November 7, 1997: Apple releases the Newton MessagePad 2100, the final and greatest iteration of the corporate’s early line of handheld units.
Amongst its enhancements over earlier generations, the MessagePad 2100 packs expanded reminiscence, enhanced velocity and upgraded communications software program. Nonetheless, the Newton’s destiny is sealed. Apple CEO Steve Jobs, freshly returned to the corporate, will scrap the product line inside months.
MessagePad 2100 and the unhappy loss of life of the Newton
As I wrote when marking the 1993 launch of the unique MessagePad, I believe the Newton product line stays probably the most underrated in Apple’s historical past. The corporate’s first try at a real standalone cellular system (in contrast to, say, the Macintosh Moveable or the PowerBook, which have been shrunk-down Macs), the MessagePad gave customers a PDA full with stylus and superior handwriting recognition.
Sadly, it suffered from dangerous early phrase of mouth. The system got here at a time when Apple discovered itself mired within the monetary doldrums. Plus, the MessagePad lacked the required functions to make it a “will need to have” gadget. Most crucially, this cellular system merely arrived too early. The MessagePad would have benefited enormously from web connectivity.
MessagePad 2100 specs
With that stated, the MessagePad 2100 stands out as one of the best MessagePad ever launched. It boasted a 162-MHz StrongArm 110 processor, 8MB of masks ROM and 8MB of RAM (4MB of DRAM and 4MB of flash RAM).
Whereas primitive by in the present day’s requirements, its 16-level grayscale, backlit LCD show — providing a 480-by-320 decision with 100 dpi — was superb for its time.
The Newton’s use of synthetic intelligence additionally drastically improved by the point the MessagePad 2100 got here round. It did issues like present contextual consciousness of what an individual was writing. The system’s oft-criticized handwriting-recognition characteristic additionally labored higher than ever by this level.
Newton Inc.’s solely product
As one final be aware of trivia, the MessagePad 2100 grew to become the one Newton launched by Newton Inc., an Apple spinoff firm. (Jobs rapidly jettisoned it after he returned, too.)
Did you personal a Newton MessagePad 2100? Depart your feedback beneath.
