Newton Applications Must Be Easy to Use

Emphasize Tapping over Writing

On Newton, users input everything with a stylus (or a fingernail in a pinch). They can write words or tap on things. Actually, you could literally make everything the user sees tappable (a good example of a fully tappable application is an interactive book). This raises an important point for you to remember:

Let's look at an application that has learned this lesson by comparing the built-in Names application from Version 1.x with the revamped version found in the 2.0 OS.

On the left of FIGURE 1.7 is the 1.x version. Notice that every line is a plain old input line. This design required the user to do an enormous amount of writing. As any veteran Newton owner will tell you, entering names in the 1.x Names application was an excruciating and time-consuming process best left to moments you had nothing better to do than bite your nails. The new Names application on the right in FIGURE 1.7 shows a grim appreciation of what 1.x users had to go through. Most every item has a picker associated with it so that entering similar items in the card is a snap. A keyboard also comes up by default, making the input of unique items much easier as well.

FIGURE 1.7 : The 1.X and 2.0 Names application.


Learning from Apple's mistakes and improvements is cheaper than making the mistakes yourself. Tapping is one of the most intuitive gestures on the Newton, so use it as much as possible. Shun writing.


An online version of Programming for the Newton using Macintosh, 2nd ed. ©1996, 1994, Julie McKeehan and Neil Rhodes.

Last modified: 1 DEC 1996