newton-vs-samsung-q1-umpc/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804160720/http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops/apple-newton-vs-samsung-q1-umpc-49282099/ |archive-date=August 4, 2010 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=CNET Networks}}</ref> In 2009, [[CNET]] compared an Apple MessagePad 2000 to an [[iPhone 3GS]], and the Newton was declared more innovative at its time of release.<ref name="cnet-reid-1109">{{cite web |last1=Reid |first1=Rory |last2=Graham |first2=Flora |date=November 26, 2009 |title=Apple Newton vs Apple iPhone |url=http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-newton-vs-apple-iphone/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714142850/http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-newton-vs-apple-iphone/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |access-date=7 July 2014 |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=CBS Interactive}}</ref>

A chain of dedicated Newton-only stores called Newton Source, independently run by Stephen Elms, existed from 1994 until 1998{{Citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=This year is when production of the Newton ended; are there any sources that explicitly say when the Newton Source stores closed?}}. Locations included New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston. The Westwood Village, California, near [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] featured the trademark red and yellow light bulb Newton logo in [[neon]]. The stores provided an informative educational venue to learn about the Newton platform in a hands on relaxed fashion. The stores had no traditional computer retail counters and featured oval desktops where interested users could become intimately involved with the Newton product range. The stores were a model for the later Apple Stores.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Jason |date=January 25, 2016 |title=Before The Apple Store, There Was A Chain Of Unofficial Apple Retail Locations Known As? |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/trivia/before-the-apple-store-there-was-a-chain-of-unofficial-apple-retail-locations-known-as/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130013850/https://www.howtogeek.com/trivia/before-the-apple-store-there-was-a-chain-of-unofficial-apple-retail-locations-known-as/ |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ramstad |first=Evan |date=1994-04-16 |title=N.Y. Store Picks Apple's Newton as Its Specialty: Retail: Newton Source's owner wants his outlet to be a relaxed place for consumers to learn about the hand-held computer. |language=en-US |website=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-16-fi-46763-story.html |access-date=2023-09-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sande |first=Steve |date=2020-08-21 |title=Retro Apple: The Apple Newton MessagePad Was Well Ahead of Its Time |url=https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/64664-apple-newton-messagepad/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Rocket Yard |publisher=[[Other World Computing|OWC]] |language=en-US |publication-place=Woodstock, IL}}</ref>

==Newton device models==
{{See also|Timeline of Apple Inc. products}}
<!-- Note: the question marks should be replaced with real information that I am unable to provide. -HorvatM -->{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Brand
| colspan="2" |[[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]] 
|[[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]] 
|[[Siemens]]
| colspan="2" |Apple 
|[[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]] 
|[[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]] 
|[[Digital Ocean]] 
|[[Motorola]]
|Harris 
|Digital Ocean 
| colspan="4" |Apple 
| colspan="3" |Harris
|Siemens
|Schlumberger
|-
!Device
|OMP ('''O'''riginal Newton '''M'''essage'''P'''ad)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Pilet |first=Sylvain |date=August 2, 2020 |orig-date=April 4, 2019 |title=Apple Newton H1000 & MessagePad 100 – Specifications |url=http://message-pad.net/apple-newton-h1000-messagepad-100/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120203210/http://message-pad.net/apple-newton-h1000-messagepad-100/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |access-date=2021-01-16 |website=Message-Pad.net |language=}}</ref>
|Newton "Dummy"
|ExpertPad PI-7000<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Pilet |first=Sylvain |date=2016-09-02 |title=Sharp Expert Pad PI-7x00: Sharp Expert Pad a Apple Newton Clone |url=http://message-pad.net/sharp-expert-pad-pi-7x00/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120203301/http://message-pad.net/sharp-expert-pad-pi-7x00/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |access-date=2021-01-16 |website=Message-Pad.net |language=}}</ref>
|Notephone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Genghis7777 |date=April 19, 2012 |title=Siemens NotePhone |url=http://myapplenewton.blogspot.com/2012/04/siemens-notephone.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122184801/http://myapplenewton.blogspot.com/2012/04/siemens-notephone.html |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |access-date=2021-01-18 |website=My Apple Newton |language=en-GB |publication-place=Christchurch, New Zealand}}</ref><sup>[''[[Template:Refexample#Self-sourcing|better source needed]]'']</sup>
|MessagePad 100<ref name=":0" />
|MessagePad 110
|Sharp ExpertPad PI-7100<ref name=":1" />
|MessagePad 120
|Tarpon
|Marco<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wireless Data Group |orig-date= |title=Specifications |url=http://unna.applenewton.co.uk/apple/documentation/MarcoInfo/MarcoSpecs.txt |website= |publisher=Motorola |publication-place=Schaumburg, Illinois |via=NEWTON SOFTWARE BACKUP SERVER, run by Pawel (AKA AppleNewtonFan), living in Scotland, UK; uploaded March 30, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Motorola Rings in 1995 With the Launch of the Marco¨ Wireless Communicator: MACWORLD Attendees Get First Look at the World's Only Newton¨-Based Integrated Wireless Hand-Held Device |location=SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. |date=January 4, 1995 |last1=Beck-Ruff |first1=Cheryl |last2=Magill |first2=Karen |via=NEWTON SOFTWARE BACKUP SERVER, run by Pawel (AKA AppleNewtonFan), living in Scotland, UK; uploaded March 30, 2007}}</ref>
|SuperTech 2000<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=September 27, 1995 |title=The SuperTech 2000 Mobile Communications & Information System: SPECIFICATIONS |url=http://www.dracon.harris.com/products/st2k_specs.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980205141651/http://www.dracon.harris.com/products/st2k_specs.html |archive-date=1998-02-05 |access-date= |website=Harris Network Support Systems |publisher=Harris Corporation |publication-place=Camarillo, California, USA}}</ref>
|Seahorse<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Seahorse Spec Sheet |url=http://digitalocean.com/seahorse.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970124001314/http://digitalocean.com/seahorse.html |archive-date=1997-01-24 |access-date=2021-01-16}}</ref>
|MessagePad 130
|[[eMate 300]]
|MessagePad 2000
|MessagePad 2100
|Access Device 2000
|Access Device, GPS
|Access Device, Wireline
|'''Online Terminal''', also known as '''Online Access Device'''(OAD)
|Watson 
|-
!Introduced
|August 3, 1993 (US) December 1993 (Germany)
|?
|August 3, 1993 (US and Japan)
|1993?
| colspan="2" |March 1994
|April 1994
|October 1994 (Germany), January 1995 (US)
| colspan="2" |January 1995 (US)
|August 1995 (US)
|January 1996 (US)
|March 1996
| colspan="2" |March 1997
|November 1997
| colspan="3" |1998
|Announced 1997
|?
|-
!Discontinued
| colspan="3" |March 1994
|?
| colspan="2" |April 1995
|late 1994
|June 1996
|?
|?
|?
|?
|April 1997
| colspan="3" |February 1998
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Code name
|Junior
|
|?
|?
|Junior
|Lindy
|?
|Gelato
|?
|?
|?
|?
|Dante
|?
|Q
|?
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Model No.
|H1000
|
|?
|?
|H1000
|H0059
|?
|H0131
|?
|?
|?
|?
|H0196
|H0208
|H0136
|H0149
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Processor
| colspan="13" |[[ARM architecture|ARM]] 610 (20&nbsp;MHz)
|[[ARM architecture|ARM]] 710a (25&nbsp;MHz)
| colspan="7" |[[StrongARM]] SA-110 (162&nbsp;MHz)
|-
!ROM
| colspan="7" |4 MB
| colspan="2" |4 MB (OS 1.3) or 8 MB (OS 2.0) 
|5 MB
|4 MB
| colspan="5" |8 MB 
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!System Memory (RAM)
| colspan="5" |490 KB* [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]]
|544 KB [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]]
|490 KB* [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]]
| colspan="2" |639/687 KB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]]
|544 KB [[Dynamic random-access memory|SRAM]]
|639 KB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]]
| colspan="2" |1199 KB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]]
|1 MB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]] (Upgradable) 
|1 MB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]] 
|4 MB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]] 
| colspan="3" |1 MB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]]
|?
|1 MB [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]]
|-
!User Storage 
| colspan="5" |150 KB* [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]]
|480 KB [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]]
|150 KB* [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]]
| colspan="2" |385/1361 KB [[Flash RAM]]
|480 KB [[Flash RAM|SRAM]]
|385 KB [[Flash RAM]]
| colspan="2" |1361 KB [[Flash RAM]]
|2 MB [[Flash RAM]](Upgradable) 
| colspan="5" |4 MB [[Flash RAM]]
|?
|4 MB [[Flash RAM]]
|-
!Total RAM
| colspan="5" |640&nbsp;KB 
|1&nbsp;MB 
|640&nbsp;KB
| colspan="2" |1.0/2.0 MB 
| colspan="2" |1&nbsp;MB 
| colspan="2" |2.5&nbsp;MB 
|3&nbsp;MB (Upgradable via Internal Expansion)
|5 MB 
|8 MB
| colspan="3" |5 MB
|?
|5 MB
|-
!Display
| colspan="5" |336 × 240 (B&W)
|320 × 240 (B&W)
|336 × 240 (B&W)
|320 × 240 (B&W)
|320 × 240 (B&W) w/ backlight
|320 × 240 (B&W)
| colspan="3" |320 × 240 (B&W) w/ backlight
| colspan="6" |480 × 320 grayscale (16 shades) w/ backlight
|
|480 × 320 greyscale (16 shades) w/ backlight
|-
![[Newton OS]] version
| colspan="3" |1.0 to 1.05, or 1.10 to 1.11
|1.11
| colspan="2" |1.2 or 1.3
|1.3
| colspan="2" |1.3 or 2.0
| colspan="2" |1.3
| colspan="2" |2.0
|2.1 (2.2)
| colspan="2" |2.1
| colspan="5" |2.1
|-
!Newton OS languages
|English or German
|
|English or Japanese
|German
|English, German or French
|English or French
|English or Japanese
|English, German or French
| colspan="4" |English
|English or German
| colspan="2" |English
|English or German
| colspan="3" |English
|German
|French
|-
!Connectivity
| colspan="3" |[[RS-422]], LocalTalk & SHARP ASK Infrared
|Modem and Telephone dock Attachment
| colspan="4" |[[RS-422]], LocalTalk & SHARP ASK Infrared
|[[RS-422]], LocalTalk & SHARP ASK Infrared
|[[RS-422]], LocalTalk, Infrared, [[DataTAC|ARDIS Network]]
|[[RS-232]], LocalTalk [[Wireless LAN|WLAN]], V.22bis modem, Analog/Digital Cellular, [[Cellular digital packet data|CDPD]], RAM, [[DataTAC|ARDIS]], Trunk Radio
|[[RS-232]], LocalTalk, [[Cellular digital packet data|CDPD]], [[Wireless LAN|WLAN]], Optional dGPS, GSM, or IR via modular attachments
|[[RS-422]], LocalTalk & SHARP ASK Infrared
|[[IrDA]], headphone port, Interconnect port, LocalTalk, Audio I/O, Autodock
|Dual-mode IR;[[IrDA]] & SHARP ASK, LocalTalk, Audio I/O, Autodock, Phone I/O
|Dual-mode IR; [[IrDA]] & SHARP ASK, LocalTalk, Audio I/O, Autodock
| colspan="3" |Dual-mode IR;[[IrDA]] & SHARP ASK, LocalTalk, Audio I/O, Autodock, Phone I/O
|?
|Dual-mode IR;[[IrDA]] & SHARP ASK, LocalTalk, Audio I/O, Autodock, Phone I/O
|-
!PCMCIA
| colspan="13" |1 [[PC Card|PCMCIA-slot]] II, 5v or 12v
|1 [[PC Card|PCMCIA-slot]] I/II/III, 5v
| colspan="2" |2 [[PC Card|PCMCIA-slot]] II, 5v or 12v
| colspan="2" |1 [[PC Card|PCMCIA-slot]] II, 5v or 12v
|1 [[PC Card|PCMCIA-slot]] II, 5v or 12v, 2nd slot Propriety Rado Card
| colspan="2" |1 [[PC card|PCMCIA-slot]] II, 5v or 12v, 1 Smart Card Reader
|-
!Power
| colspan="5" |4 AAA or [[NiCd]] rechargeable or external power supply
|4 AA or [[NiCd]] rechargeable or external power supply 
|4 AAA or [[NiCd]] rechargeable or external power supply
|4 AA or [[NiCd]] rechargeable or external power supply
| colspan="2" |[[NiCd]] battery pack or external power supply
|4 AA or [[NiCd]] rechargeable or external power supply
|[[NiCd]] battery pack or external power supply
|4 AA or [[NiCd]] rechargeable or external power supply
|NiMH battery pack (built-in) or external power supply
| colspan="2" |4 AA or [[NiMH]] rechargeable or external power supply
| colspan="3" |Custom [[NiMH]] rechargeable or external power supply
|? Unknown, but likely external power supply
|4 AA or [[NiMH]] rechargeable or external power supply
|-
!Dimensions
(HxWxD)
|{{convert|184.75|x|114.3|x|19.05|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|
|{{convert|182|x|112|x|28|mm|in|abbr=on}}

(lid open)
| colspan="2" |{{convert|184.75|x|114.3|x|19.05|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|203.2|x|101.6|x|30|mm|in|abbr=on}}

|{{convert|182|x|112|x|28|mm|in|abbr=on}}

(lid open)
|{{convert|203.2|x|101.6|x|30|mm|in|abbr=on}}

|{{convert|254|x|114.3|x|63.5|mm|in|abbr=on}}

|{{convert|190.5|x|147.32|x|35.56|mm|in|abbr=on}}

|?
|{{convert|241.3|x|114.3|x|63.5|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|203.2|x|101.6|x|30|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|305|x|290|x|53.3|mm|in|abbr=on}}

| colspan="2" |{{convert|211|x|119.4|x|27.9|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|?
|?
|?
|9 x 14.5 x 5.1 inches
<small>(23 x 37 x 13&nbsp;cm)</small>
|?
|-
!Weight
|{{convert|0.4|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|
|{{convert|0.44|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
with batteries installed
|
|{{convert|0.4|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.475|or|0.58|kg|lb|abbr=on}} with batteries installed
|{{convert|0.44|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
with batteries installed
|{{convert|0.475|or|0.58|kg|lb|abbr=on}}with batteries installed
|{{convert|1.45|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.82|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}
|?
|{{convert|1.36|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.475|or|0.58|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

with batteries installed
|{{convert|1.81|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| colspan="2" |{{convert|0.64|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|?
|?
|?
|?
|?
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>  Varies with installed OS

'''Notes:''' The eMate 300 actually has ROM chips silk screened with 2.2 on them. Stephanie Mak on her website discusses this:<ref>{{cite web |last=Maksylewich |first=Stephanie |date=2001–2005 |title=Other Homebrew eMate Hacks |url=http://www.felesmagus.com/newton/otheremate.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312101901/http://www.felesmagus.com/newton/otheremate.html |archive-date=2009-03-12}}</ref>
If one removes all patches to the eMate 300 (by replacing the ROM chip, and then putting in the original one again, as the eMate and the MessagePad 2000/2100 devices erase their memory completely after replacing the chip), the result will be the Newton OS saying that this is version 2.2.00. Also, the Original MessagePad and the MessagePad 100 share the same model number, as they only differ in the ROM chip version. (The OMP has OS versions 1.0 to 1.05, or 1.10 to 1.11, while the MP100 has 1.3 that can be upgraded with various patches.)

==Timeline==
{{Timeline of Newton models}}

==Third party licenses==
The [[Newton OS]] was also licensed to a number of third-party developers including Sharp and Motorola who developed additional PDA devices based on the Newton platform. Motorola added wireless connectivity, as well as made a unique two-part design, and shipped additional software with its Newton device, called the Marco.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Luckie |first=Douglas |date=April 4, 1997 |title=Motorola's 'Marco' Wireless Communicator |url=http://cf.psl.msu.edu/gallery/marco.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051225020251/http://www.msu.edu/~luckie/gallery/marco.htm |archive-date=December 25, 2005 |access-date=January 19, 2006 |website=Michigan State Newton SIG (MSNUG), Michigan State Palmtop User Group (MSPUG) |via=Michigan State University (MSU) Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Research Laboratory}}</ref> Sharp developed a line of Newton devices called the ExpertPad PI-7000/7100; those were the same as Apple's MessagePad and MessagePad 100, the only difference is the physical design (the ExpertPads feature a screen lid, which Apple added in 1994 with the release of the MessagePad 110) and the naming.

==Other uses==
[[File:PSAINS InteractStation7.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Petrosains uses Newton technology.]]
There were a number of projects that used the Newton as a portable information device in cultural settings such as museums. For example, Visible Interactive created a walking tour in San Francisco's Chinatown but the most significant effort took place in [[Malaysia]] at the [[Petronas]] Discovery Center, known as [[Petrosains]].<ref>{{cite web |title=PETROSAINS: The Discovery Centre |url=http://www.petrosains.com.my/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051207030343/http://www.petrosains.com.my/ |archive-date=December 7, 2005 |access-date=December 10, 2005}}</ref>

In 1995, an exhibit design firm, DMCD Inc., was awarded the contract to design a new {{convert|100,000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} science museum in the [[Petronas Towers]] in Kuala Lumpur. A major factor in the award was the concept that visitors would use a Newton device to access additional information, find out where they were in the museum, listen to audio, see animations, control robots and other media, and to bookmark information for printout at the end of the exhibit.

The device became known as the ARIF, a Malay word for "wise man" or "seer" and it was also an acronym for A Resourceful Informative Friend. Some 400 ARIFS were installed and over 300 are still in use today.  The development of the ARIF system was extremely complex and required a team of hardware and software engineers, designers, and writers. ARIF is an ancestor of the PDA systems used in museums today and it boasted features that have not been attempted since.

Anyway & Company firm was involved with the Petronas Discovery Center project back in 1998 and NDAs were signed which prevents getting to know more information about this project.  It was confirmed that they purchased of MP2000u or MP2100's by this firm on the behalf of the project under the name of "Petrosains Project Account". By 1998 they had invested heavily into the R&D of this project with the Newton at the center. After Apple officially cancelled the Newton in 1998 they had to acquire as many Newtons as possible for this project. It was estimated initially 1000 Newtons, but later readjusted the figure to possibly 750 Newtons. They placed an “Internet Call” for Newtons. They purchased them in large and small quantities.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=The only citation for these 4 paragraphs is the home page of the museum, despite making many non-trivial claims.}}

The Newton was also used in healthcare applications, for example in collecting data directly from patients. Newtons were used as electronic diaries, with patients entering their symptoms and other information concerning their health status on a daily basis. The compact size of the device and its ease of use made it possible for the electronic diaries to be carried around and used in the patients' everyday life setting. This was an early example of [[electronic patient-reported outcome]]s (ePRO).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tiplady |first1=B. |last2=Crompton |first2=G. K. |last3=Dewar |first3=M. H. |last4=Böllert |first4=F. G. E. |last5=Matusiewicz |first5=S. P. |last6=Campbell |first6=L. M. |last7=Brackenridge |first7=D. |date=30 December 1997 |orig-date=Issue Date: July 1997 |title=The use of electronic diaries in respiratory studies |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1177/009286159703100317 |journal=Drug Information Journal |publisher=Springer Nature |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=759–764 |doi=10.1177/009286159703100317 |issn=0092-8615 |s2cid=55963529 |quote=Electronic diary cards have advantages over paper diaries for daily collection of data on lung function and symptoms in patients with respiratory disorders. The suitability of a pen-based electronic diary (Apple MessagePad) for this purpose was assessed in a clinical trial setting.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Newton (platform)]]
* [[Newton OS]]
* [[eMate 300]]
* [[NewtonScript]]
* [[Orphaned technology]]
* [[Pen computing]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* Apple's press release on the debut of the MessagePad 2100: {{Cite press release |date=October 20, 1997 |title=Apple's New MessagePad 2100 Offers Enhanced Performance For Today's Mobile, Information-Centric Users: Newest Member of MessagePad Family Features Increased System Memory, Higher Performance, Upgraded Communications Software |url=https://www.apple.com/ca/press/1997/10/MP2100.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304112558/https://www.apple.com/ca/press/1997/10/MP2100.html |archive-date=March 4, 2010 |publisher=Apple Canada |location=MARKHAM, Ontario}}
* Apple's overview of features & limitations of Newton Connection Utilities: {{Cite web |date=December 22, 1997 |title=Newton Connection Utilities 1.0 for Windows - ReadMe |url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=38006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215144351/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=38006 |archive-date=December 15, 2007 |publisher=Apple Inc.}}
* Newton overview at Newton Source archived from Apple: {{Cite web |date=February 1996 |title=MessagePad 130: The entry-level handheld computer. |url=http://www.oldschool.net/newton/papers/index130.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128125654/http://www.oldschool.net/newton/papers/index130.html |archive-date=January 28, 2007 |publisher=Apple Computer, Inc. |via=oldschool.net |id=L01722A}}
* Newton FAQ: {{Cite web |last1=Weyer |first1=Steve |last2=Rand |first2=Peter |last3=Luke |first3=Sean |last4=Guyot |first4=Paul |last5=Padilla |first5=Daniel |date=March 20, 2003 |title=FAQ for the Newton Community |url=http://old.chuma.org/newton/faq/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030408173039/http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ |archive-date=April 8, 2003 |via=Victor Rehorst from Newton Resources}}
* Newton Gallery: {{Cite web |last=Luckie |first=Douglass |date=June 8, 2020 |title=Newton Gallery! |url=http://cf.psl.msu.edu/newtgal.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126080259/http://www.msu.edu/~luckie/newtgal.htm |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |website=Michigan State Newton SIG (MSNUG), Michigan State Palmtop User Group (MSPUG) |via=Michigan State University (MSU) Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Research Laboratory |access-date=September 19, 2023 }}
* Birth of the Newton: {{Cite web |last=Hormby |first=Tom |date=August 6, 2013 |title=The Story Behind Apple's Newton |url=https://lowendmac.com/2013/the-story-behind-apples-newton/ |website=Low End Mac |id=<nowiki>http://goo.gl/YKSx9L</nowiki>}}
* The Newton Hall of Fame: People behind the Newton: {{Cite web |last=Luckie |first=Douglass |date=May 13, 2020 |title=Newton Hall of Fame |url=http://cf.psl.msu.edu/hallofame.htm |website=Michigan State Newton SIG (MSNUG), Michigan State Palmtop User Group (MSPUG) |via=Michigan State University (MSU) Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Research Laboratory}}
* Pen Computing's Why did Apple kill the Newton?: {{Cite magazine |last=MacNeill |first=David |date=June 1998 |title=Why did Apple kill the Newton? |url=http://www.pencomputing.com/frames/newton_obituary.html |magazine=Pen Computing Magazine}}
* Pen Computing's Newton Notes column archive: {{Cite magazine |last=MacNeill |first=David |date=April 5, 2008 |title=Newton Notes Archive |url=http://www.pencomputing.com/Newton/ |magazine=Pen Computing Magazine}}
* A.I. Magazine article by Yaeger on Newton HWR design, algorithms, & quality: {{Cite journal |last1=Yaeger |first1=Larry S. |last2=Webb |first2=Brandyn J. |last3=Lyon |first3=Richard F. |date=1998-03-15 |title=Combining Neural Networks and Context-Driven Search for Online, Printed Handwriting Recognition in the NEWTON |url=https://ojs.aaai.org/aimagazine/index.php/aimagazine/article/view/1355 |journal=AI Magazine |language=en |publisher=American Association for Artificial Intelligence |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=73–90 |doi=10.1609/aimag.v19i1.1355 |issn=2371-9621 |id=0738-4602-1998}}
** Associated slides: {{Cite conference |last=Yaeger |first=Larry |date=4–5 September 2004 |title=Handwriting Recognition Technology in the Newton's Second Generation "Print Recognizer" (The One That Worked) |url=http://wwnc.newtontalk.net/2004/program/larryyaeger/slides-larryyaeger.pdf |conference=World Wide Newton Conference 2004 |website=Worldwide Newton Conference |location=Paris, France |publisher= |publication-place=}}
* Info on Newton HWR from Apple's HWR Technical Lead: {{Cite web |last=Yaeger |first=Larry |date=February 13, 2006 |title=Apple-Newton Handwriting Recognition |url=http://shinyverse.org/larryy/ANHR.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717074702/http://www.beanblossom.in.us/larryy/ANHR.html |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |website=ShinyVerse |publisher=Indiana University}}
* Notes on the History of Pen-based Computing: {{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xnqKdWMa_8 |title=Notes on the History of Pen-based Computing |date=March 11, 1992 |last=Ward |first=Jean Renard |type=Videotape |publisher=State Corporation / East |others=Uploaded to YouTube by Dan Bricklin (@danbcast) on March 31, 2013; the video is titled "History of Pen-Based Computing - March 1992, Jean Renard Ward". |orig-date= |quote=A video of Jean Renard Ward re-creating a talk he gave to a Boston Computer Society special interest group two days before in 1992. This covers many, many devices and approaches in the years before that time. For more info from him, see: http://users.erols.com/rwservices/biblio.html}}
** This links to: {{Cite journal |last=Ward |first=Jean Renard |date=September 11, 2023 |title=History of Pen and Gesture Computing: Annotated Bibliography in On-line Character Recognition, Pen Computing, Gesture User Interfaces and Tablet and Touch Computers |url=http://users.erols.com/rwservices/biblio.html |access-date=2023-09-19 |website=Rueters-Ward / Zurück zur Heimatseite Rüters-Ward |doi=10.13140/2.1.3018.8322 |quote=Mirrors of this page can be found at: http://ruetersward/biblio.html, http://users.rcn.com/rwservices/biblio.html, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/biblio.html, <nowiki>http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/biblio.html</nowiki>}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Apple Newton}}

===Additional resources and information===
* '''''[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0941831949/ Defying Gravity: The Making of Newton, by Kounalakis & Menuez]''''' (Hardcover)
** Hardcover: 192 pages
** Publisher: [[Beyond Words Publishing]] (October 1993)
** {{ISBN|0941831949}}
** {{ISBN|978-0941831949}}
* [http://empeg.org.uk/info/sa1100/sa1100DevMan.pdf Complete Developer's manual for the StrongARM SA-110]
* [http://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/ece809/rover/coursework/00spr/procg7.pdf Beginner's overview of the StrongARM SA-110 Microprocessor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604223028/http://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/ece809/rover/coursework/00spr/procg7.pdf |date=June 4, 2007 }}

===Reviews===
* [http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~mac/mp2000.html MessagePad 2000 review at "The History and Macintosh Society"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101208053412/http://perlnet.umephy.maine.edu/bio/wittmann/pooter/newton.htm Prof. Wittmann's collection of Newton & MessagePad reviews]

{{Apple hardware before 1998}}

[[Category:Apple Newton]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1993]]
[[Category:Apple Inc. personal digital assistants]]