TUAW Retro Giveaway Part 1: Newtonian artifacts and the web in '96

I don't remember the Newton much, but I think it paved the way for the iPhone, itself a great memory.

My only "Newton memory" was of a colleague at Cyrix who used to tell me often how wonderful the Newton was and all the reasons it didn't do as well as one could have hoped. Nevertheless he kept on using it. I'd like one to play with too!

My favorite Newton memory: Learning at the age of 12 that such things existed.

My favourite Newton memory is of a friend recording a voice memo on my MessagePad 2000 while his at the time girlfriend, now wife giggled along in the background. Afterwards she drew a picture as part of the note with her hand and a wedding ring on her finger. Awwww! :-)

We have a Newton eMate and used it instead of a laptop for word processing in the car while on trips while my wife was driving. I think the batttery life was over 20 hours! It would be great fun to try a real Newton!

I've always wanted one!

My favorite memory was shortly after my first Newton 2100 died. Luckily, I was able to still find information on the Apple website and sent it in for repair along with my check for $155, I believe. A few weeks later, I received a brand new Apple 2100. At the time, I was self employed and really didn't have a lot of money. I used my Newton as my office. My brother allowed me to use his dial-up internet, and at the time Yahoo gave free access to your e-mail. So, all my clients could e-mail me their questions, or send me an e-mail requesting my time. I didn't have a cell phone back then. When a client needed a quote, I would quickly draft one up and fax it over to them with my Newton. I was also corresponding a lot, so, I used it at various restaurants, as well as when I was at home to write to my friends and when I got home, I would print them off on my brother's HP 5P, which had an IR port. The unit helped me a lot and I am still hard pressed to give it away or sell it.

I never owned a newton but would love to get one!

My favourite memory has to be going to a job interview, pulling out my 2100 and the interviewer going gaga over it, "Is that... a Newton?!!" We talked geek for about 10 minutes, totally forgetting the interview.

Later I got offered the job.

I remember seeing one in the hands of a guy standing in front me in line at a movie theater. He was telling a friend of his that it was such and awesome device that he was making it his main computer. I was both insanely jealous and ecstatic to happen to be standing there the moment the future arrived.