NewtNews - 10.17.94 - 0114
==========================
by Steve Holden (sholden@nosc.mil)

This is a summary of the information that I come in contact with
that deals with the Newton and related technologies.

NewtNews is Copyright 1994 Steve Holden. See the Administrivia at
end.

Table of Contents
-----------------
 1. email
 2. comp.sys.newton.misc 
 3. comp.sys.newton.programmer 
 4. Edupage 10/9/94 
 5. MacWeek, 10.10.94 
 6. InfoWorld, October 10, 1994 
 7. Edupage 10/11/94 
 8. CompuServe Magazine, October 1994 
 9. MUST READS! 
10. User Groups 
11. Product and Service Information 
12. The MessagePad Appointments That Will Not Die! 
13. Comments from the Editor 
14. Administrivia

email
-----
* RUMORS RUMORS RUMORS
    Apple does have a complete product line of Newtons in
the wings.  Expect some pretty cool stuff in the future that
is not made by Apple, but sold with the Apple/Newton logo.
	Apple is really pushing the Newton in the medical field. The
applications can range from Medical calculator to reference
sources to complete access to patient records.  Expect more and
more news in the future about the Newton and medicine.
	The price of the Newton Toolkit still is getting a lot of rumors.
The $99 price is mentioned a lot and from a wide number of
sources.  Either everyone in the world is rehashing NewtNews
rumors, or a price change is on the horizon.
	A major project at Argonne National Lab is brewing. It seems
that quite a large number of scientists could be using Newtons
for a wide variety of purposes.
	
* COMPLETE PALM COMPUTING CONTACT INFO
    You can reach Palm Computing, makers of Graffiti, at
800.881.7256. If you want information about Graffiti or any other
Palm product please send mail to (info@palm.com). Palm's
technical support staff can be reached at (support@palm.com).
A NewtNews Reviewer has a beta and will be preparing a report
soon.
        
* 13 INDEPTH REFERENCE BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE
    Iverson Software now has a series of thirteen helpful glossaries
which cover many occupational areas. The new Newton books are:
Chemistry Terms, Computer Terms, Dance Terms, Engineering Terms,
Geology Terms, Heating & Electrical Terms, Investment Terms,
Legal Terms, Literary Terms, Music Terms, Philosophical Terms,
Physics Terms, and Real Estate Terms.
	The cost of each package is $10.00 (includes S&H). Orders may
be sent to Iverson Software Co., P0 Box 3, Rice Lake WI
54868-0003. For more information, Jeff Iverson can be reached at
715.236.7918 or by email at (J5rson@eworld.com).
	        
* HENRY NORR, ALEX BENNETT, & MAGICLINK
    In NewtNews_10.10.94, NewtNews wrote that David Simerly
(Beowulf2@eworld.com) was in agreement with a previous article by
Henry Norr in MacWeek.  This was only partially true, because
MacWeek didn't print the entire Letter to the Editor. Here is the
paragraph you missed:
    "Regarding Mr. Norr's final complaints about the Newton, I can't
say that I totally disagree (heck, I already want more speed from
my PowerMac!). However, if you compare the Newton MessagePad to
its competition in the same price range, then I think you'll
quickly agree that the Newton's a much better product.  And as
far as handwriting recognition goes, all I can say to Mr. Norr
is: try the competition on for size.  I rarely have to correct my
Newton these days, and unlike Mr. Norr, I write entirely in
cursive.  From my own experience with Newton, I would say that if
Mr. Norr's MessagePad has trouble reading his handwriting, then
so would his friends and colleagues.  I wonder if he also calls
them 'far from adequate'?"  
    In the same message, David passing along this information that
seems pretty interesting: "And regarding the Sony MagicLink: as
a long time listener of the Alex Bennett morning show on Live 105
(KITS 105.3 FM), I was concerned to hear Alex touting the
benefits of the MagicLink and criticizing the Newton just about
every morning during the week of the MagicLink's release.  So I
sent a message to Alex at (BENCOM@AOL.COM), in the hope of
clarifying his misperceptions of the Newton and letting him know
what a useful device it has been to me.  I received a one line
reply from Alex that read: 'They don't advertise so screw 'em.' I
think Alex has pretty much summed up what may be the success of
the Sony device and the failing of Apple's Newton -- big
marketing bucks."
    
* APPLE FELLOWS LIST CORRECTED
    NewtNews was corrected by "People in the Know at Apple" (PKA).
NewtNews reported that the following people were the only Apple
Fellows: Steve Capps, Alan Kay, Andy Herzfield, Bill Atkinson,
and Don Norman.
    The PKA says the current Apple Fellows are: Steve Capps, Alan
Kay, Don Norman, and Gary Starkweather. Former Apple Fellows
include: Al Alcorn, Bill Atkinson, Rich Page, and Steve Wozniak.
Interesting that Andy Herzfield wasn't in the list, and that
NewtNews totally missed Steve Wozniak.
    The PKA is semi-anonymous so that people don't bother them with
email so they can finish NewtonOS 2.0.

comp.sys.newton.misc
--------------------
* LONDON APPLEEXPO BIG ON NEWTONS
    JC Bousson (JC@easynet.co.uk) reports on his trip to the London
AppleExpo. JC wrote, "I was amazed to see so much stuff
concerning the Newton. There was a lot of small companies showing
specialized software products."
    "One that you're going to love (if you live in the UK) is an
Internet provider for the Newton (E-mail, Newsgroups,
Conferences, & more later). If you want more info contact Imago
On-Line Services (info@imago.com). They provide a FirstClass
Retriever."
    "It was so nice to see some activity on the Newton front (last
month I was at AppleExpo Paris and it was pretty depressing
Newton-wise)."

* MAKE $3 OFF A NEWTON SALE?!?
    Mike Callaghan (mikec@mv.mv.com) had one of the most interesting
posts as far as NewtNews is concerned because it gives us
armchair Newton salesmen a perspective on the real world.  Here
it is:
	"Last August (1992) when the Newton came out, we were the only
dealer in the country with them the first week. We had about 1100
of them at MacWorld, Boston. We sold them all for $900 each. Out
of that amount, the salesman made $20. Not too bad, considering
the price of the unit.  Now, however, a MP110 sells for $547. Now
the salesman makes less than $3 selling it."
	"Things are changing for the better [though]. Apple is now
starting to provide training and incentives for its sales reps.
This applies (as far as I know) to the computer dealers, not the
"we-sell-tvs-and-refrigerators stores." We can buy Newtons really
cheap. We were all given really cool Newton jackets (I'm wearing
mine now - it's cold in this store!). We have software now. We
have a real demo. There's even talk of our company giving each
salesman a Newton with the price list and a quote system on it.
That way we'll be able to write up an official quote on the sales
floor, take it to the laserwriter and print it. "
	    
comp.sys.newton.programmer
--------------------------
* "SCRAPBOOK" SOUP STANDARD 
    Robert Stone (stone@phoenix.cs.uga.edu) has proposed "A Common
Storage Facility for Standardized Data Objects on Apple's
Newton(TM) PDA Platform."
    Here is the abstract: "There is a need for a common facility
that allows different software packages on a Newton platform to
access standard types of data objects. An example of such an
object is a graphic image, which the user might wish to utilize
within multiple programs.  The proposed solution is to use a
standardized "scrapbook-type" union soup in which any program may
store and retrieve these data objects.  Such a system would solve
this problem by removing the need for application-specific
storage of "generic" data.  Comments from those who this would
concern, namely Newton developers and technical support staff,
are needed regarding the implementation and the general idea."
    If you are interested in seeing the complete draft please send
Robert email. He can also be reached by phone at 706.549.7620.

* NS BASIC ADDS SPEED, FUNCTIONS IN NEW RELEASE
	NS BASIC Corporation announced that it is shipping release 1.10
of NS BASIC. Designed for the Newton, NS BASIC is an
implementation of the well-known BASIC programming language. The
new release runs 2.7 times faster, with significant reductions in
memory usage by programs.
    New features include expanded serial communications, user
defined functions and a developer's version of RunTime NS BASIC.
Numerous smaller changes throughout the software are designed to
make the language more powerful and easier to use.
    The new release is available at no charge to all registered
users and will be mailed or electronically distributed over the
next week. Together with the new release, a revised manual is
being made available. Changes to the 180 page manual include the
new features as well as new sections on beginning and advanced NS
BASIC programming techniques. Examples are provided throughout.
Loadable sample code is also provided.
    NS BASIC is available directly for $99.00 from NS BASIC
Corporation at 416.264.5999 or sending email to (gh@hookup.net).

Edupage 10/9/94
---------------
* MEETING OF THE MINDS AT APPLE AND IBM
    Officials at Apple and IBM are huddling over how to speed up
development of a common computer that will run both Macintosh and
Windows software. A common computer platform would solve one of
the biggest problems faced by both companies -- how to motivate
software developers to continue writing programs for Mac and OS/2
operating systems. Together, Apple and IBM have about 20% of the
global PC market. Some industry observers are skeptical, however,
that the two rivals can set aside their differences: "When two
competing companies with two different (platforms) say they are
going to get together, just laugh in their face," says a
securities analyst. (Wall Street Journal 10/7/94 A3)
    
* LIFE IS SHORT AND THEN YOU INTRODUCE A NEW PRODUCT 
    Product lifetimes are shrinking, as competitors pressure
innovators by offering imitations of successful, high-margin
products. Panasonic now replaces electronic consumer products on
a 90-day cycle (with older models going to discounters), and the
big Japanese car makers are aiming to offer new models every two
years. (New York Times, Money, p.9)
    
* WHERE DOES TECHNOLOGY $$$ GO?
    An Information Week survey of 500 large companies shows the
average firm spends 40% of its technology budget on staff, 22% on
hardware, and almost 13% each on software and telecommunications.
The respondents predicted they'd be spending nearly a fifth of
their budget this year on client-server technology. The survey
also revealed a lot of turnover in information technology staff
-- the average CIO tenure is just three years and four months.
(Information Week 10/10/94 p.30)

MacWeek, 10.10.94
-----------------
* FRONT PAGE ARTICLES
    "Good news and bad news for Macs at corporate sites;" "Apple, IBM
aim at PPC Unity;" "Photoshop retouches image with new palettes,
layers;" Now Up-to-Date 3 will track people, places and things;"
and "MacTools recovers from RAM."
    
* MAGIC LINK BLURB
    There is the 'standard' Sony Magic Link article and picture on p.
28. No 'new' information in the article that haven't already been
hashed out.  There is a good description of the interface in the
article though. Contact Sony at 800.556.2442 for more information.
    
* PAGENOW GETS UPDATE
	Mark/Space Software updated their PageNOW! 1.0 program that will
let  a desktop machine send a page to any alphanumeric pager
(includes Newton with MessageCard).  The application is
scriptable, costs $79, and works with a lot of communications
packages. Contact 408.293.7299 or send email to (mspace@netcom.com).
(p. 28)

* "NEWTON BEAT" ON PAGE 28
	RoundTable by Avalon will be a group scheduler for the Newton.
You will be able to do peer-to-peer scheduling with a facilitator
using NewtonMail. Release is expected by early 1995. Contact
617.247.7668 or (avalon1@eworld.com)
    Message Manager by Ohgi-One Software provides a Newton user with
a tool to quickly enter caller information.  An upgrade to
version 2.0 is expected by 11/94. Contact 206.944.8183 or
(ohgi1@eworld.com).
    HealthCare Communications has released a bug fix to FilePad. The
latest version is now 1.0.1. The update is free and allows for
AppleTalk connectivity, faster data transfers, interface to bar
coding, and general UI fixes.  Contact 402.489.0391 or
(lance_hcc@aol.com).
    Dyno NotePad has also been updated to version 1.0.1 It fixes
known bugs and improves performance. The update is free. Call
StarCore at 800.708.7827 for more information.

* NORR GIVES A PARTING OPINION ON GRAFFITI
    Henry Norr (henry_norr@macweek.ziff.com) thinks that Graffiti,
even though not pure recognition, will be a hit because it
provides WYWIWYG (What You Write Is What You Get). [p. 42]
    NewtNews is still sitting on the fence with Graffiti. We have
tried the demos, and yes you do get WYWIWYG, but we'd like to do
some everyday testing in the NotePad or in Notion to be sure. We
have to wonder if Apple had done Graffiti at first would everyone
think the same as they do now. I can just imagine the horror back
in 1993 if Scully had said you have to learn a new alphabet to
use the Newton.  But any tool that may make the Newton better is
an asset we can't afford to pass up.
    
* TWO MORE POSITIVE NEWTON REPLIES
    On page 40 under the title "Norr's Second Decade spurs second
opinions of Newton" you will find two more positive opinion
articles about the Newton.  Tom Davey had his doubts that he
might have just bought a "$700 address book," but the latest round
of commercial and shareware packages have made his investment
much "more secure."  Richard Paul shares his story of replacing
his 6 pound aging PowerBook 140 with his now 10 month old Newton.
Richard thinks that "Apple is doing just fine."
    
* KNIFE HAS TWO GOOD NEWTON RUMORS ON PAGE 102
    The first is that Newton Source is planning to open up two West
Coast locations, one in LA, the other in San Fran. This must mean
that you can make some money selling Newtons and Newton stuff.
    The second is that Shane Robison, Newton division's chief
engineer, has been tapped to be the commander-in-chief of the PIE
Division.
    Send those rumors you have to (mac_the_knife@macweek.ziff.com),
you might get a MacWeek bug.  Then send your rumor to NewtNews
and your WILL get a thank you note.

InfoWorld, October 10, 1994
---------------------------
* MOTOROLA OR AT&T TO BUY APPLE
    The rumors of a pending sale of Apple to Motorola and AT&T were
everywhere last week.  The merger of Apple would probably cost
approximately $4.5 billion based on the current stock price.
    The reason for the Motorola rumors is because many top leaders
in each company have been apparently negotiating some major
licensing deals surrounding MacOS on Motorola's new PowerStack
PowerPC servers and a QuickTime based interactive cable system.
[p. 5]
    
* ADD-ONS TO MAGIC LINK QUICKLY FOLLOW INTRODUCTION
    Yvonne Lee has a big article on page 44 on Sony's Magic Link.
The article includes a picture.
    Some interesting tidbits from the article: AT&T's PersonalLink
is a scaled down version of AOL; the pager card costs $250; the
telephone headset is $80; a keyboard is available at $129; the
pager is linked to SkyTel, who is charging extra for email and
news; and $450 client/server development environment was released
by River Run Software.
    By the end of 1994, Sony is expecting: limited CompuServe
access, data access to PCs, a text processing application, and
forms generating application.
    You can reach Sony at 800.556.2442.
    
* ALSOP WANTS "PERSONAL" BACK IN PERSONAL COMPUTERS
    The first part of this article is about how there is indeed a
major difference in the way business sees computers and consumers
see computers. The business is not interested in new ideas or
technologies as quickly as consumers, thus business is slow to
look at CD-ROMs, or PDAs.  The key to Alsop is enjoyment, the
consumer looks to computers as something to enjoy, to make their
lives better. Business on the other hand see computers purely on
a spreadsheet level, with little regard for the employees'
enjoyment experience. This view unfortunately impacts new
technology in a hard way because it makes it harder to come to
market.  Alsop feels that we must focus on getting corporate
resources allocated to insure the employee has individual
productivity.
    The second part is a status report on how the Sony Magic Link is
working out.  The Magic Link seems to have been suffering from
lack of internal RAM and the high cost of the Sony PCMCIA RAM
cards.
    
Edupage 10/11/94
----------------
* BOUNTY HUNTERS TARGET SOFTWARE PIRATES
    The Business Software Alliance is offering the equivalent of
$3,900 to anyone in Britain who reports a company for using
unlicensed software. Starting November 1, operators will stand by
to answer calls to a toll-free Software Crimeline. It's
anticipated that most of the whistle blowers will be fired or
disgruntled workers who will seize this opportunity to get back
at their (former) employers. "It's horrendous! It almost seems
like the old East Bloc process of informing," says the chairman
of Computer Users of Europe. As half the software used in Britain
is thought to be unlicensed, the chances are good that some big
name companies will be nabbed. (Wall Street Journal 10/11/94 B7)
    
CompuServe Magazine, October 1994
---------------------------------
* FOCUS ON PORTABLE COMPUTING
    Cathryn Conroy (70007.417@compuserve.com) has an indepth
multi-page look at the current state of laptops to palmtops. The
focus is on mobile computing and people are using this mobile
technologies.
    The Newton coverage overall is pretty good considering how many
other products and solutions exist.  As far as CompuServe and PDA
connectivity goes, CompuServe currently only has an application
for the GEOS based Sharp PT-9000 and Casio Z-7000. They have
plans for Magic Cap and WinPad OS.
    The article ends with a look at how Ted Anderson of Allentown,
PA uses his MP110 in his freelance photography company. Ted
relies on "90% handwriting recognition," and the Newton's drawing
and sketching tools to organize all parts of his busy job and
keep his schedules up-to-date. (Pages 10-19)
    
MUST READS!
-----------
* _Intelligent Newton Magazine_, September/October 1994. 
    New shareware reviewed: NewtonMail Extensions Modules, Tibbott's
Bookcase, BooksOff, NewtCase, TimeCalc, BeamMeUp, End n' Back,
OnSet, PEC Business Japanese Lessons, Guitar Tuner, and Isaac.
    Major articles discuss: Newton at 1: Alive and Kicking; Vertical
Applications: A Review of Three; Newton Book Maker: Custom Data
on Demand; Q&A; and Al Roker of NBC's Today Show is a Newton
user!
    Commercial products reviewed: LetterExpress, LetterExpress Link,
Tapworks, Money Magazine Financial Assistant, Connection Kit for
Windows 2.0,  QuickFigure Pro, Scrappy, Chesspad, Subversion,
Auto Adapter & X-Pack, CS Browser, Newton Data Viewer,
Programming for the Newton, FirstClass Retriever, CE Software's
EnRoute, Time Out London Guide, Berlitz Five Language
Interpreter, Message Central, DietLog, TimeToGo/WakeUp!,
Motile/Cogio, and Gold Tee at Bighorn.
    Also, make sure you check out "Just In" on page 17 for the
latest scoops! And "Extras" on page 12-13 for the latest trends!
    Contact IN Magazine at (inmagazine1@eworld.com) or
415.433.2755.
    
* _PIE Developers_, Volume 2.5, September 1994 
    Reviews on: FilePad, Digital Ocean Grouper 100MP, newPage,
NewRTFM, QuickFigure Pro, Gulliver, and ScriptLink.
    Mark Wilson (markn@well.com) has a regular column called
"Wireless Watch." Topics discussed in this column include:
Motorola Envoy, AT&T EO, CDPD Update, FCC auction of the
airwaves, and Lotus Notes/Skytel wireless gateway debut.
    Articles on: Getting Objective: thoroughly object-oriented
NewtonScript; Building the Perfect Beast IV; Newton and the
PowerOffHandler; Patching the System; FCS: Classification and
Retrieval; Newton Dating: modifying the Date Book; Scrolling
Madness; and The Newton Operating System: Secret Internals of the
Newton OS.
    Check out the "PDA News" starting on page 2 for the latest
tidbits.
    Contact Steve Mann at 415.621.4252, 415.621.4922(fax) or email
at (cds@netcom.com).
          
* _Pen Computing_ , November 1994
    Features: _Pens to the Rescue_ by Richard Veith - "How the
National Cancer institute and Elizabeth General Medical Center in
New Jersey use pen tablets in the cancer war." _Status of
Handwriting Recognition_ by Tim Schimidt - "We are asking five
leading experts about the status and the future of this
beleaguered technology." David Noack looks at a project by
students at Carnegie Mellon to help local police. _Evolution of
Pen Computing_ by Lisa Stampfli - "A look at the rollercoaster
history of an enigmatic technology that promised to change the
world."
    Opinions: Editor C.H. Blickenstorfer looks at the current state
of pen computing. Andrew Seybold gives us the low down on PDA
news that you can use.  Bill Lempesis takes a look at the latest
in Newton trends but has to wonder if IBM or Microsoft will end
up dominating.  Finally, Ronald Wooldridge introduces the idea of
"SwimPad."
    PenNews: John Wilmot looks at "Mobile computing, mobile
software, and wireless communications."
    PenLabs: Digital Ocean Grouper, Pocket Hard Disk, Toshiba T200
Super Tablets, and IBM Thinkpad 730T.
    New Products: HP OmniShare, Sharp PT-9000, AST-2300, Dauphin
DTR-2, and HyperBook 320.
    Big Reviews: (All Newton Products!) TrueNorth's Gulliver, Letter
Express, TimeReporter, and Fingertip for Golf.  Mini Reviews:
Accountable, MessageCentral, Great Meetings, NS BASIC, Gold Tee
at Big Horn, Llama DOS, and ChessPad.
    Mobile: Nigel Ballard gives us even more news and tidbits about
the PDA world.  Marty Mankins give you his views on what the
Newton has to do to grow and prosper.
    Development: Daniel Mezick takes a look at Microsoft Visual
Basic as a primary pen development environment.
    Personalities: Pen Computing interviews Pete Snell of
MobileSoft.
    Book Reviews: _Presenting Magic Cap - A Guide to General Magic's
Revolutionary Communicator Software_, _PDA Playhouse - The
Interactive Book of Personal Digital Assistants_, and _Joy of
Cybersex_.
    Contact Nigel Ballard (Nigel@dataman.demon.co.uk) if you'd like
to get subscription information.

User Groups
-----------
* STANFORD NEWTON USER GROUP (SNUG)
    Meets at 7 pm on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month
at the Printer's Inc Bookstore Cafe, 310 California Ave, Palo
Alto. Contact (FlaSheridn@rahul.net) or 415.462.9203 for more
info.
    
* SAN DIEGO NEWTON USER GROUP (SDNUG)
	Meets at 7 pm every third Thursday.  Location changes. Send 
email to Alex Tosheff (alex@c3ot.saic.com) or Steve Holden
(sholden@nosc.mil) for location information.
	
Product and Service Information
-------------------------------
* SOLAR CHARGING FOR NEWTONS. Mention Newton_News and get 30% off
SRP of a Sun Runner, solar charging unit for all MessagePads.
That makes the price either $139 or $111 for a Sun Runner (two
models available). Add $5 S&H and you'll have an unlimited power
source for your Newton! Call 800.327.6882 or send e-mail to
(KISS4@aol.com).

* WriteWare offers multi-function pen/styluses, and retrofits 
for the Newton. The Stealth Stylus II is a dual function
Pen/Stylus while the Super Stealth Stylus is a Pen/Stylus/Pencil
in either plastic or metal case. Email (WriteWare@eWorld.com) for
a full catalog and pricing. Orders may be placed at International
DataWares, Inc. at 800.222.6032.

* The BARRIER, screen protection system engineered specifically for
the Newton Message Pads. Features: long life, glare reduction,
improved writing surface, no adhesives, easy installation. For
more information: Email: (Mellow.S@eworld.com) Call: 800.882.8382;
Fax: 505.662.2752. Package of 4 ($21.95 + $2.50 S&H)

* Special Newton Classic special offer.  Mention "Newton_News" 
and I will discount to $245 (includes shipping in US) - 
normally $259.  VISA/MC accepted. E-mail: Mike Rybinski 
(p00383@psilink.com) or call/fax for details 703.644.4516: 
MR Associates Int.
        
* Special Newton Software Offer. Mention "Newton_News" and we will 
give you $5 off any Coherent Visual software product! Available: 
Rahmel Utilities for Newton, Common Words, and Spanish FlashCards.
VISA/MC accepted. E-mail: Coherent Visual (cvisual@cerf.net) or 
call/fax for FREE catalog 619-944-8973, fax: 619-944-8522. 

* Mention "Newton_News" when ordering Clear Lake Research's
ChessPad and receive a 25% discount off the SRP of $69.95.
ChessPad is a combination of a digital chess book and a portable
chess set. It contains 28 annotated games from the greatest
players of all time and 100 chess problems. Demos on AOL, eWorld,
and CompuServe. Phone: 713.663.7513; email: (DavidL62@AOL.COM).

* BBS in a Box, by the Arizona Mac Users Group, is a Macintosh CD
which also contains Newton files - over 270 files (11 megs
compressed). There is also an ISO version which can be mounted on
a PC. Newton_News readers can get the CD for $45 plus shipping.
E-mail (ashley@amug.org) or call 602.553.0066.

* QuickFigure Pro Gives You the Power of Visualization:
QuickFigure Pro is the ONLY Newton spreadsheet which allows you
to create graphs and charts directly from your spreadsheet data.
Create line, bar, and pie charts, and then print and fax them.
From PelicanWare, Inc., $39 plus S&H. Email (donv@teleport.com)
for more details, or 800.655.6398 for ordering. 
  
* The WEDGE, a desk stand for your PDA and pen. Features: holds your
PDA at a convenient working  angle, keeps your pen handy, sleek
lines,  made of durable clear Lucite, inexpensive.  For more
information: Email: (Mellow.S@eworld.com) Call: 800.882.8382; Fax:
505.662.2752. [$15.95 + $4 S&H]

* PDA Panache has fine styli available for both the Original MP
and MP110.  Our Telescoping110 pen is available in either 24K
gold or sterling silver for $29.95.  Original MP styli are
available in aluminum for $9.95 or gold (polished or brushed) for
$19.95. We can be reached for Visa/MasterCard orders at:
800.270.7196, FAX:516-467-6329 or email (PDAPanache@eworld.com)

The MessagePad Appointments That Will Not Die!
---------------------------------------------- 
by Richard C.S. "Doc" Kinne (kinnerc@snymorva.cs.snymor.edu)

    We all know of bugs that bring our machines to their knees
without warning. These kinds of bugs are famous because when they
happen everything stops. There are, of course, other bugs that
aren't so flashy. They remain hidden for some time until one day
they rise up to bite someone. Such is the case regarding a small
bug currently hiding in the Newton Operating System.
    Part of the Newton MessagePad's Date function is to allow you to
schedule appointments. This may be the MessagePad's most useful
function for most of its users. Most of these reminders are
scheduled; they are appointments and meetings tied to a specific
day and time. There is a way, however, to create an appointment
on a specific day that is not linked to any time but rather to
the full day itself. These reminders show up facing the monthly
calendar in the upper left hand corner of the screen in the
MessagePad's Date mode. The most useful function of this feature
is to set up reminders to events such as birthdays,
anniversaries, and whole day (or multi-day) events. The bug in
question lies with the deletion of these types of reminders.
    After you've been adding appointments to your MessagePad for
some time you'll want to delete what has taken place in the past
to make room for the future. The memory in the MessagePad is,
after all, a scarce resource. Bringing up the MessagePad's delete
slip will allow you to delete all appointments whose age is
greater than a user definable amount of days. After confirming
the age of the appointments you wish to delete the MessagePad
will churn for a few seconds and all of your appointments x days
in the past will vanish as they should! Or will they?
    It turns out that the reminders you put in the upper left hand
corner of each day, the "full day" area, are still there. Their
appears to be no way to delete them except individually. Since
these types of reminders don't show up on the monthly graphical
calendar as the other daily scheduled appointments do this may be
a bit of a problem.
    In discussing the situation with Apple Technical Support I was
able to confirm that the bug did indeed exist and that Apple
engineers were aware of the problem. The bug has been there from
the start and is present in all Newton MessagePads currently in
use. According to Apple a fix is being worked on, but there is no
time-table as to when it will be available. They indicated,
however, that they did not intend to correct the problem with
regards to deleting past repeating appointments in the "full day"
area because of the way the Newton operating system handles them.
Apparently, according to Apple Technical Support, when you set up
a repeating appointment such as a birthday or anniversary the
Newton sets an "anchor" on the first day that you entered the
event. If that first event "anchor" is deleted it will cause
problems for all future incidents of the event as well.
    In an experiment I conducted with my MessagePad 110 after my
interview with Apple Technical Support I found that their
explanation of Apple's inability to delete repeating appointments
didn't quite ring true. I set up a repeating appointment for
12:00 from the beginning of September through the month of
October. I then deleted all appointments greater than 15 days old
from the current date. The first few of my test lunch
appointments should have been deleted, if all worked as
advertised, but I interpreted Apple's explanation to mean that
I'd run the risk of loosing future appointments as well since I'd
be deleting the first "anchor" appointment I'd scheduled. In the
end everything did work properly. The appointments that should
have been deleted were, and the repeated appointments that
should have stayed did. I found myself wondering why appointments
in the "full day" area should behave any differently than any
other area, but based on this admittedly quick experiment I would
call on Apple to fix the "full day" appointment area so that its
entries behave correctly as the rest of the appointments do.
    Except for individually deleting these events either on the
MessagePad itself or via the Connection Kit, Apple could offer no
other work around at this time.
    Is this a serious bug that could damage the usability of the
unit? Unless you have an inordinate number of repeatable full day
appointments, I don't think so. The undeleted appointments will
take up some memory, true, but I've been quite impressed with the
efficiency of the MessagePad's memory usage. The value of knowing
this bugs existence is as a possible pointer and explanation if
your MessagePad displays unusual behavior when deleting
appointments down the road.

Comments from the Editor
------------------------
* APPLE NEEDS TO ADVERTISE NOW MORE THAN EVER
	Have you been watching TV lately? While NewtNews doesn't spend
much time in front of the TV, when we do, all we see is IBM and
COMPAQ ads that should be Apple ads.  I can't wait until Sony,
Panasonic, Motorola, Microsoft, etc. ... get started with what
should be Apple Newton ads.  Things need to change very fast, or
all the little battles we seem to be winning right now, will not
mean much when the war wipes us out.
	
* NEW SECTION FOR USERS GROUP
	NewtNews noticed that Newton User Groups need a home. So we have
created a space for them near the end of NewtNews. I hope the
space increase won't be too much for people to bare.  Please send
me mail to get a small (3-4) line blurb in NewtNews about your
User Group.
	
Administrivia
-------------
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Please read it. It will tell you about the email listserver and
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Disclaimer:  I am doing this on my own time, and on my own computer 
***********  not the government's or my employer's.


