While it’s true there are projects out there that are striving to keep the Newton up to date, I’m simply running into the limitation of the hardware. Namely the LCD screen is fading beyond the ability of the contrast control to compensate.

There are options. I could get a replacement screen, or even buy a used Newton that’s still in good working order. However I felt it was the right time to move on.

There are things I’m going to miss. The awesome battery life for one thing, the flash ram for another. Why is that important? Well if you’re a Palm owner, you know what happens when you battery runs out. You lose everything stored in the device unless you get a new battery in there pretty quick. That doesn’t happen with the Newton. I could pull the battery out, let it sit for a couple days and when I powered it back on everything would still be there.

The two other things I’m going to miss are the screen size and the handwriting recognition. I’ve been told constantly that the Newton’s screen was too big, but for me it was perfect. Large enough that I can easily display and read my notes. The screen size also made it great for taking notes. I could write in my own handwriting and wasn’t limited to one character at a time.

So what’s the replacement? Well I’ve considered going back to my Day-Timer, but instead I’ve opted for another device; the Sony-Ericsson P800. This is a smart phone, in the sense that it combines the functions of a PDA and a cell phone. It’s a remarkable device in it’s own right; GSM/GPRS, Calendar, Address Book, Bluetooth, Web Browser, etc.

This device met my requirements in a replacement; a non-Microsoft operating system, Address and Calendar synchronization, and the ability to use it as a modem with my computer.

Why is a non-Microsoft OS a criteria? When a company becomes so big that they can produce crap and still make a profit, it’s time to give my money to the little guy. Granted Sony-Ericsson isn’t exactly the little guy, but Sony is a company that is far more focused on providing a quality user experience. I want to be able to use this device without thinking about how I have to use it.

Address and Calendar synchronization were the other major factors. I keep a lot of addresses in my Newton, and I haven’t been able to synchronize it to anything since Apple discontinued it and support dried up. True, there are some projects out there to keep the Newton synchronizing with Apple’s iApps, but I use Lotus Notes in my work environment and I want to be able to sync with that as well. The P800 keeps me covered on both sides, synchronizing with Notes for my work, and with the iApps on my Macs at home. All of my contacts up to date with no manual intervention. Change something once on one device and that change is propagated to all devices. Sweet.

The third criteria is the ability to use the device as a modem. Most cell phones can be used as a modem, but what puts the P800 into a very small group is the GPRS service. Depending on service availability, the unit will always have access to the internet. I can use that access on the phone itself, or I can extend that access to my laptop. This is important to me as I’m occasionally stuck in airports without any way to conduct my business. Bluetooth connectivity takes this one step farther and makes the connection between laptop and phone wireless.

There are cell providers that offer data services, but the selling point for the P800 is the fact that it uses a world wide standard (GSM/GPRS). When I travel I can take the phone and the service with me. Additionally, the service is not tied to one provider or even one kind of phone. So my options remain open in the future.

You’ll notice I’m not listing the ability to take notes. While you certainly could do so with this device, I’m going back to my notepad for that. When I scribble notes I need more space and functionality than the current generation of devices can give me. In other words, I’m replacing my Newton with the P800 and a notebook.

When the meetings are over I will still have to transpose my scribbling into my laptop before I can do anything useful with it, but at least a notebook allows me to scribble in a useful manor.

So the P800 isn’t a total replacement, it’s simply the best thing I could find right now. Will it work the way I think it will? Since I’ve had the device less than a week, I can’t really say. My brief experience with it has already demonstrated that it can do the major things I wanted, however in the long term I can only hope that the perfect device is yet to come. I really would like to ditch that note book and go paperless.