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The Newton Newbie Guide

Preamble

In the last year and a half, there has been a large number of new users come to the Newton platform. Certainly more than one would expect from a platform that has been abandoned by its creator for over four years. These newbies have traditionally been pointed at the FAQ or the Newtontalk mailing list for answers to their questions. But it finally dawned on me that it would be the best if there was one central clearinghouse for Newton newbie information, and since no one had written it yet, here I am.

Getting Started

1. What is a Newton?

See the NewtonMessagePad node. Newton is the original PDA. The Newton line of PDAs was launched by Apple Computer in 1993, and discontinued in 1998. You can get a quick rundown of the released models. Basicially though, everyone has or wants an upgraded 2000 or 2100. These were the latest models, the most feature-packed, and the ones that most new software is being developed for today.

To learn more about the lingo and jargon about the Newton, check out the NewtonGlossary.

2. Where do I get a Newton? How much does it cost?

Pretty much the only place to get one (assuming you don't know someone who has one stuffed in a desk drawer) is eBay. Other possibilities are looking for ads or posting a Wanted ad to the comp.sys.newton.misc newsgroup, or the Newtontalk mailing list. There are also some resellers out there that sell through non-eBay channels - look them up in the VendorsList. For current going prices on Newtons and accessories, consult the This Old Newt price guide (broken link).

3. What hardware do I need to get started?

(I'm not going to talk about older models here.) For a 2000 or a 2100, at a minimum you need:

4. What kind of serial cable do I need?

If you get a standard Newton serial cable, make sure that you also get a serial dongle - see AboutDongles. This will mate the serial cable to the Newton's special Interconnect port, as stock 2x00 models didn't have a standard Mac serial connection like all 1x0 models do, which have the MiniDIN 8-serial port that was Apples standard for connecting peripherals at the time (printers, keyboards, ...). There are also serial cables that have this Interconnect plug molded into one end. There is also a third-party addon, the SER-001? by Mr PCBMan?, that provides a 2x00 with a standard serial connector. Note that all recent Macs since the iMac don't have serial ports anymore: you'll have to invest in a USBtoSerialAdapter (list of compatible models), or a Stealth serial port.

You can avoid this and other BootStrapping issues by using the CardLending services available from FrankGruendel? inEurope and in the USA by ???. They lend you a card preloaded with all packages you could possibly need to do BluetoothSetup? or configure Ethernet or Wifi?, thus avoiding any Dongle and serial cable issues.

5. Where can I get manuals or other documentation?

All of the manuals that came with Newtons are also available as PDF files. They're all here, sorted by model.

6. What other hardware should I look for?

7. Where do I get software?

The largest repository of Newton software is at UNNA. Since there is so much software there, you probably want to read some UnnaReviews to help you choose packages. For some example of what other Newtonian?s use, see CoolSetups. Additional stuff can be found on many webpages, see the links at the bottom of the Wiki-HomePage. A lot of content -- mainly ebooks -- can be found at either UNNA or the Temporary Newton Library, the only actively maintained Newton bookshelf at the moment (2005).

8. What software should I install?

This is largely up to you. Read NewtonTalk and other online forums and ask for people's opinions. You'll probably get a lot of ideas on what to try. For most 2x00s, however, there are certain things that every Newton should have installed:

9. How do I connect this thing to my desktop?

See MacOSConnection, WindowsConnection, UNIXConnection, BluetoothConnection.

10. How do I connect this thing to the Internet?

Now that you've got this thing hooked up to your computer, you want to start surfing the web! You want to send and receive email! These things, and anything else you can do on the net can be done with a Newton.

This is where you really see how well the Newton has adapted to "life after death". Internet access has been the yardstick upon which most Operating Systems have been measured in the past 6-7 years and beyond and the Newton out shines amongst its fellow PDA's for its support of most things net-related.

So lets start at the bare Basics:

11. What are some of the most popular packages on the Newton and what do they do?

Here's a list for you, with links to their web pages (where applicable) or directory in UNNA?:

12. What did other Newbies want to know?

13. Glossary

this is still a work in progress


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