Newton MessagePad beats Samsung UMPC
Two of the most high-profile devices in this category are the Apple Newton and the Samsung Q1. Though separated by over a decade, they share a form factor, work in a similar way and were designed with the intention of redefining how users interact with computers.
You can read all of the details for yourself, but the main reason why the Newton MP2k kicked the Q1's butt is battery life. The Newton gets 30 hours of run time from a pair of AA batteries while the Q1 gets a paltry 2.5 hours of run time on a proprietary battery back. Oh, and there's the price:
The Samsung is on its way down, but I'm going to give it one last slap before it eats canvas. The Samsung costs £799, but you can pick up a Newton on eBay for £50.
The Q1 has several advantages over the Newton: color display, WiFi, Bluetooth and SRS surround-sound - obviously their tongue is pretty heavily planted in cheek. It makes you think what Apple could do today if they put their mind to building a tablet Mac.