

NewtNews - 12.05.94 - 0121
==========================

by Steve Holden (sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us)

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. InfoWorld, November 28, 1994
 4. MacWeek, 11.28.94
 5. MacUser, January 1995
 6. Edupage 11/27/94
 7. Edupage 11/29/94
 8. Edupage 12/01/94
 9. The HiTek Report, Vol 1 - Number 18, December 5, 1994
10. iNews
11. MUST READS!
12. Product and Service Information
13. Comments from the Editor
14. Administrivia

email
-----

* MICROSOFT STOPS WINPAD DEVELOPMENT

    Microsoft made a statement last week that it has stopped its
efforts, and is starting over on its PDA operating system, called At
Work for Handhelds and code-named "WinPad." Some factors may include:

    1. Windows95 is slipping, thus Microsoft want to throw more
       programmers at it.  This basically means the WinPad team is
       being transferred.

    2. At Work for Handhelds was rumoured to be based around an
       environment somewhat like Visual Basic, and on a 486 chip
       it wasn't fast enough.

    3. The WinPad OS needed more than 1 MB of memory,

    4. The Polar chip set was rejected by hardware makers,

    5. The expected cost of the WinPad machines was more than $1,000
       and was considered to be too high for the market.

Some possible outcomes of this announcement:

    1. IBM is even more likely to have Newton as the OS on their
       603-based PDA.

    2. All current WinPad projects will either stop immediately, or
       they'll try to convert themselves to either Newton or
       MagicCap OS.

    3. The death of the Newton and Magic Cap when WinPad hits the
       market is not going to happen. :-)

* NEWTON ON TV

    Our favorite PDA has been seen on a number of TV shows lately. The
Simpsons had a reportedly very fun couple of second blurb last week.
The new doctor on Northern Exposure uses a Newton for his medical
practice.  And the Newton has also been used on the sci-fi
M.A.N.T.I.S show.

* GAIA SHIPS PERSONAL MEDIA

    Gaia has begun shipping its Personal Media software, an environment
for Apple Newton-compatible personal digital assistants (PDAs).
Personal Media for the Newton provides a more natural working
environment for the capture, organization and communication of
information on handheld devices.

    With Personal Media, Newton owners can create multiple workspaces
upon which paper-like notepads can be created and freely arranged on
screen -- a first for Newton software.  Personal Media gives Newton
owners the freedom to scale and organize information visually, laying
it out to suit their personal style. When working in Personal Media,
users view information in context and can therefore work with it more
productively.

    "Most people using the Newton today find it attractive for tracking
contacts and to-dos, but discover they need an environment that lets
them handle a larger working context of information.  Add Personal
Media, and the Newton becomes the ideal means of capturing and
dealing with information on the fly -- whether it is client and
project notes or e-mail," said Craig Fisk, president and chief
executive officer of Gaia Software. "Personal Media turns the Newton
into a true handheld information and communications assistant."

    Personal Media is currently available for the Newton on disk
(Windows and Macintosh formats) and on a 1MB SRAM PCMCIA card.
Suggested retail is $189 on disk and $239 on PCMCIA card.  The
software can be ordered by calling 1-800-784-8758 or by sending an
electronic mail message to info@gaia.com. Through December 31, 1994,
Gaia is offering introductory prices of $99 and $149.

    Gaia Software's mission is to create a common environment for all
handheld personal information and communication devices.  Gaia's
first product, Personal Media for the Newton, provides a more natural
working environment for the capture, organization and communication
of information.

    For more information contact: Keven Boyett, 503.226.8580 or
(info@gaia.com)

* WRITEWARE ANNOUNCES NEWTON USERS' GROUP DISCOUNTS

    WriteWare is pleased to announce a new policy to allow PDA Users'
Groups a discount on all WriteWare products by means of a group
purchase. The excellent pen/styluses produced by WriteWare will be
discounted on purchases exceeding $150, when an order is received
from a representative of the Users' Group. Discount rates on group
purchases will increase with the order amount that the Users' Group
can put together.

    WriteWare has a line of dual function pen/stylus pens which gives
the user a choice between an ink pen or a stylus with a simple twist
of the cap. The Stealth Stylus line of dual pen/stylus writing
instruments are priced from $17.95.

    WriteWare produces a complete line of stylus replacements that will
replace the ink cartridge in your current writing instrument.
S.N.A.P. (Stylus Not A Pen) inserts fit many popular types of pens.
By simply removing the ink cartridge from the pen of your choice,
then inserting the correct S.N.A.P. stylus, your pen is now ready for
use as a stylus.

    WriteWare will allow one person from the Users' Group to handle all
of the order details to receive the substantial discounts for the
group. WriteWare will accept a single order ($150 minimum) in the
form of a check, money order or credit card.

    Contact: WriteWare by voice at 408.295.4217, by fax at
408.295.1951, or by email at (WriteWare@eWorld.com)

comp.sys.newton.misc
--------------------

* SPINDLER THINKS NEWTON IS A NOVELTY

    Wayne Papy (wpapy@slip.net) reports to the Internet about a New York
Times article of December 1 interviewing Michael Spindler:

    "He (Spindler) said he had steered Apple away from novelties like
the Newton Messagepad and back toward its core business, pursuing new
paths only if they related directly to Apple's basic products."

* THE MAGIC NEWTON PRICE POINT

    Carl "The Provoker"  (bucwheat@eden.rutgers.edu) posted the
following message to the Internet:

    "I just got a Newton 100 last week.  Got it used with a 2 MB flash
card and WCK 2.0 and Dyno NotePad all for $300.  Good deal I think.

    "Anyway, I brought it into work today.  You'd be amazed at how many
people want one now.  These are normal everyday people.  They love
all the things that it can do.  These are people who can't stand
computers and don't know a thing about Windows or Macs.  But they
took my Newton and within a few minutes figured out everything they
needed to be able to use it regularly.  The reason they really loved
it was that I told them they could get it for $199 new and probably
less used.  Then I told them that the other model the 110 goes for
$599 and they all said forget it.

    "I myself was amazed at this.  I'm pretty much the gadget man at
work and always bring in new toys to test out at work and on the
"normal" people (technologically illiterate).  This is the first toy
ever to gain this much attention.

    "If Apple wants to spread the Newton, price it right!  Does the
Newton hardware really go for $400 or so?  How much are they making
in profit off the sale of one 110?  I think I sold at least 4 100's
if they could still find them for $199.

    "Apple has something special in the Newton.  They should keep the
100 as the low end model to compete with the little organizers out
from Casio and such. They'll still be high-end compared to the Casio.
The new MP120 or the Newton OS 2.0 model can compete with the
MagicLink and Envoy.

    "Just wanted to share some thoughts on the Newton.  I was truly
amazed at the response from everyone in my office today!"

InfoWorld, November 28, 1994
----------------------------

* FRONT PAGE ARTICLES

    Going Mobile - Developers are on the move with new tools geared for
on-the-road applications; Third party, third rate? Does out-sourced
support leave end-users in the lurch; Pentium Woes continue: Faulty
FPU flubs math in certain equations; Multi-threading [Pentium] gets
lost on P100 systems; Product Comparison: Ink-Jet Printers; Erwin
(data modeling) upgrade expands its horizon; and PC venders slow down
product revs.

* MCCAW GETS CDPD OUT TO CONSUMERS

    If you live in Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami,
or New York then you can get CDPD service that enables 19.2Kbps
cellular IP networking.  By the Summer of 1995, McCaw expects to be
able to service 30% of the US population. Contact McCaw at
206.827.4500 for more info. [p. 56]

MacWeek, 11.28.94
-----------------

* FRONT PAGE ARTICLES

    More Macs to open Windows; Apple servers will cross platforms with
March clients; Add-ons to boost speed as Apple boards PCI bus;
Acrobat 2 sours to new heights - Adobe improves doc exchange; and
Copeland grapples with multitasking - New OS will protect independent
processes.

* MACWEEK ON THE WWW

    You can now get the lead story, its top reviews, Mac the Knife, and
other features to the WWW. Check out (http://www.ziff.com/~macweek).
You can also take a look at (http://www.ziff.com/~macuser) and
(http://www.ziff.com/~zmac). [p. 3]

* NEWTON AT COMDEX

    You had to fight the crowds to get to the Newton area in the Apple,
IBM, and Motorola's PowerPC tent according to MacWeek author Mark
Hall.  Apple and Newton developers were showing off vertical and
institutional solutions, along with a Type II PCMCIA cellular
interface, and NewtonScript running on a Windows machine.  There was
also a TCP/IP server demonstrated by Wayfarer Communications.

    Other items showed off by Apple include: PowerPC 604, and PCI based
PowerMacs, and PowerPC based PowerBook. [p. 4]

* NEW DATA COLLECTION TOOLS FOR NEWTON AND MAC

    Brand X Software is expected to ship its TabulaRasa, a paperless,
completely customizable, data collection tool for the Newton and
Macintosh. You can download the information collected on the Newton
to a database, spreadsheet, or the TabulaRasa server. The single-user
version will cost $249. The pricing for the server has not be
determined yet. There will be multiple licenses also available. You
can get more information by contacting (804.355.0374) or
(xperts@richmond.infi.net) [p. 14]

* INTERVIEW WITH PIE CHIEF ROBISON

    MacWeek's Andrew Gore has an indepth interview with Shane Robison,
the PIE VP.  Some of the most interesting information includes the
new focus by Apple that the Newton is the best personal organizer, is
a powerful computer, and an easy to use communicator.  The key to
1995 is more developers and more applications to showcase the Newton
technology.

    You can also expect compiled NewtonScript; possible C++
development; the break-out of the Newton BookMaker application from
the Toolkit; the ability for developers to use Apple's desktop
connectivity capabilities in their applications; there will be no
color Newton screen but "momentary back-lighting" is feasible; and
they are busy working on improving handwriting recognition [p. 14,
16]

MacUser, January 1995
---------------------

* AGENTS CAN MAKE APPLE SHINE

    Michael Swaine has an article on "agents" and what they mean to
users.  While AppleScript makes our lives easier today, it is not an
"agent." Michael is not sure if AppleScript will be able to
communicate with other systems to be a real agent technology. The
future is the all the 'Data on the Internet' and agents will most
likely be the key glue to making it all work. [p. 27]

Edupage 11/27/94
----------------

* ANYTIME, ANYWHERE COMMUNICATIONS

    IBM, AT&T, Apple Computer and Siemens AG have agreed to use common
technical standards for sending data over computer networks and phone
lines. "It's a tremendous growth opportunity as these two worlds --
telecommunications and computing -- come together," says one industry
executive. The companies will use existing industry standards, but
will modify when necessary to make their equipment and networks
compatible. Conspicuously missing from the accord -- Microsoft and
Intel. (Wall Street Journal 11/23/94 B6)

* PENTIUM FLAW HAS SOME SCIENTISTS STEAMED

    A defect in Intel's Pentium chip can cause computers to reach
incorrect answers in complex division problems that make use of the
chip's floating point processor. Intel says it discovered the problem
early last summer and has changed its production process to eliminate
it, but since its public disclosure in the Nov. 7 Electrical
Engineering Times, the Internet has been clogged with angry messages
from scientists and engineers who feel Intel has been a little too
cavalier in its response to the problem. "The chip is fine.
Statistically, the average person might see this problem once in
every 27,000 years," says an Intel spokesman. (Wall Street Journal
11/25/94 B4)

* NYNEX, BELL ATLANTIC SELL CELLULAR SERVICES TO SNET

    Southern New England Telecommunications Corp. just added 2.3 million
potential cellular subscribers, with its purchase of cellular
properties in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut from Nynex
and Bell Atlantic. The acquisition expands SNET's reach by 70%.
(Investor's Business Daily 11/23/94 A12)

Edupage 11/29/94
----------------

* SPRINT MAKES BIG PLAY IN WIRELESS AUCTION

    The Sprint Corporation -- in partnership with cable companies TCI,
Comcast, and Cox Communications -- has deposited $123.8 million in
preparation for next week's FCC auction of licenses to provide
wireless personal communications services (PCS). The next biggest
deposit was from AT&T ($78.38 million). The Sprint move puts it in a
position to bid on licenses covering about 80 percent of the total
U.S. population. (New York Times 11/29/94 C2)

* CRACKERS TARGET CORPORATE USERS

    Computer crackers used General Electric's Internet connection to
penetrate "firewalls" at GE facilities in two cities. GE confirmed
that the intruders browsed several NBC-related files, but apparently
caused no damage. In a more potentially serious incident, crackers
calling themselves the Internet Liberation Front posted a message
warning corporations that commercialization of the Internet will turn
it into a "cesspool of greed." The trespassers claimed they could
break into any computer on the Net. (Wall Street Journal 11/28/94 B5)
Meanwhile, 31% of the networks that make up the Internet some
commercial aspect, and there are 21,000 "storefronts" already set up
on the Net, according to the Internet Society. (Tampa Tribune
11/28/94 B&F3)

* SECURITY LAX AMONG TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS

    A recent survey of 1,250 technology managers shows that fewer than
25% consider information security to be extremely important,
significantly down from about 34% last year. "Budget and staff
shortages are way ahead of security worries at this time," says one
respondent. Nearly 60% blame lax security on lack of staff, and 55%
cite insufficient budgets to do a good job. "It's a classic dilemma
-- good security leads to no events, which in turn causes management
to cut the security budget," says another respondent. (Information
Week 11/28/94 p.34)

Edupage 12/01/94
----------------

SPINDLER SPEAKS HIS MIND

    Apple Chairman Michael Spindler warns against the vision thing,
saying that the consumers, and not industry executives, will decide
how technology will transform life in the 21st century. Spindler sees
no need for the highly touted Information Superhighway, and feels 60
channels are plenty. Taking on high-profile execs Bill Gates and Andy
Grove, Spindler says, "They believe that just because of the
technospeak it's going to happen, but it's not," and warns that
overhype will result in a backlash from disillusioned consumers.
Still, there's room for improvement and innovation in the computer
industry: "We still have to switch our computers on and off. We go to
the restroom, and when we leave it flushes automatically." (New York
Times 12/1/94 C2)

* GATES ON THE FUTURE

    "There are basically two domains were you can look to get a clue
about the future. One is what I call low-bandwidth interactive:
online services and the Internet. The second is high-bandwidth, the
sort of bandwidth you get with CD-ROM, which is much faster than
anything you get from online services. Too many people are having
this big debate about whether the future in home devices is going to
be more like the PC or the TV. The answer is you're going to have
both; people will have networks in their home, and the TV and PC will
be some of the many peripherals on that network." (Wired Dec.'94
p.166)

* JAPAN BRACES FOR SURGE IN PC BUYING

    In 1993, shipments of PCs in Japan totaled about 2.5 million, and
research group IDC Japan Ltd. estimates only 10% of Japanese owned
PCs, with only 13% of those networked. But as the reengineering craze
moves east, PC penetration among white collar workers is expected to
reach 50% by 1998. (Information Week 12/5/94 p.42)

* HOTEL PHONE SYSTEMS COULD BE LETHAL TO YOUR MODEM

    Workers on the go already have discovered that laptop communications
often don't work with the digital phone systems found in some hotels.
But now it appears just plugging your phone card into a wall jack can
"fry" a credit-card-style modem, according to Business Week. These
micromodems lack the mechanical relays that prevent larger models
from succumbing to the high voltages present on some digital systems.
(Business Week 12/5/94 p.15)

The HiTek Report, Vol 1 - Number 18, December 5, 1994
------------------------------------------------------

    RadioMail two-way EMail services has been introduced by RadioMail
Corporation to give mobile professionals with Windows notebook
computers wireless email access. Info: (415.286.7800) or Email:
(mark@radiomail.net). [#1468]

    GDT Softworks has three new products that enable Macintosh users
to print high-quality text and graphics to a wide variety of plotters
and sign cutters. Info: (800.663.6222). [#1477]

iNews
-----

    Motorola and Reuters have launched a pager service in Russia which
constantly displays price and political news.

    Sony's legendary chairman Akio Morita is stepping down nearly a
year after a stroke laid him low.

    Manpower Inc reports that US employers plan to add to their
workforces in the first quarter of 1995 at the fastest rate in five
years, with prospects strongest in the South and Midwest.

    Australia is planning on launching a surveillance satellite to
observe Asian defence buildups and also wants to begin laying seabed
sonar arrays to detect ships and submarines approaching it through
the Indonesian archipelago.

    Apple announced the appointment of Robin Abrams to the position
of VP and GM of Apple Far East.

    More and more hardware developers have announced their intent to
develop PCI products for Apple's second-generation Power Macintosh
systems.

    Do you do Quad Integrated Communications Controller (QICC)
applications?  If so, then Motorola's Microprocessor and Memory
Technologies Group is offering six new microcode Random Access Memory
packages which provide increased functionality for (QICC).

    There was 15 Korean companies exhibiting their wares at this years
COMDEX.

    Silicon Graphics has sold a $2 million supercomputer to China
National Petroleum Corp to use for oil and gas prospecting in
Xinjiang province.

    NYNEX Mobile Communications and Inacom have announced an agreement
that will provide mobile professionals with everything they need to
conduct business away from the office.

    Apple , AT&T, IBM and Siemens today announced they have formed
Versit, a global initiative to enable interoperability between
existing and emerging communication and information products. The
alliance should standardise the transmission of voice and data across
existing and future computer and communications platforms.

    Apple's PowerBooks were awarded the highest ranking notebook
computer brand in customer satisfaction, according to the  J.D Power
and Associates 1994 Notebook Computer End-User Satisfaction Study.

    Mitsubishi, Oki Electric Industry, Sanyo, and Cable & Wireless have
all joined the General Magic Alliance.

    HP now has a new series of in-circuit emulator probes that offer
full-speed debugging for the Motorola 68331, 68332, 68F333 or the new
68336 microcontrollers.

    Japan's largest long-distance carrier has thrown is weight behind
a European competitor to Motorola Inc.'s Iridium global cellular-
telephone system.

    Prodigy is now allowing consumers point-and-click access to the
Internet's World Wide Web.

    For more info about iNews contact INDIVIDUAL, Inc. at
800.414.1000.

MUST READS!
-----------

* _Intelligent Newton Magazine_, September/October 1994. See NewtNews
- 10.31.94 - 0117 for details on this issue. Contact IN Magazine at
(inmagazine1@eworld.com) or 415.433.2755.

* _PDA Developers_, Volume 2.5, Nov/Dec 1994. See NewtNews -
11.21.94 - 0119 - P2 for details on this issue.  Contact Steve Mann at
415.621.4252 or email at (cds@netcom.com).

* _Pen Computing_ , November 1994. See NewtNews - 10.31.94 - 0117 for
details on this issue.  Contact Nigel Ballard
(Nigel@dataman.demon.co.uk) if you'd like to get subscription
information.

Product and Service Information
-------------------------------

* 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)

* QuickFigure Pro is Connected: Beam a spreadsheet to a co-worker.
NewtonMail a price list to a customer. Copy your analysis to the
notepad, and integrate it into a letter. Export your sales order to
Excel or Lotus 1-2-3 on your Mac or Windows machine. QuickFigure Pro
has the right connections. From PelicanWare $49.95 plus S&H. Email
donv@teleport.com for more details. Call 800.655.6398 for ordering.

* Get GRAFFITI!  The fastest, most accurate way to enter text into
your Newton.  With Graffiti you can enter text at more than 30 words
per minute with nearly 100% accuracy.  Because Graffiti letters look
a lot like the ones you learned in first grade, you can become
proficient at Graffiti in just 20 minutes.  If you mention source
code NN1, we'll include a free PDA pen!  Call 800/881-PALM. $79+S&H.

* 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)

* 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]

Comments from the Editor
------------------------

* USER GROUPS

    The User Group section really started to grow, so to keep NewtNews
small for distribution, I have created a whole new document for User
Groups.  This means that there is more space available for User
Groups instead of the 3-4 lines I was trying to limit each group to.
Please send me your Newton User Group information and I'll
incorporate it into the document. I plan to post this to the email
list and Usenet News on a weekly basis.

* SMALL CHANGES

    I have opened up the text version of NewtNews a little bit.  I am
no longer running paragraphs and headers together.  It should make
reading NewtNews online a little bit easier.  It makes doing the html
books and Newton books much easier for me. Please let me know what
you think.

* NEWTON OS 2.0 RUMORS

    The Internet was just jumping with Newton OS 2.0 rumors.  I will try
to summarize all of them for next week's NewtNews. If you have
something to share, please send me email. Thanks!

* NEW FTP AND LISTSERVER HOME

    Bob and I have had it with our "non" service from netcom.com. The
email list was destroyed twice in less than six weeks, and many of
you have complained about not being to access the ftp site because of
netcom.com traffic.  Our new home is now io.com.  You can get to our
ftp site with the following URL
(ftp://io.com/pub/usr/btorres/NewtNews).  If you are already on the
mailing list then there is nothing for you to do. We have transferred
your membership.  If you'd like to subscribe for the first time, then
please send me mail and I'll send you the NewtNews_Info_v1.6 file.

Administrivia
-------------

    If you'd like to contribute some information that you have --
anonymously or not -- write to: (sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us) You
can also send any comments, corrections, reviews, or suggestions to
the address above.

    Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if full
credit is given. Others please contact me. NewtNews doesn't guarantee
accuracy of articles. Publication, product, and company names may be
registered trademarks of their companies. TidBITS is copyright
1990-1994 Adam & Tonya Engst (ace@tidbits.com). I think TidBITS is
great! If you have a Mac, then you should read TidBITS.

    To read the text version, use Easy View or any other setext browser
to read this as an outline. All versions of NewtNews: the text, the
Newton book and HTML version are now being published by Steve Holden
(sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us).

    You can anonymously FTP the latest and past issues of NewtNews in
both text and Macintosh Newton book format from
(ftp://io.com/pub/usr/btorres/NewtNews) This is the official home
of NewtNews. There is also a very useful document in this directory
called NewtNews_Info. Please read it. It will tell you about the
email listserver and other important information. The FTP site is
administered by Bob Torres (btorres@netcom.com).

    There is also a WWW site for NewtNews.  Use your favorite Mosaic
browser to check out:
(http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/NN_top.html)

Disclaimer:  I am doing this on my own time, and on my own computer
***********  not the government's or my employer's.

