Apple Newton Messagepad 2000
I have the main unit, keyboard and power.
type handheld computer
country USA
year 1996
os OS 2.1
cpu Strong ARM 110 Risc
prosessor
speed 161,9 MHz
ram 5 MB
rom 8 MB
graphic LCD 480 x 320
colors 16 gray
sound build in micro-phone and speaker
ports two PC-card, serial port
The Apple Newton MessagePad 2000 — The Newton at Its Peak
Released in March 1997, the Newton MessagePad 2000 was the most capable and polished Newton ever produced — a device that finally delivered on the promise of the original Newton with dramatically improved handwriting recognition, a faster processor, and a larger display. Using a 162 MHz StrongARM SA-110 processor, the MessagePad 2000 was fast enough to make handwriting recognition genuinely practical in real-world use, and its improved software intelligence could learn individual handwriting styles with remarkable accuracy.
The Mature Newton
By 1997, the Newton platform had matured enormously from its troubled debut. The MessagePad 2000’s handwriting recognition was accurate enough that most users could trust it for taking actual notes — a far cry from the garbled results that had made the original Newton a target for comedians. The 480×320 pixel display was large and clear, the battery life was practical for daily use, and the available applications — from word processors to spreadsheets to medical databases — made it a genuinely useful professional tool. Had Apple continued the platform, the MessagePad 2000 might have established PDAs as a mainstream product category years before Palm and Windows Mobile attempted the same goal.
The StrongARM Processor
The 162 MHz StrongARM SA-110 was a dramatically faster processor than any previous Newton had used, delivering smooth performance for handwriting recognition, application switching, and document editing. It consumed remarkably little power for its performance level, giving the MessagePad 2000 practical battery life despite its sophisticated capabilities. The StrongARM architecture was later licensed by Intel and became the foundation of the XScale processors used in many early smartphones.
Premature End
Steve Jobs discontinued the Newton line in February 1998, less than a year after the MessagePad 2000’s release. The MessagePad 2000 remains the most capable Newton ever made and is highly prized by collectors who appreciate how close it came to genuinely revolutionising personal productivity.