After Apple’s announcement about the iPad on Wednesday the world has transformed into one colossal forum with everyone pseudo communicating about this one gadget that somehow managed to carry more interest and importance than that of the Obama health care bill. Affordability, lack of flash, battery life – those were some of the topics being discussed about the obsessively anticipated Amazon Kindle killer. I wanted to participate to prove my status in the social world as a “Mac Head” , but truth be told I’m just really a wannabe; granted I own an iMac and an iPhone but I’m still miles and ages away to be fully mac geekified. Earlier today I stumbled upon something that might grant me access to this mac cult I’m so itching to become part of, I noticed no one was talking about the history of the iPad or if Apple had ever tried to create such a product in the past, and the answer is yes.

The Apple Newton AKA the messagePad, was manufactured by Sharp for Apple; many may argue that this is just a PDA, but since it has the word pad in it I’m deeming it a failed attempt at a mini tablet pc manufactured by Apple thus the original iPad. The Newton was best described as a handheld communications assistant with a touch-screen and pen-stylus that allows the user to gather, manage, and share information.

Below are specs I recovered from oldcomputers.com because I’m to lazy to type:

Model:	H1000 MessagePad
Announced:	May 1992
Available:	August 1993
Price:	US $699.99
CPU:	ARM 610 (RISC) @ 20 MHz
RAM:	640K internal, 4MB PCMCIA
Display:	336 x 240 reflective LCD
Interface:	touch-screen w/ stylus
Ports:	RS422 serial, Infrared
Expansion:	one PCMCIA (Type II) slot
OS:	Newton OS v1.05

Included applications are “Notes”, “Names”, and “Dates”, as well as simple tools such as a Calculator, Currency Converter, Time-Zones Maps, and more.

With “Notes”, the default application, you can write small documents, in your own handwriting, as well as draw free-hand sketches. Yes, the Newton can translate your personal handwriting into computer text which can be saved, printed, or transferred to other computer systems.

“Names” is a contact database, and “Dates” is a personal calendar for scheduling your time and days.

The built-in handwriting recognition is the Newton’s most unique and interesting ability, being able to interpret the user’s handwriting (hand-printing as well as script) into computer-readable text. But as is often the case with early versions of complicated systems, the original Newton gives mixed results and is often inaccurate.

The “Newton Connection Kit” includes a serial cable to attach to other computer systems, be they Mac or Windows, to synchronize, transfer files, restore Newton and install software onto a Newton.

The “Newton Print Pack” is a special printer-cable which plugs into the Newton serial port, allowing you to print to a wide assortment of printers, including ink-jet, laser, dor-matrix, and thermal printers. The remarkable thing is that it is a “smart” serial-to-parallel adapter cable, with the printer driver software built right into the cable connector.

The Newton supports type-II PCMCIA expansion cards, including 1MB, 2MB, and 4MB flash storage cards. The 4MB card will store up to 250 personal contacts, 200 notes, 500 calendar appointments, and 35 screens of text and drawings.

The Newton is not the first device with a touch-screen and handwriting recognition, though. The Linus Write-Top incorporated both six years earlier in 1987, but the user has to train the Write-Top before it will recognize their handwriting.

Unfortunately, at about 4.5 x 7 inches, and almost one inch thick, the Newton is really too large and heavy (almost one pound) to be considered pocket-size.

Alright Mac Geeks I know your proud of me, I’ll be expecting my acceptance letter in the mail.