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So what's new with your Newton?

AndyO

Well-known member
Excellent, thanks! I grabbed that copy of NCU from the Mac repository - it looks exactly the same as the version I installed on my PC, so pretty sure it has the functions I'm looking for. I hope to get my office rearranged a bit to fit the 630 back in and install NCU on that next week. I have the right cable for the connection, even though I'm not sure why I still have a couple of old Apple serial cables!

I must say that using the eMate is quite an experience. I'd largely forgotten how the Newton OS works, but it is a very neat system, and seems to be very capable. I've only had this eMate since last year but have never used it because I couldn't get it connected, so even being able to get the date patch onto it and see my NewtonWorks documents and drop them into LibreOffice is a great deal of progress. As you say, UNNA is down so there may be other software out there for it that I can grab and play with - I'm open to any suggestions as to what might be good to try.

The MP 130 I've had since it was new, but it's been in a drawer for many, many years. I'm looking forward to getting it up and running too, because once the date is fixed on that, it will likely get used quite a bit.... assuming I can train it to recognize my handwriting better than it does right now. I did get it to be quite accurate once, but that was a long, long time ago! However, I could certainly use a good PDA for day to day, and I recall the 130 was quite effective 'back then'.
 

Byrd

Well-known member
However, I could certainly use a good PDA for day to day, and I recall the 130 was quite effective 'back then'.

From what I remember the Newton 130 was plenty good enough to not consider getting a 2x00 at the time. It was also trusty enough and small compared to bulkier 2x00 and eMates.
 

beachycove

Well-known member
Handwriting and the 130: printing discrete letters rather than writing in longhand can give much better results. I have read the claim from some users that NewtOS2 is 100% accurate when handwriting is kept to printing rather than cursive. It should also be faster.

Having said which, I tend to use cursive on my 2100, and printing on the emate, since a) I like to see it work, and b) the emate will only recognize printing. I guess the assumption was the handwriting on the thing would be rare, given the keyboard.
 

AndyO

Well-known member
From what I remember the Newton 130 was plenty good enough to not consider getting a 2x00 at the time. It was also trusty enough and small compared to bulkier 2x00 and eMates.

It is such a long time that I used the 130, but I do recall it being much more accurate than the original Newton. It was certainly good enough for me to use to help keep me organized, though it was fairly slow. And a bit expensive on batteries!

I could be tempted by a 2000 or 2100, but not at eBay prices.

Handwriting and the 130: printing discrete letters rather than writing in longhand can give much better results. I have read the claim from some users that NewtOS2 is 100% accurate when handwriting is kept to printing rather than cursive. It should also be faster.

Having said which, I tend to use cursive on my 2100, and printing on the emate, since a) I like to see it work, and b) the emate will only recognize printing. I guess the assumption was the handwriting on the thing would be rare, given the keyboard.

I doubt I'd be using cursive, probably not any, handwriting on the eMate. The keyboard seems pretty good for what I need, but I will be doing some diagrams on it. Good to know that printing may work better. Time to settle in and play!

Thanks!!
 

AndyO

Well-known member
My eMate is showing an error each morning when I leave it plugged in, with the date reset to January 1 2008. Oddly, when I leave it on battery, no error, and the date is fine. So I left it in the office over the weekend with no power connected to see if I get the error, and indeed, if the existing battery can even power it that long. It did work for several short battery-powered bursts yesterday though.

Next week, workload allowing, I'm planning to have a mess with the MP130.

Looking through the UNNA mirror, one app that stood out as interesting was HyperNewt... I think I might give that a try. There's a fair bit to look through though, which is part of the fun!

It's funny, that browsing a bit in the myapplenewton blog makes me far more interested in what these things can do than I ever was back in the day!!

Once again, thanks!
 

AndyO

Well-known member
Well, progress. I have both the eMate and now MP 130 communicating with my Mac, which means I have now also loaded the Fix2010 on the 130, and set to the current/correct date, and that seems to be working. Also installed HyperNewt on the eMate, not so much because I have a clue how to make use of it, but just to test that I can get packages onto it. That works like a charm - and HyperNewt also seems to, though I may have to take a while to figure out if and how to use it!

Very happy! Both are running, potentially serviceable for regular use, and ready for software!
 

Nicmalone

New member
Glad you got your Newts talking to your Mac, AndyO. It’s been a year now. Are you still using the 130 and what added programs are you finding fun or useful? I’ve used a MP2100 for a while now but just got a 130. The form factor is nicer than the 2100 but I’m disappointed the excellent MoreInfo 5 does not run on a 130. I’ve just contacted SilverWare to see if it’s possible to get hold of MoreInfo 4 for my 130. On my 2100, MoreInfo is great for linking meeting notes to dates and contacts, and it’s At a Glance component let’s me look over the past week and quickly see who I talked to, when and what notes I made. I haven’t found a modern equivalent app for the iPad.
 

AndyO

Well-known member
Sadly nothing much. The 130 is erratically non-responsive, so I can't trust it to work. Pretty sure it's the power switch rather than anything else, because it feels like it's glued itself, but I have yet to dismantle the casing to peer inside and see.

The eMate was brilliant as a work-based organizer and productivity tool, but the rechargeable batty has finally failed - it didn't actually power the eMate, but did keep the settings - so now all the settings keep resetting when I have to move it around.

I know there's some ideas on making a new rechargeable pack, and I plan to give that a try when I get some time, but for now, since it keeps reverting to 2008, it's proving a bit frustrating!

Instead, I've settled on my 12-inch iPad Pro - which I should probably have stuck with anyway, since at least it works! Not that I like it much of course.
 

beachycove

Well-known member
The eMate battery is easily replaced by buying one of these (or higher mah capacity), snipping the leads off a couple of inches long, and soldering on the wiring from the original battery: https://www.ebay.com/itm/233878213874?hash=item36743a54f2:g:gbkAAOSwnz9h2AAd&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoH3NmypSBeqxpP/7ei65kPqWLiHLChvuEoc0FfC2OQuElni0QXLcZAAb8rv0AF9yGqqoOInYULi/n+aVIEdfpI0yzmv2MzNA2uNETdbXGk19F57N1mjkhBKmO+ZHX/ULWm30iOgwtwHgkhxpGp5Tr30Uu7N5OrN4F/sanIuYi/2qnrFVyg0WlokXEB8EkQZcUuaFrruZzUXbOmlTZiuEWiU=|tkp:Bk9SR6qz18uIYQ&LH_BIN=1 .

As these things go, this is very easily done with just two wires to solder together, and without needing to touch the cells. They’ve already been assembled. It will also fit within the original (disassemblable) battery case perfectly.
 

AndyO

Well-known member
Ah! That looks easier than the replacement guide I saw last - I'll give that a go, the eMate is way too cool to leave it as it is!!

I thought the battery was 7.5v though? Or am I mixing it up with something else - which is not at all unusual!
 

Nicmalone

New member
Sadly nothing much. The 130 is erratically non-responsive, so I can't trust it to work. Pretty sure it's the power switch rather than anything else, because it feels like it's glued itself, but I have yet to dismantle the casing to peer inside and see.

The eMate was brilliant as a work-based organizer and productivity tool, but the rechargeable batty has finally failed - it didn't actually power the eMate, but did keep the settings - so now all the settings keep resetting when I have to move it around.

I know there's some ideas on making a new rechargeable pack, and I plan to give that a try when I get some time, but for now, since it keeps reverting to 2008, it's proving a bit frustrating!

Instead, I've settled on my 12-inch iPad Pro - which I should probably have stuck with anyway, since at least it works! Not that I like it much of course.
Shame about the 130. Maybe it’s the spring in the switch that has worn out. Re the eMate, has the hinge repair been done on yours? They had an issue with the arms of the springs escaping their retainers and slicing into the screen cable. Googling the issue will give you several different walk throughs.

Re the iPad Pro. If you get an Apple Pencil for it, the handwriting search ability is great in Apple Notes. You can even hand write tags (#tag) and use the tag as a search term to find those notes later on.
 

AndyO

Well-known member
Shame about the 130. Maybe it’s the spring in the switch that has worn out. Re the eMate, has the hinge repair been done on yours? They had an issue with the arms of the springs escaping their retainers and slicing into the screen cable. Googling the issue will give you several different walk throughs.

Re the iPad Pro. If you get an Apple Pencil for it, the handwriting search ability is great in Apple Notes. You can even hand write tags (#tag) and use the tag as a search term to find those notes later on.
Thanks!

The 130 switch is stuck pretty solid, but I'll get some switch cleaner and give that a try.

I don't know if the eMate has had the hinge repair, but I suspect not. It's usually left open anyway with little or no screen movement, but there is a single pixel-wide vertical line near the right hand edge of the display that is blank - which I think I recall seeing as a precursor of the issue. Sadly, I lack a bit of manual dexterity these days which makes repairing things like this a bit harder than it would have been!

I did not know at the Notes app could do that! I will have to have a play!!!
 

joshc

Well-known member
What's new with my Newton? Actually getting one. I used to have a little Newton collection over 15 years ago, I think I had an OMP, 120 and an eMate 300 back then. Didn't keep those and regretted that later on.

I just got an MP2000 and now I'm trying to find the accessories for it and hoping to get it online.
 
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