Re: [NTLK] a provocation...

From: John Del Pizzo (jrd_at_delcannsoftware.com)
Date: Wed Feb 12 2003 - 19:13:26 PST


> From: ben mccorkle <mccorkle.12_at_osu.edu>
> Reply-To: newtontalk_at_newtontalk.net
> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 19:19:21 -0500
> To: newtontalk_at_newtontalk.net
> Subject: [NTLK] a provocation...
>
> "One of the early PDAs, Apple's Newton, failed just after its introduction.
> Rightfully so. Its designers did not understand how it was to be used.
> They failed to provide utility to real people doing real work.

<snip>

I think it's a reasonably fair assessment. One of the reasons the Palm
succeeded was that it did a few things - which people understood - well.
Conceptually, it was easy to grasp... it was an electronic day timer that
gave users access to crucial information that was normally left on their
desktop.

In contrast, the Newton could (and did) do so much that it was harder to
grasp. It fell in between a simple electronic organizer and a laptop
computer. So what was it and how should it be used? It was an ill defined
product.

John

---
John Del Pizzo
DelCann Software
jrd_at_delcannsoftware.com
www.delcannsoftware.com
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