Meantime the second generation MessagePad, code-named Lindy, duly appeared at $600 under the tag MessagePad 110. Apple reports that where it originally pitched the Newton as a consumer device, up to 70% of software developers working on Newton products are companies or institutions interested in creating application-specific versions by writing software for things such as utility meter-readers or nurses. The new model has 1Mb of available memory, three times as much as on the original, the Nickel Cadmium batteries last longer, and charge in two to three hours. It features a protective lid, a round telescopic pen, and a narrower shape and it adds the concept of electronic ink for deferred handwriting recognition, offers letter-by-letter recognition, easier addition of new names to personal wordlist and faster infra-red transfers. The company also launched a MessagePad 100 versionof the original with the new, improved software functionality of the 110 in the original case, at $500 from April. Upgrading existing Newtons with the new software costs $100 from April. The Newton Connection v2.0, at $100, enables users to exchange MessagePad information with common desktop word-processing, spreadsheet and database applications running on the Mac. A version for Windows is set for later. The firm also confirmed that it has licensed its Newton technology to Toshiba Corp.
