Brief Summary:
Invention/Product: Apple Newton MessagePad (and Newton OS platform)
Company: Apple Computer
Country: USA
Period: 1993-1998
Essence: One of the first PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) with a touch screen, stylus, and an ambitious handwriting recognition feature.
A famous failure from Apple. A device ahead of its time that was let down by the imperfection of its key technology (handwriting recognition), high price, bulkiness, and short battery life. It became a subject of ridicule but laid the groundwork for future PDAs and smartphones.
Creation History
The Newton project originated at Apple in the late 1980s as an attempt to create a revolutionary pocket device that would combine the functions of an organizer, notebook, and communicator. The project was actively promoted by then-CEO John Sculley, who saw it as the future of personal computing. The development took several years and required significant resources. The first product in the line, the MessagePad H1000 (often simply called Newton), was introduced with great fanfare in August 1993.
Working Principle
The Newton MessagePad was a portable computer with a monochrome touch screen, operated using a stylus. It ran on its own operating system, Newton OS. Key features included:
- Handwriting Recognition: The main "feature." Users could write directly on the screen with a stylus, and the system was supposed to convert handwritten text into typed text.
- Object-Oriented OS: Newton OS used an innovative concept of storing data not in files, but as objects ("soups"), allowing flexible linking of information (e.g., linking a contact's name with a note or meeting).
- Applications: Included an organizer (calendar, contacts, notes), calculator, unit converter. Supported the installation of additional applications.
- Communications: Had an infrared port for data exchange, supported modem connection for fax and email.
Stated Advantages
- Natural Information Input: Handwriting recognition was supposed to make interaction with the computer more intuitive.
- Data Integration: Convenient work with contacts, meetings, and notes in a single environment.
- Portability: The possibility of having important information and basic computer functions always at hand.
- Innovative Platform: Promising OS and hardware.
Why Did It Fail?
- Terrible Handwriting Recognition: The key feature worked extremely poorly in the first models, often turning written text into nonsense. This became the main reason for ridicule and user disappointment. (Although it was significantly improved in later versions).
- High Price: The starting price of around $700-900 was too high for a device with limited functionality and problems.
- Size and Weight: The device was quite bulky and heavy for a "pocket" assistant.
- Short Battery Life: Required frequent battery replacements (AAA).
- Lack of "Killer" Apps: Beyond the standard organizer, the practical usefulness of the device was limited for many users.
Ultimately, the Newton did not meet the high expectations and failed to capture the mass market. The project was closed by Steve Jobs in 1998 shortly after his return to Apple.
Ahead of Its Time?
Yes, conceptually the Newton was ahead of its time. The idea of a PDA with a touch screen, stylus, and handwriting recognition was revolutionary. Many of Newton OS's ideas were later reflected in Palm OS, Pocket PC, and ultimately in iOS and Android. The technologies (especially text recognition and battery capacity) simply weren't ready in the early 1990s to realize such an ambitious vision.
Can It Be Revived?
Newton as a brand or platform is dead. But its spirit lives on in all modern smartphones and tablets. The ideas it tried to implement have become the de facto standard. It can be said that the iPhone and iPad are a successful "revival" and development of the ideas laid out in the Newton, but on a completely new technological level. Attempts to revive Newton OS or devices on it today seem to be the domain of a narrow circle of enthusiasts.
WTF Factor
The main WTF was launching a product with a completely non-functional key feature. Making handwriting recognition the main "feature" and releasing a device that turns "Meeting with John" into "Eating with Joan" is an epic failure of quality control and managing expectations. This failure was so loud that it even became a meme and appeared in popular comics (for example, "Doonesbury"), which rarely happens with tech products.