Filed under: Cult of Mac, TUAW Business, Retro Mac, Apple History
TUAW Retro Giveaway Part 1: Newtonian artifacts and the web in '96
In the spirit of today's April Fool's/Apple birthday blasts from the past, we've got a giveaway prize pack that will remind us all of days gone by. [Yes, this is an actual giveaway, not a joke. -Ed.]Long before there was the iPhone, there was the little PDA that could: the Newton. While it may have sparked mockery and marketplace neglect in its original release, there are still thousands of loyal Newt users (our own Steve Sande among them) who crave the green glow of the touchscreen and the cold, firm feeling of the stylus in their hands.
If you want to join the chorus of Newton owners, here's a unique opportunity: win a mostly-functional (delivered as-is) MessagePad 130 that has been sitting in a box in Mike Rose's office for years now. The left side of the screen is wonky, but other than that it seems to be in working condition. Along with the MP130, you'll get a leather Newton case, a Fodor's 1994 Travel Guide card, a copy of the MessagePad 2000 manual, and a bonus: a copy of the 1996 World Wide Web Yellow Pages. This, friends, is what winning feels like.
See abbreviated rules below, and leave us a comment telling us your favorite Newton memory to enter!
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
- To enter leave a comment telling us your favorite Newton memory.
- The comment must be left before April 5, 11:59PM Eastern Time.
- You may enter only once.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prize: One copy of the MessagePad 2000 Manual, one copy of the 1996 World Wide Web Yellow Pages, one Newton MessagePad 130 with leather case & custom stylus (note: screen is not fully functional, prize delivered as-is), one Fodor's 1994 Travel Guide card for Newton (total value estimated at $100 -- no warranty included).
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 16)
sam said 5:38PM on 4-01-2009
I owned 2 newtons...the original one and a 120
the original one was stolen :-(
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brian said 5:37PM on 4-01-2009
I saw them out in the wild tho never got my hands on one. My favorite Newton memory is from The Simpsons:
"Beat up Martin" = "Eat up Martha."
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SteveB said 4:33AM on 4-02-2009
I always loved the Simpsons skit where one of the bullies is trying to enter text on the Newton...
staniks said 5:38PM on 4-01-2009
HAHAHHAHA no one wants it.
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Zane said 5:40PM on 4-01-2009
I barely remember the Newton being introduced, but I wanted one so bad.
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Gregory Homyak said 5:40PM on 4-01-2009
Hmm, a few years ago as a Mac tech at a local Apple Specialist I remember a customer called in and asked if we could come out and help him set up his Newton for Internet and printing to a network printer. That would have been a fun appointment to go to. :D
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Rich Frueh said 9:38AM on 4-02-2009
Depending on the Newton, not much difficulty. Not on the original, or the 120, but the 130 took an Ethernet card...
Charles Kirschner said 5:44PM on 4-01-2009
I have never seen one so I don't really have a memory of them.
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Kermit said 5:40PM on 4-01-2009
Oh, the newton.
I used to mess with one of my grade school teachers newton. That thing was fun, and kept little me happy
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Fernando said 5:41PM on 4-01-2009
Wow I'd love a new (lol) newton, now about my favorite memory? Playing with my friend's one and dragging snippets of text to the side of the screen ;)
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Ryan S. said 5:41PM on 4-01-2009
I actually have never seen a Newton in person, so this would give me a chance to make some memories with my newton! :P (What can I say, I love Nostalgia? xD)
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Justin said 5:42PM on 4-01-2009
I'd be happy to play with this.
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Patrick McCarron said 5:42PM on 4-01-2009
My favorite memory is wanting one, but never able to afford it, and then when it came to get one they were discontinued.
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Quiara said 5:44PM on 4-01-2009
My fav Newton memory is actually the SNL skit that had the Newton post-its -- use them once, stick 'em on the fridge and that's that.
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carrespondent said 5:45PM on 4-01-2009
My "favorite" Newton memory is desperately wanting one and having no idea how I'd come up with the money. My second: knowing how uncool Newtons are and wanting one anyway...or because.
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Dave Campbell said 5:46PM on 4-01-2009
I'll have to win it to have a favorite memory.
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tinkertoytech said 5:52PM on 4-01-2009
I still have my MessagePad100, it's sitting here on a shelf waiting, wanting, just to be picked up and used....
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Greg said 5:47PM on 4-01-2009
Whoo! Gotta love the Newton (if I had one...)
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Drek said 5:47PM on 4-01-2009
Oh wow, I totally remember checking out the Newton when it first came out. I never actually owned one but I sat for about 30 minutes in some store (I don't even remember which one, it may have been one of the little boutique computer stores I was so fond of hanging out in) just messing around with the handwriting recognition and the built-in apps and just being amazed. I thought at the time that *this* was the future of computers. They were history by the time I could afford one but I did get a Palm IIIx which was the closest I could get and although amazing, just didn't have that sense of wonder that the Newton gave me.
I promise if I win this it will be lovingly cared for and worshiped.
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Clint Thayer said 5:48PM on 4-01-2009
A few buddies and I helped build up the MSU Newton Users group. We had meetings every second Tuesday of the month. My best memory is looking out in the cafe and seeing at least 20/30 Netwon geeks sitting around beaming stuff back and forth. We had developers and other various companies send us raffle-ware and it was a great time.
I love my iPhone, but I miss that Newton, and those meetings a great deal.
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