#APPLE NEWTON CLAMSHELL SOFTWARE#
#APPLE NEWTON CLAMSHELL PC#
#APPLE NEWTON CLAMSHELL SERIES#

For example, if the user drew a circle the system was able to tell the difference between that shape and the letter “o”. In Shapes mode, the OS could recognize when the user was drawing a specific shape. Text is self explanatory, and Sketches allowed users to draw free-hand. The OS accepted four types of text data: Text, Shapes, Sketches, and Ink Text. The recognizer did not rely on trained actions, so inputting text into a device was ready right out of the box. Users also had the option to call up an on-screen QWERTY keyboard if that method was preferred. Handwriting could be turned into typed text or left as digital ink. Using a stylus, users could hand-print regular text, cursive, and even switch back and forth between the two. Version 2.0 (and higher) allowed various methods of inputting text into the device.

#APPLE NEWTON CLAMSHELL SOFTWARE#

1.x versions of the OS did not fare well with users but with each software revision came better and more responsive recognizer capabilities. Apple licensed Calligrapher, an early yet sophisticated handwriting recognition engine developed by Russian company ParaGraph International. It was designed around handwriting recognition input. The operating system was written entirely in C++ and boasted low power consumption. Sharp, Motorola, and Digital Ocean released their own devices that ran the Newton OS.Īll Newton devices ran various iterations of the Newton OS. The eMate 300 certainly influenced the design of the first-generation clamshell iBook (which released in 1999). It was intended for use in the classroom. It also featured something that the MessagePad line never had: an internal expansion slot. It packed a 420x320 backlit display and came attached with a full-sized keyboard. It was billed as a low-cost laptop for the education market. The eMate 300 stands out in comparison to the other Newton MessagePad devices due to its unique form factor. The InterConnect port was supposed to provide a way to connect external storage devices to the Newton, but Jobs killed the platform before anything useful was made of it.

#APPLE NEWTON CLAMSHELL PC#

The later 20 models included a PC Card slot, methods for connecting an external keyboard, and a proprietary Newton InterConnect port. A faster 162MHz StrongARM SA-110 RISC processor, a backlit screen, and the move to AA batteries and flash memory made later revisions of the MessagePad far superior to its original incarnation.

Over the course of its five year run, six versions of the MessagePad were created. It ran Newton OS version 1.05 and cost $699.99. The MessagePad packed a 20MHz ARM 610 RISC processor, 640 kilobytes of RAM, and a 336x240 monochrome LCD touch screen with stylus and handwriting recognition support. The 1.4 pound physical device was collaboratively manufactured by Apple and Sharp.

#APPLE NEWTON CLAMSHELL SERIES#

The MessagePad, released in 1993, was the first in a series of Newton devices to be developed and sold on the market.

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