Apple Newton MessagePad Line (1993-1998)

Apple Newton MessagePad H1000

Under the guidance of previous Pepsi CEO, John Scully, Apple released the Apple Newton MessagePad H1000 in 1993 - almost a year and a half after it was announced. The Newton was Apple’s first handheld device, and also the world’s first PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The impressive feature of the Newton was the handwriting recognition. People could write on the screen using the included stylus, and the computer would change the writing to computerized text. Unfortunately, the feature was extremely buggy, and often changed the handwriting to unwanted words. This ultimately caused Newton to fail. Even though Newton was failing, Apple continued to release new models, all with improved handwriting recognition. Unfortunately, by the time the technology caught on, the Palm Pilot had already dominated the market. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he eliminated the Newton line.

Source: eBay Auction

Apple Newton MessagePad 130 

The Apple Newton MessagePad 130 was released in 1996 as the third model of the Apple Newton. It was the first Newton with a back lit screen. 

Source: eBay Auction