Apple’s Newton Finding Novel Application

By now, Apple Computer’s extra emphasis on serving as a catalyst for vertical market solutions should be no secret. While some have felt that this represents a more than humble retreat from the hype that surrounded the Newton’s launch, others have rightfully viewed this more as a validation in what they believed all along—that the Newton is a very viable platform for a range of specific problems.

Apple’s Newton family has several features that make it more than suitable for mobile applications. These include:

• high portability in terms of size and weight
• expandable through a PCMCIA slot and AppleTalk compatible serial port
• a widely available, high-level development environment

Add to this, some of the new features of the MessagePad 120—including more memory, an upgradeable ROM, and more power to the PCMCIA slot—and it’s clear that the Newton is on its way to becoming an established platform for development.

The most important factor, especially in terms of vertical markets, may be the Newton Toolkit (NTK). While the NTK has been roundly criticized for its failure to provide access to low-level interfaces, the clamor has come mostly from commercial software developers that need to optimize their often complex applications.

The vertical markets, on the other hand, frequently look for even higher-level tools with which they can create data collection and decision support applications. In addition, the NTK has performed admirably in attracting a rich body of shareware which, when enumerated, represents an order of magnitude more than its nearest competitor.

In this article, we’ll briefly outline four Newton vertical applications in use today on three continents. Each application applies the best features of the Newton to solving its particular problem.

Restaurant Safety

An important aspect of the food and restaurant industry centers around the compliance and maintenance of operational standards and product consistency. In many jurisdictions, this requirement is verified through on-site inspections.

Audits International is a Highland Park, Illinois safety and auditing company that provides a comprehensive and objective data gathering service in this important industry. Up until recently, inspectors completed their data collection and preliminary analysis equipped with pencil and paper.

However, based on trials conducted in late 1994, the company elected to automate the operation of its over 100 field auditors throughout North America using Apple’s Newton MessagePad 120, Wright Strategies’ OmniForm data collection software, and Canon’s Bubble Jet Printer.

Audits International initially tried their hand at Newton development, dropping this in favor of using the OmniForm environment. The company cited the ease of implementation, extensive communication capabilities, and reduced cost compared to native application development in its selection of OmniForms.

In addition to the items listed above, each auditor also carries a Newton External Fax/Modem, 2 MB PCMCIA card, and Newton Print Pack. At each location, the auditor collects information in response to over 200 questions that make up a normal audit. Using radio buttons, check boxes, and other input mechanisms, the OmniForm software records the data.

The system scores the audit by performing complex calculations. Using the portable printer, the auditor prints a seven page report at the site which is given to the restaurant manager. Data collected on the Newton is also transmitted back to Audit International’s headquarters, where the OmniForm Server extracts the data and exports it into a FileMaker Pro database.

Using the new system, Audits International claims to be able to deliver reports on hundreds of restaurants in a matter of days instead of weeks.

Making Car Sales A Friendly Experience

The purchase of many big-ticket items, such as automobiles, tend to be a back-andforth experience, namely back-and-forth between a desk and the vehicle. Chrysler Jeep Imports UK, the sole importer of Chrysler vehicles to the UK, has decided to cut out a few steps, literally.

By adopting the Newton MessagePad running special software called Jeep QuotePad, Chrysler Jeep Imports is providing its network of 85 dealers with a menu pricing system that enables them to access both sales and after-sales information without leaving the vehicle or interrupting the discussion.

The QuotePad software was designed by Chrysler Jeep Imports, and developed in under four months by Nebu UK. The system, now in use at every Jeep dealership in the United Kingdom, enables sales personnel to establish and maintain a person-to-person relationship with the customer while accessing information important to the customer.

The system also enables the professionals to perform sales related activity outside of the showroom. For a product such as a recreational vehicle, sales can often take place at country and sporting events.

Home Health Care Down Under

The quality of health care is an important issue in every country, and with spiraling costs, the option of providing home health service where feasible is drawing serious attention. The attraction is more than cost, of course. Certain studies indicate that patients recover quicker in a familiar and comfortable environment. In fact, the mere presence of a window looking outdoors has been found to help.

As anyone who has recently visited a hospital knows, health care is an information intensive industry. In order for home health care to work, a certain amount of this information must be remotely accessible. In addition, information must be collected and processed not only to provide proper care, but also to be eligible for timely reimbursement from a private or public insurer.

In Australia, the Queensland-based Blue Nurses are working to improve their home care services through the use of Newton MessagePads. The system will be implemented by a consortium led by Fujitsu Australia Limited and includes DataCare, a Queensland software company, and Apple Computer Australia.

As leader of the consortium, Fujitsu will provide the project management and systems integration. Software development for the Newton will be performed by Fujitsu’s Software Development Services Group in Brisbane, with support provided by Apple’s Pacific Center of Excellence for Mobile Information Systems.

Before starting their patient roster, the Blue Nurses download data into their Newton from a central database. They update this information and record their activities as they complete them. Initially, 150 MessagePads will be put out in the field, with more in the future as systems and procedures are refined.

Getting the Word Out

The ultimate success of retail distribution is getting precisely the right number of a product to the right location, at the right time. More information helps, of course, but this information changes quickly and is costly to obtain.

Comag Magazine Marketing, the third largest magazine distributor in the United Kingdom, recently adopted the use of one hundred MessagePads for its new division, Focal Point Retail Marketing. By using the MessagePads to gather data from retail outlets and compile reports, Focal Point plans for a 30 percent productivity gain in providing its custom merchandising service to retailers.

The software used in this project, called NewtonFAST, was developed by TBS Systems. NewtonFAST replaces a paper-based system and, in addition to aiding data collection, performs functions that were difficult by paper alone. These include car route planning which can reduce trip mileage costs.

Apple Computer
20525 Mariani Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014,
(408) 996-1010

Apple Computer UK
Russell Brady
+44 081-730-2480

Apple Computer Australia PTY Limited
Sue Sara
A.C.N. 002 510 054
Tel: 02 452 8012

Fujitsu Australia Ltd.
Bob Brammah
A.C.N. 001 011 427
Tel: 07 858 3357

Wright Strategies
731 South Highway 101, Suite 12
Solana Beach, CA 92075
Jay Wright
(619) 794-2494
(619) 794-2497 (fax)