March 21, 1997: Wireless Internet to Go?

The handheld internet computer has yet to really catch fire. Even with the advent of Wi-Fi,Bluetooth and specially designed mobile web pages, the notion that the masses will eschew their computers in favor of the smallish screens of cell phones and PDAs hasn't set the computing world on fire. Blame the reason for the lack of traction on screen size or bandwidth considerations, but don't blame it on lack of trying.

Apple once made a concerted effort at capturing the still nascent internet on a handheld market with the release of the Newton MessagePad 2000. Since no other pitch had moved a respectable quantity of Newtons, the MessagePad 2000 was billed as the handheld internet computer. An odd way to promote the device when the internal 28.8 mbps modem was optional.

The MessagePad 2000 may have been the best of a bad lot. The processor was ten times faster than the previous iteration of the Newton, but it wasn't enough to catapult the Newton to widespread popularity. The initial price didn't help either; the internet enabled Newton retailed for $950. You could get your hands on a "wireless internet computer" starting March 21, 1997.