Newton Inc, the nascent independent company recently spun-off from Apple Computer Inc (CI No 3,167) is having its coming out party this week at PC Expo in New York. The event marks the first major industry appearance for Newton, which has taken the opportunity to introduce its business focus. Newton says its initial mission will be to develop products and technologies for markets where the MessagePad 2000 has done well, especially the healthcare, sales force automation and field service industries. Newton will also serve the education market through its partnership with Apple, who will continue to support and market the eMate product line as a licensee of Newton. It intends to use its proprietary technology, including the Newton operating system and development tools, to create software and peripheral products for these target markets. To increase its visibility at the show, Newton has deployed 20 volunteers to roam the floor and offer assistance, armed with MessagePad 2000s loaded with information on PC Expo, such as company booth numbers and keynote speeches, as well as information on public transportation, restaurants and Broadway shows. Newton, which claims that sales of MessagePads have roughly tripled this quarter, has predicted that it will achieve profitability in its first year.
