From nic.csu.net!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!destroyer!news.itd.umich.edu!oitmac01.oit.itd.umich.edu!user Mon Sep 27 14:33:49 1993 Relay-Version: ANU News - V6.1 08/24/93 VAX/VMS V5.5-2; site nic.csu.net Path: nic.csu.net!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!destroyer!news.itd.umich.edu!oitmac01.oit.itd.umich.edu!user Newsgroups: comp.sys.newton.misc Subject: Newton FAQ: gripe and bug list 1.01 Message-ID: From: potts@oit.itd.umich.edu (Paul R. Potts) Date: 27 Sep 1993 02:36:27 GMT Followup-To: comp.sys.newton.misc Organization: Office of Instructional Technology, University of Michigan NNTP-Posting-Host: oitmac01.oit.itd.umich.edu Lines: 695 Status: O The Canonical List of MessagePad Bugs, Gripes and Wishes ======================================================== This document is a collection of bug, gripe reports and wishes for the future about the Apple Newton MessagePad. The items in this list are arranged, very roughly, in a sort of priority; the serious items are first, and things get more trivial as the list progresses. This list has been broken out of the longer Canonical List of Newton Questions and Answers; that list was becoming too unwieldy, so I'm breaking it into a couple of parts in order to maintain them separately and present the information better. Author ------ Collected and written by Paul R. Potts, potts@oit.itd.umich.edu. Or, call me at home, (313) 662-1462, and leave a message if I'm not there. If you inhabit CompuServe, I can be found on CompuServe at 71561,3362, although I don't use my account more often than a couple of times per month. Copyright --------- Permission is granted for the free use and distribution, of this document, in any form, provided that: - My name stays on it. - You do not distribute this document with alterations. If it has my name on it, I want to be the one to make changes. I am writing this posting as a private individual and developer and not in my official capacity as an employee of the University of Michigan. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Michigan. Version ------- version 1.01, Revised 9-16-93. Update Information ------------------ Putting together a list like this and keeping it up-to-date takes a lot of time, and I'm not paid to do it. So, please don't send me requests that will take me a lot of time to fulfill. Please *do* send me updates, factual corrections, bug reports, and suggested changes. I am trying to keep this document as up-to-date as possible. Before sending me something to add, please scan through the list and see if there is already an item that describes the problem, gripe, or wish that you're suggesting. That will save me time. Latest Newton System Software ----------------------------- System software 1.04 is the latest version of the Newton System software. To see which version you have, open the Extras box, and tap on the Preferences icon. At the bottom of the preferences screen, you will see a number that should range from 1.00 onward. If you don't have system software 1.04, see my other document (the Newton Question and Answers list) for information on how to update your system. Part 1 - Connection Kits ======================== (This section of the gripe and bug list is reserved for problems related to the use of the Macintosh and/or Windows Connection Kits). The initial version of the Connection Kit for Macintosh appears to have a problem with the "Synchronize" command. If you add data to the Newton's data set on the Macintosh and then "synchronize," the data you have added may be lost. 1-800-SOS-APPL suggested that I add the data, then use the "Restore" command instead. I have heard from a couple other users who found workarounds: Jonathan Bauer From: potts@oit.itd.umich.edu (Paul R. Potts) Date: 27 Sep 1993 02:36:58 GMT Followup-To: comp.sys.newton.misc Organization: Office of Instructional Technology, University of Michigan NNTP-Posting-Host: oitmac01.oit.itd.umich.edu Lines: 664 Status: O The Canonical List of MessagePad Questions and Answers ====================================================== This document is a collection of Questions and Answers about the Apple Newton MessagePad. This list has been broken out of the longer Canonical List of Newton Questions and Answers; that list was becoming too unwieldy, so I'm breaking it into a couple of parts in order to maintain them separately and present the information better. Author ------ Collected and written by Paul R. Potts, potts@oit.itd.umich.edu. Or, call me at home, (313) 662-1462, and leave a message if I'm not there. If you inhabit CompuServe, I can be found on CompuServe at 71561,3362, although I don't use my account more often than a couple of times per month. Copyright --------- Permission is granted for the free use and distribution, of this document, in any form, provided that: - My name stays on it. - You do not distribute this document with alterations. If it has my name on it, I want to be the one to make changes. I am writing this posting as a private individual and developer and not in my official capacity as an employee of the University of Michigan. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Michigan. Version ------- version 1.0, Revised 9-16-93. Update Information ------------------ Putting together a list like this and keeping it up-to-date takes a lot of time, and I'm not paid to do it. So, please don't send me requests that will take me a lot of time to fulfill. Please *do* send me updates, factual corrections, bug reports, and suggested changes. I am trying to keep this document as up-to-date as possible. Before sending me something to add, please scan through the list and see if there is already an item that describes the problem, gripe, or wish that you're suggesting. That will save me time. Late-Breaking News ------------------ Apple has released Newton system software version 1.04. If you need an update to Newton system software version 1.04, you have many options. If you own a Connection Kit, CompuServe, AppleLink, and America OnLine all carry the patch as a "Package" that you can install with the Connection Kit software. If you have ftp capability, you can get the 1.04 update files from bnnrc-srv.med.jhu.edu (if you can't use the name, the IP number for this site is 128.220.81.221). With the connection kit, choose "Install Package" on the Mac, then open up the Connection applet in the Extras box on the Newton, choose the connection type, and hit Connect. Download should proceed easily, and you will be asked to reset your Newton afterwards. After you have reset the Newton using the on-screen button, you should also RESET AGAIN. Apparently the 1.04 needs two resets before it can start to perform optimally. If you have a fax modem for your Newton, starting soon you will be able to call a number and download the patch directly. (Apple is currently working on getting the dial-in service set up). Look in comp.sys.newton.announce for further information. If you have the Connection Kit but no connectivity, Apple will be sending out system update disks along with the Newton Connection Kit version 1.0 (a free update to registered users). If you don't have the Newton Connection Kit or a modem, call 1-800-242-3374 to get a PCMCIA card with the software update, with a postage-paid envelope to return the card in. You will have to give a credit card number so that, if you don't return the card to Apple, you can be billed for it. I got most of this information from an Apple announcmement, so if you have a question, don't call me, call 1-800-SOS-APPL. Changes in This Version ----------------------- The bug reports have been broken out into a separate file, the Newton Bug, Gripe and Wish list. I have gone through and condensed items here and there to save space. Part 0 - Warnings ================= Memory Cards ------------ WARNING: If you're using a flash memory card (like Apple's 2 megabyte card, or a third party flash card), and you want to perform a long operation, such as backing up the Newton, you may want to plug in the AC power adapter. Writes to flash RAM use an unusally large amount of power and will eat batteries for lunch. WARNING: Be careful with 3rd-party PCMCIA memory cards. Some of them are very unreliable with the Newton. If you're interested in getting a non-Apple card to use with your Newton, you might want to call 1-800-SOS-APPL to see if the card has been tested with the Newton. WARNING: An errata sheet with my Newton said that Apple doesn't recommend using PCMCIA memory cards greater than 4 megabytes in size. So, SunDisk or high-capacity Intel cards may not work. Batteries --------- WARNING: When you get a new pair of rechargeable batteries for your Newton, recharge them *fully* before using them for the first time. WARNING: Don't remove both batteries. If you have done this, you'll have to find a way to get the system patches reinstalled in your system. (Start by calling 1-800-SOS-APPL). WARNING: Don't use loose NiCd AAA batteries in the alkaline battery holder (tip from Robert Sadowski). If you do, the Newton will not trickle-charge them while it is plugged in. The Newton can tell the difference between NiCd pack and the alkaline pack. WARNING: Remember that rechargeable batteries lose their charge quickly while in storage, while this happens much more gradually with alkaline cells. You might want to carry around a pack of fresh alkaline batteries in case you get stuck in a situation where you can't keep your rechargeables freshly charged. (Suggested by Kent Borg, kentborg@world.std.com). Newton MessagePad Part 1: Questions and Answers =============================================== When I turn on my Newt, the screen looks bad, then improves. Why? ----------------------------------------------------------------- According to Andy Stadler at Apple (stadler@apple.com), when it is turned on, the Newton sets the screen contrast to a standard default value. The Newton then immediately goes to sleep. When you actually do something such as touch the screen, it wakes up and the screen driver code comes to life, adjusting the contrast. So, this is really caused by the fact that the Newton stays asleep whenever it can to save battery power. The Newton turns on when I insert or eject a card! Why? ------------------------------------------------------- This is normal. According to Kevin Altis (kevin@scic.intel.com) the Newton has to come on so that the RemoveScript function can run, which updates the applications and soups on the card. This was incorrectly reported by some users as a bug that occurred only in 1.00 machines, but it seems to happen under 1.02 and 1.03 also. How do I reset the Newton? -------------------------- To do a reset, leave the Newton on, give it a chance to stop doing whatever processing it is currently doing, then take off the battery cover and press the reset button with the pen. Give it a moment to come back on. No data will be lost by this process. Check to make sure the clock is correct after resetting. How do I erase all the memory? ------------------------------ Hold down the power switch, hit the reset button, and continue to hold down the power switch until you get a dialog box that asks you if you want to erase all memory. Answer "yes" twice. MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, SINCE ALL THE DATA STORED IN YOUR NEWTON WILL BE GONE, INCLUDING YOUR NAME, DICTIONARIES, HANDWRITING TRAINING, ETC. Note: this procedure does not remove your system patches. If I take out a flash RAM card from my Newton, will it be erased? ----------------------------------------------------------------- No. (Many users seem to have this misconception; it makes sense, because RAM, even static RAM, does require electrical power to keep it "live.") Static RAM cards are backed by a battery, which should last for a year. (Apple's 1 megabyte static RAM card comes with information on how and when to change the battery). Static RAM also will "live" for a while without any power, so the contents of your card should be fine if you don't leave the card without a battery for longer than five or ten minutes (I would still recommend a backup first). (Thanks to Richard Wells, wells@zko.dec.com). Have I used up the lithium cell? I left the switch on "replace main." --------------------------------------------------------------------- No. The switch just locks and unlocks the battery compartments. It doesn't switch the power from one to the other. The Newton won't start up without a main battery. (thanks to Robert Sadowski). Can I make the Newton forget my handwriting and "start over?" ------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. Don't do this lightly - remember, it takes many hours to completely train a Newton. In the preferences, there are several "return to original settings" buttons. One just affects the speed of recognition, word spacing, and other options that are easily restored. The other will actually wipe out everything the Newton has learned about your writing, and start the learning process from scratch. This one has a dialog box that warns you to make sure that this is what you want to do. You might want to use this feature if you decided to switch from cursive to printing, or to give your Newton to someone else on a permanent basis. If I let someone else write on my Newton, will it learn their writing? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Newton doesn't automatically know who is using it, so the answer is yes. However, there is a check box in Preferences you can set entitled "configure for guest user." When the Newton is in Guest mode, it won't make changes to what it has learned about your writing based on whoever is currently using it. Your "guest" can add words to your dictionary, and can change the guest's settings for letter styles and recognition options. Is it really necessary to fine-tune my letter styles in the Preferences? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ According to Andy Stadler at Apple (stadler@apple.com), this shouldn't be necessary unless you are having "constant, repeatable problems." Stadler gives the following example: if the Newton consistently misrecognizes your lower-case cursive N as an R, you might want to try turning off that shape for the lowercase R. The reasoning behind this advice goes like this: "What we've found is that often, people don't really realize what their writing looks like, and [they] tend to overcompensate settings when they adjust this panel." This sounds reasonable to me; when I checked my letter styles against the Newton's strokes, I found that I had to write words on paper to see exactly how I made letters. Like tying your shoes, when you have to think about exactly how you do it, it becomes much harder. If I back up the Newton, does everything get saved? --------------------------------------------------- Yes. Your notes, dates, business cards, handwriting training, preferences, dictionaries, and system patches all get saved. What is the maximum size of a note on the Newton? ------------------------------------------------- I am not sure. The maximum amount of text that I was able to paste into a note seemed to be about 5830 bytes, where drawings seem to max out at about 2000 bytes. Compression may affect this figure. Clearly the MessagePad isn't ready for word processing yet (third party applications may change this). Can I use my (Brand X) modem with my Newton? -------------------------------------------- The MessagePad is designed to work with a particular Rockwell chip set. Some 3rd-party modems use this chips set; I have a Supra v32.bis fax-modem that I have successfully used to send faxes. How can I get my Newton to dial my phone? ----------------------------------------- Here are some suggestions from Markus, 26ssvo$o5j@news.bu.edu: Make certain that your country field is set properly (Newton handles international dialing). Make certain that your phone numbers entries in your phone book don't have ones or other special codes before the area code, since Newton tries to handle this by itself. Better quality phones tend to work better when dialing via Newton's speaker. How can I get my Newton to phone home? -------------------------------------- The Electronic Assistant uses the word "home" to modify names; it looks for their "home" phone number. So, if you type "phone home," the Newton won't know who to call. You can try "Phone Paul at home" and if the Newton knows who Paul is, it will pick out my home number. If you want the Newton to call your own phone, make sure you have a Names entry with your phone number in it, and tell the assistant to call . Newton Part 2: Impressions ========================== This section combines opinions, comments, and speculation. Can I use the Newton to take notes in my meeting/class/lecture? --------------------------------------------------------------- Trying to use the Newton to keep up with a live speaker may prove quite frustrating, especially if you are trying to capture every idea. You will find several factors to be limiting: The speed of the handwriting recognizer The maximum size of a note The limited dictionary However, it works great to jot down short reminders and notes. The name of the first product is the MessagePad - that's really the size of document it was designed to work with: messages. If you want to just get things down as fast as you can, you can turn off both recognizers and just leave digital ink in your note, but that fills up notes pretty fast, and (at least in this version) you can't go back and recognize the ink later. (From a suggestion by Robert Sadowski). How come I can't go back and recognize ink later? ------------------------------------------------- The Newton *does* appear to keep ink as individual strokes, not bit-maps. This means that when you fax or print ink, it looks smoother than it does on the screen. The latest messages I've received on the subject tell me that Newton only stores *timing* information for the last few words you've written, and then drops this information, which is *critical* information for the handwriting-recognition engine. Deferred recognition may make it into a future Newton. How good is the handwriting recognition? ---------------------------------------- I find it to be excellent. Everything I have read in the trade press leads me to believe that the Newton's recognition is better than that of other products that do handwriting recognition. It works well with cursive and print out of the box, and seems to get better with training. Jonathan Bauer (jhbauer@panix.com) reported "dramatic improvement after two or three days of use." Kent Borg (kentborg@world.std.com) pointed out that the handwriting recognition on the Newton works best if you are willing to compromise a little. It will learn the way you make letters and which words you commonly write, if you place them in the dictionary, but you also have to write fairly clearly. You can't teach it an arbitrary style of writing from scratch. If it misinterprets something I wrote, I first double-tap on the word to see if it lists a correct alternate interpretation. If that doesn't work, I try going back and writing it more carefully. As a last resort, I pop up the on-screen keyboard and tap out the word. I am constantly startled, though, by how often the Newton gets it right. The Newton does seem to "bond" with its user over time. So, to get the best recognition: Teach your Newton well Write it words That it can learn from Don't you ever ask it why If it told you, you would cry So just look at it and sigh and know it loves you... : ) Keep in mind that Newton does best with limited notes and common words. It can be very frustrating at times. You will get a lot of practice using the little keyboard. You will also find that you need to mess around with the different recognizer options in order to get the best results. You may want to change settings when writing different kinds of text; for example, if you are writing prose, you may want to turn off number recognition so that Newton doesn't misrecognize words as numbers. A good deal depends on the text you are writing. When I tried writing out a part of Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale" on an untrained Newton, I got a lot of recognizer errors, especially on words that it did not know, like "faerie," "wast," and "thou." It helps to teach the Newton words that you will commonly use in your writing. How long is the battery life? ----------------------------- This varies greatly from user to user, and depends on how you use your Newton. I'll give my impressions. Alkaline cells do best, and have lasted me about three days of on-and-off use. I have been using rechargeables, plugging the device in when possible, and I seem to get a good day of on-and-off use out of a recharge. Batteries charge much slower in the Newton than they do in the separate charger. The charger has a little light that comes on when you plug it in and seems to go off about five hours later. I am not certain, but this seems to be a simple timer mechanism, since it doesn't seem to get done any quicker if I charge partially-charged batteries. This may be intended to prevent you from "cooking" your batteries too long in the charger, which can shorten their life. There are a number of things you can do to lengthen battery life: plug in the Newton when you can; when using rechargeables, they will be trickle-charged. Turn the sound volume down. Don't leave the "automatically receive beams" option on. Set the Newton to go to sleep after a few minutes of inactivity. Battery life varies greatly depending on how you use your Newton. How can you get by with only 192K of user memory? ------------------------------------------------- So far it appears that Newton uses memory remarkably efficiently. According to Apple the data stored in your card file, notes, etc., is stored in "soups," which are transparently compressed and decompressed by the Newton operating system, giving compaction of (best case) up to 6:1 on text. So, 192K of Newton memory seems to hold a lot more than 192K of RAM as used by a typical desktop PC. The MessagePad has 640K of SRAM, of which 448K is used for the system heap, handwriting recognition prefs, and other information. Newton memory apparently consists of a bank of 512K and an additional 128K chip. One reason why more RAM wasn't included is because Newton uses SRAM (static memory), not DRAM (dynamic memory, which requires more power and a constant refresh to maintain its contents). SRAM is considerably more expensive than DRAM, and margins on the Newton are pretty slim, so including a lot more SRAM would have jacked the price up considerably. By providing support for card slots, you can use the Newton to hold a reasonable amount of data and if you need to add more, you can do it on a "pay as you go" basis. How tough is the MessagePad? ---------------------------- I did an impromptu and accidental "flying Newton" test by tripping over the power cord. It seemed to hold up fine (landing on a carpeted surface). I don't recommend trying this yourself though - the screen has glass in it and could be cracked pretty easily. Also, the Newton is NOT waterproof. I took my Newton camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a week. How did it fare? Well, I was careful to keep it away from wetness and grit, which the pen can easily pick up and drag across the screen, scratching it. I found that it was possible to put the newton in a zip-loc bag and write on the outside of the bag. The biggest enemy of the Newton was cold. It got down to below 40 at night, and when I woke the Newton up in the morning it would usually reset and tell me that there had been a power fault. Alkaline batteries seemed to do worse in the cold than the recharegeable batteries. So, keep your Newton at a reasonable temperature if you expect to use batteries, and don't allow it to get cold enough that moisture will condense when you take it back into warmer, moister air. (It occurs to me that if you pack your Newton in the luggage compartment of a commercial jet, you might have the same problem; it gets very cold in those unpressurized luggage compartments). Won't the screen become scratched from writing on it all the time? ------------------------------------------------------------------ The top layer of the screen on the Newton is made out of Mylar (according to MacUser), which is a pretty tough plastic. However, it does appear that it picks up slight scratches and may eventually become a little hazy. (So far, my scratches are only visible under certain just-right lighting). I imagine (theory only here) that Apple could replace the top layer of the screen without having to replace the whole screen. Users may want to get in the habit of dusting off any visible grit from the screen before writing on it, since the pen will drag it around. Can you use your finger to write on the Newton? ----------------------------------------------- It would be difficult to write accurately with your finger. It is too blunt an instrument. It is easy to do simple user-interface actions like close windows, check the battery, and turn off sound with a fingernail, if you don't want to pull out the pen. Are there any ergonomic problems with using the Newton MessagePad? ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you are prone to eyestrain like I am, you may find the Newton difficult to use for a long period of time. People unused to writing may start to suffer from writer's cramp. In some lighting, the reflected glare from the screen makes it very hard to read. These are some factors you may want to consider before buying a Newton. If you have a large amount of data to enter into the Newton, I recommend typing it into a Mac or PC and using the Connection Kit to download it. Will Apple release a ROM upgrade to Newton MessagePad owners? ------------------------------------------------------------- I don't work for Apple and I'm not an Apple spokesperson, so this answer is really only my (moderately) informed opinion. If Apple treats Newton software updates the way it has traditionally treated software updates for the Macintosh, the answer is probably "no." Losing a few kilobytes of user memory for software patches is not *that* traumatic, and it's the way the Mac has always worked. By the time the system is revised enough to take up a significant percentage of memory in the user address space, there will probably be a new model of Newton out with a new ROM and more user RAM. Can I use my Newton as an alarm clock? -------------------------------------- Yes! You can set alarms for items scheduled in your appointment calendar, and decide how far in advance you'd like to be warned. The Newton can even wake up from the "off" (actually, asleep) state, play sounds, and put up a notice. The speaker isn't very loud, though, so you might not want to rely on the Newton waking you up, or count on being able to hear it if it is in another room, or stuffed in a backpack. PART 3: Newton MessagePad Easter Eggs ===================================== Here are a few cute Newton tricks: Go into Preferences, select the Personal item, cross out your country name, and type in Graceland as your country. (You will have to type it, since it isn't in the country dictionary). When you turn your Newton on and off or reset it, instead of the lightbulb logo, you'll see a Newt. Is this the mascot of the Newton development team? If you have a password set, you can see it longer. (contributed by jesse_devine@gateway.qm.apple.com). Note: this will have some side effects; the Newton will now think you are dialing from the Graceland area code of the United States, which will give strange results if you're not actually there, so you might want to set it back if you're going to do phone dialing or faxing. Write "Find Elvis" on the note pad, hilite it, and click Assist. Write "About Newton" and do the same thing. Click on the clock icon and hold it down. You'll see the date, time, and battery gauge pop up. After a couple of seconds you will see the temperature! (Very cool). I heard about this from Mike Nowak. According to Bob Ebert, it is actually the temperature in the battery compartment, which doesn't make it tremendously useful, except to the Newton. If you get a Newton error message, you can click on the up- and down- arrows to see the last four error messages. (suggested by Robert Sadowski, robert@world.std.com). Reset the Newton. After the Newton reboots, tap the Undo button. You will see an error message that says there is nothing to Undo. Tap the overview dot between the two arrows at the bottom of the screen. You should see two errors listed, both as "Newton." Tap on the topmost one - it will say "Welcome to Newton." Hold the stylus down on the little information symbol (i) for more information. The date will be shown as July 20, 1969, with the time that a human first landed on the moon. I have heard from a reliable source within Apple that there are other Newton easter eggs. Paul, what is *your* all-time favorite Newton feature? ------------------------------------------------------ I like the color of the case. If you look at it in bright light, you will notice that it is not actually black, but a very dark green, designed to complement the LCD screen's color. That shows that some thought went into the psychology of the Newton's color. But, my very favorite feature is the squeak. When I hold down the pen to select some text or graphics, the Newton emits a chirp that sounds rather like the sound of a small, furry animal being squeezed. Part 4: Newton Resources ======================== Where can I get more information from Apple? -------------------------------------------- Call 1-800-365-3690 extension 100 for MessagePad availability info. Call 800-7-NEWTON for a recording advertising Newton to non-technical customers. For technical questions you can try Apple Customer Assistance Center at 800-SOS-APPL. You can get the Newton Toolkit from APDA at 800-282-2732. (from Anthony J. Stieber, anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu). Where can I get Newton accessories? ----------------------------------- The Apple Catalog (1-800-795-1000) is one source. Other Newton Resources ---------------------- A file is available via anonymous ftp from csd4.csd.uwm.edu:/pub/Portables/newton.news. This file is also available via gopher from the same host using the path "UWM Information/ Computing Services Division/ Csd4 Public FTP Archive/ Portables/" (information from Anthony J. Stieber, anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu). If you have a CompuServe account, type GO NEWTON and read the messages there - the discussion seems quite active. There is an anonymous ftp site for Newton stuff like the Poker game and Calculator - contact bnnrc-srv.med.jhu.edu (if you can't use the name, the IP number for this site is 128.220.81.221). You might also try the Boston Computer Society's BBS: (617) 864-3375. They support 14.4 Kbps connections; look in Other groups: Newton PDA. A World Wide Web server is going up at http://www/uth.tmc.edu/newton_info/ (If you have a site where newton-related materials are available via FTP, please drop me a line and I will add it). ..