Two New Newtons -- Apple today announced two new Newtons: the MessagePad 2000 and the eMate 300. The MessagePad 2000 is a significantly enhanced "traditional" MessagePad with a 161.9 MHz StrongARM 110 processor, 5 MB of RAM, two PC Card slots, a 100 dpi screen with 16 levels of grey, plus word-processing, spreadsheet, email, and Web software - all for an expected retail price of less than $1,000. Conversely, the eMate 300 features a completely new notebook form factor with a built-in keyboard, a 480 by 320 backlit screen (with 16 levels of grey), a 25 MHz ARM 710 processor, and a new productivity suite with word processing and drawing programs, along with dictionary, calculator, address book, and calendar functions. Apple is aiming the eMate 300 at "distributed learning" environments, and it should be available for less than $800. Both the MessagePad 2000 and the eMate 300 run the Newton 2.1 operating system and should be available in the first quarter of 1997. [GD]
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Option-Click AirPort Menu for Network Details
If you hold down the Option key while clicking the AirPort menu in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, you'll see not just the names of nearby Wi-Fi networks, but additional details about the selected network. Details include the MAC address of the network, the channel used by the base station, the signal strength (a negative number; the closer to zero it is, the stronger the signal), and the transmit rate in megabits per second showing actual network throughput. If you hover the cursor over the name of a network to which you're not connected, a little yellow pop-up shows the signal strength and type of encryption.
Written by
Adam C. Engst
Two New Newtons
by Geoff Duncan 
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