Apple Messagepad 130 - Blast From The Past... Apple's PDA!
Written: Feb 01 '04 (Updated Feb 01 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Useful, Lower Cost, Newton Is User-Friendly
Cons: AA Batteries, Monochrome, No Major OS
The Bottom Line: The Apple Messagepad 130 might be old, but it's still an excellent PDA even in our age.
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Apple MessagePad 130 |
The Apple Messagepad 130 is Apple's PDA from around a decade ago! After first seeing Apple in the PDA section of epinions, I was very curious as to whether they made any or what this was. Well, finding a long-time Macintosh fanatic was a sure way to find one of these. Well, I found one. The Apple Messagepad 130 was stashed away in a book shelf since he upgraded through Palm PDA's in the years closer to our present day. However, the Apple Messagepad 130 still worked, and I got to get a peek at this "antique" that still would serve an excellent purpose today.
-Price-
*You're not going to find the Apple Messagepad 130 in any stores or anything. It's long gone from the shelves, but it's still readily available on eBay! You can find it from around $40 to anywhere just a bit under $100 depending on what's included with this PDA. While the Apple Messagepad 130 might be years old, it's still a very formidable machine. I thought it'd be interesting to compare to today's entry-level PDA, the Palm Zire with 2MB of memory, 16MhZ processor, and monochrome screen. Even for its age, the Apple Messagepad 130 sports a faster ARM 20MhZ processor with 8MB of ROM which is capable of surpassing the Palm Zire in that aspect. However, the Palm Zire 21 does offer a faster processor and more memory than the Apple Messagepad 130. But considering the fact that you can purchase it for less than the $79.95 MSRP of the Zire, it's more comparable that way. The Apple Messagepad 130 runs on Newton OS 2.0 which I'm highly unfamiliar with it since I've never seen it on a PDA before. However, following Apple's approach to user-friendliness, it proves to be a fine operating system. It's very well organized and allows you to carry out all of the functions that you need a PDA to do with ease. This maybe years old, but for a die-hard Macintosh fanatic, it's a fine piece of equipment. It might not have the bells and whistles of today's hot PDA's, but it sure performs pretty damn well for something of its age. For someone who is looking for a lot of performance for the price, a used Apple Messagepad 130 from eBay will be a great machine that won't burn your wallet.
-Performance-
*The Apple Messagepad 130 runs on an ARM 20MhZ processor which was probably the best thing since sliced bread back in the day. With the Newton 2.0 operating system, the Apple Messagepad 130 carries out all of its functions with adequate speed. It might not be able to compete to today's multi-hundred Megahertz processors, but as with an efficient operating system, it works pretty well. Despite its age, it still manages to provide you with the ultimate in mobility. It offers LAN networking which you can check your e-mail which today not every PDA offers. So you can send e-mails, faxes, and messages all from this mobile device. The Apple Messagepad 130 has a nice glare-resistant screen which is also back-lit so that you have the ability to use the PDA in just about any possible lighting conditions. As for something dating so many years back, it's exciting to see how this PDA still can keep up with today's PDA devices.
-Versatility-
*The Apple Messagepad 130 is an excellent mobile device for most part. The main difference with the Apple Messagepad 130 compared to today's devices is that it uses a serial link to the computer versus the USB linkage that you find with most of today's PDA devices. That's not a big deal since computers still have serial jacks being built into them. However, USB is faster, easier to use, and more prevelant in today's market. You can still SYNC it to a Windows or Macintosh machine to transfer data. That's what may make something like the Palm Zire more appealing than the Apple Messagepad 130. As for internet, the Apple Messagepad 130 has LAN capabilities which allow you to carry out the functions you need such as e-mail, fax, and other messages all from your mobile device. You can use internet cards or connect it to a mobile device for these abilities. Also, the Apple Messagepad 130 has an infrared port which allows you for fast data transfers using it between another device or computer. Even for something this old, it still has all of that! Compared to today's PDA's which primarily run on Pocket PC or Palm OS, the Apple Messagepad 130 runs on Newton 2.0 which is a user-friendly operating system, but lacks the upgradability and versatility that today's major operating systems have. So if you just need the bare bones user-friendly operating system where you won't need extensive upgradability and software add-ons, then Newton 2.0 should serve you pretty well. The operating system has an icon-based display similar to Palm OS which makes it great with PDA-illiterate users. It's interface is similar to today's PDA since it uses a stylus and has the buttons at the bottom of the screen for quick access to different functions. Also, this device uses a backlit screen which allows you to use it in dark light settings, and some monochrome PDA's fail to provide this. Ok, I'm pretty sure the PDA's of yesteryears had these too =P One thing in comparison to today's PDA's that I don't find so hot about the Apple Messagepad 130 is its power source. Rather than taking advantage of today's lithium batteries, it runs on four AA alkaline batteries. This gives it a shorter battery life than the lithium battery counterparts, plus this can be very costly if you use disposable alkaline batteries. But on the bright side, you can use a Nickel Cadmium battery pack which will allows for a longer battery life (What I used). With the NiCd pack you can charge your Apple Messagepad 130 more conveniently much like today's PDA's. But if you're using standard AA batteries, it's more annoying. For the price you pay and for what it was back in the day, it's quite a bit of versatility.
-Looks & Styling-
*Probably one of the finest points of the Apple Messagepad 130 is its classic sexy "Apple look". It brings me back to those days of the old Performa and pre-G3 computers from Apple. Sigh, those sure were the days. Even though it doesn't have a color screen, the monochrome screen still gives it a good look. The Apple Messagepad 130 is a very professional and good looking PDA. You should be able to impress anyone with its very professional looks. Plus the classic Apple logo on the bottom will definitely get attention from your Apple-savvy friends.
-The Verdict-
*Many years ago, the Apple Messagepad 130 must've been a lot like a Ferrari when it came to PDA's. The best on the market competing with the big boys, such as Palm and Handspring. However, times have obviously changed and so have the devices. But the Apple Messagepad 130 still manages to perform just like what's in the market today. The Newton 2.0 operating system gives you excellent functions plus allows for networking. Even compared to today's low-end market such as the Palm Zire, the Apple Messagepad 130 puts up a fight. It costs less or about the same price as the Zire, and offers more memory and processor speed, despite its extravagant age. If you don't neccessarily need something like Palm OS or a color display, then you should really consider the Apple Messagepad 130 because it's far from being dead.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): Under 100
Recommended for: Gadget Lovers - Trendy and Hip
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soupcraze
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Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
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I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
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