Newton - 'probably the most expensive Etch-a-Sketch in the world'

In the fall of 1993, I witnessed a presentation at Apple Computer's UK headquarters in Stockley Park. A video, shot in a distinctly Parisian setting, showed palm-sized devices being scribbled-on by smart young professionals in business suits. These people looked busy and affluent too, as the steadycam cut from cappucino to knowing glances, like any self-respecting pop-promo of the period.

I drooled at the prospect of owning one of these devices - the coolest and probably the most expensive Etch-a-Sketch in the world. It wasn't until 1997 that I finally managed to persuade my employer to shell out the £600 needed to purchase one of these things. By then the Newton had undergone several years R&D and the Newton MessagePad 2000 could actually recognise my handwriting.

Tragically, the Newton project was abandoned by Apple a year later, following a series of swingeing financial cuts. But like so many of Apple Computer's abandoned platforms, the Newton still enjoys the support of a loyal band of enthusiasts who continue to marvel at this remarkable computer.

Newton - 'should have been accessible to your Grandmother'

The launch of the Newton was typical Apple stuff - The company failed to exploit the broad appeal of such a device by focussing almost exclusively on technically adept business professionals.

Newton should have been accessible to your Grandmother, but it wasn't! It should have been marketed at younger people too, like a Swatch watch, available in a variety of personal styles, but it wasn't!

Of course, Apple wised-up with the iMac, but boy, did we miss out on some cool-looking toys. Multicoloured Apple palmtops were not beyond the realm of possibility either. One poster at Stockley Park featured preliminary sketches of Newtons in a whole range of exotic shapes and colours. It's sad then, that the Newton, though brilliant, is today represented by a collection of rather murky amphibious-green coloured boxes.