MessagePad 120

[stickytack]

I can’t be the only one who has collected some Newtons! Here’s my MessagePad 120 that works perfectly. Has anyone come up with some creative ways to use these things in modern times? I understand there’s not much they can do these days but I remember as a kid always wanting one of these when they came out. I picked this puppy up on eBay a few years ago and I only throw batteries in it occasionally to mess around. Such a cool part of Apple and technological history.

 

[RetroViator]

I was lucky enough to use the MP 120 back in the day. It was a fine platform and had considerable abilities. But it felt heavy (literally and figuratively) compared to the slightly later Palm Pilot.

A friend of mine now has my 120. I wish I could pry it away from him.

 

[Sutehk]

I really need to get the date fixed on this. I want to start using it more!

 

[MindThreat]

I've been using it almost daily this year since acquiring one about 4 months ago. Really perfect to jot down notes super quickly and not waste scraps of paper or post it notes and it can be neatly housed all in one place. Drawing silly little comics on them is fun, I'd love to see more people do that.

 

[Sutehk]

I've been using it almost daily this year since acquiring one about 4 months ago. Really perfect to jot down notes super quickly and not waste scraps of paper or post it notes and it can be neatly housed all in one place. Drawing silly little comics on them is fun, I'd love to see more people do that.

I used mine a lot back in the 90s….used to carry it on trips instead of heavy laptops….

 

[wottle]

Yeah, I had a 130 with the external keyboard I would take on trips to work on papers when I was in college. I kick myself for selling it (along with a lot of my old Apple stuff). I've been looking for a 130 to add to my vintage collection, but they rarely come up on auction sites and are often priced pretty high.

I actually gave my brother a 110 along with a battery powered modem he would use to check email while working as a ski lift operator. And he gave it to me a few years after and I kept it because it was so beat up I didn't think it would be worth anything. I throw some batteries in it occasionally, but don't have anything loaded on it.

 

[MindThreat]

I’ve drawn some things on it with NewtPaint, imported into my PowerBook 1400 to add color in PhotoShop 5.5 then printed it out on the StyleWriter 2200... a few months back.

still a wip

But it is definitely part of my retro office setup...

someday I hope to pickup a fax modem for it to experiment with that as well

 

[splorp]

I can’t be the only one who has collected some Newtons!

You’re certainly not the only one.

I run the NewtonTalk mailing list which has been operating since 1997 and still has near 1,000 members. Many of those members are avid collectors and still use their little green friends every day.

Personally, I have close to 100 Newton devices in my collection, including numerous prototype and developer test models.

There is still an incredibly active community out there.

 

[splorp]

someday I hope to pickup a fax modem for it to experiment with that as well

NewtPaint is such a great program. I’ve been a huge fan of that “fatbits” aesthetic since MacPaint first appeared in 1984.

I have a number of Newton modems in my collection. I’d be happy to send you one for the cost of postage. Where are you located?

 

[splorp]

I really need to get the date fixed on this. I want to start using it more!

Have you looked into the Y2010 patch developed by Eckhart Köppen? It solves the date reset problem on MP2x00 and eMate devices.

Newton Year 2010 Problem

 

[MindThreat]

I have a number of Newton modems in my collection. I’d be happy to send you one for the cost of postage. Where are you located?

I greatly appreciate the gesture but am located in the U.S.

 

[splorp]

I greatly appreciate the gesture but am located in the U.S.

I don’t have a problem with mailing stuff to the states. These Newton modems are pretty lightweight anyway.

DM your address and I’ll let you know what postage will likely be.

 

[Genjoke]

I still own the ones I used in the 90s.

The 120 chimes but gives me a black screen. The 2100 (covered by the cards) is totally dead.

The 2000 still powers up and still has all my apps and stuff from back then.

Unfortunately I have long forgotten how to use it! I moved to Palm handhelds in the late 90s / early 2000s.

I still plan to put then back to work.

Btw I have also a wi-fi card somewhere.

 

[reallyrandy]

I have a 120 and a 130. I keep the 120 in a glass case with some of my small stuff. It still has the round red sticker on the cover. If I could get wifi on it, I would use it everyday!

 

[KnobsNSwitches]

I use my Newton 2100 not quite daily, but at least weekly. It makes an excellent infinite notebook - tracking books I've read, etc.

And even having tried several different devices and apps over the years, I like nothing better than newton Notes, with the ability to create text files/todos/outlines all in the same app.

 

[Cameron_Talley]

I've got an Original Message Pad that I got off of ebay a while back. It's fun to mess around with, but there's not a lot you can do with the OMP! I have tried endlessly to get Newton Connection Kit to work with my Powerbook 1400, but no dice ever after trying several different versions of the software. So not sure what's going on there.

I'd like to get a later Newton with a backlight at some point.

 

[wottle]

Have you looked into the Y2010 patch developed by Eckhart Köppen? It solves the date reset problem on MP2x00 and eMate devices.

Newton Year 2010 Problem

It says it only affects 2000/2100/eMate, but I'm unable to set the current date on my 110/120/130. Is there a patch for them?

 

[KingDingus]

 

[splorp]

It says it only affects 2000/2100/eMate, but I'm unable to set the current date on my 110/120/130. Is there a patch for them?

Eckhart’s patch is only for the MP2x00 and eMate, but MP1x0 devices running Newton OS 2.0 require Avi Drissman’s Fix2010 package.