Grant Hutchinson

Interface considerations.
Gadget accumulation.
Typography.

Maintainer of the Newton FAQ, Newton Glossary, and NewtonTalk (npub1jre…2r9x) mailing list.

Tootcasting live from Calgary, Alberta.

Personal: https://splorp.com
Typography: https://typostrophe.com
Newton FAQ: https://newtonfaq.com
Newton Glossary: https://newtonglossary.com

Public Key

npub14aesu5mz69a0na4m853ytxraj6wjphzekz98anmeze5r00pnqn3qsgd5dy

NIP-05 Address

splorp_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs27ucw2d3dz7he76an6gj9np7ed8fqm3vmpzn7eau3v6phhsesfcsprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntx8ptkj

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub14aesu5mz69a0na4m853ytxraj6wjphzekz98anmeze5r00pnqn3qsgd5dy

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Last Notes

2026-02-13 00:11:00 UTC

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Just arrived from Japan!
I hope the floppy still works.
#AppleNewton
#MessagePad
#NewtonOS
#NewtonLanguageKit
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/060/419/189/621/413/original/04caf4f61b454322.jpeg

2026-01-23 22:18:12 UTC

Update: I found it!
Attention #AppleNewton users … does anyone happen to have a copy of Enfour’s Japanese Newton Language Kit (NLK)?
It was made available to #MessagePad owners running the Japanese version of #NewtonOS.
Not sure if was a download of on CD. Even an exported copy of the packages would suffice.
Boosts welcome.
https://web.archive.org/web/19981206221059/http://www.enfour.co.jp/newton/news/nlk.html

2025-09-22 22:21:07 UTC

The first Global Newton Users Meetup (GNUM) in over a year is in the works!
Global Newton Users Meetup #16
Saturday, September 27th 2025, 17:00 UTC
Join us on Zoom for a casual get-together for fans, aficionados, developers, and collectors of the #AppleNewton platform.
Details on the @npub1jre…2r9x mailing list:
http://lists.newtontalk.net/pipermail/newtontalk/2025-September/003365.html
Note: The above post shows the original meetup date as September 20th, but the links are correct.
This updated post has the new date:
http://lists.newtontalk.net/pipermail/newtontalk/2025-September/003372.html

2025-09-05 01:29:10 UTC

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Eject!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/149/094/566/482/122/original/98c86eac191110f0.mp4

2025-08-26 03:18:53 UTC

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So “wrote” in the partially future tense?

2025-08-26 01:07:06 UTC

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I would read this book. More information required.
Please and thank you.

2025-08-07 21:51:55 UTC

These beachmade ampersands by photographer @npub1g27…u69c are just what I needed today.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davemorris/albums/72177720312825189/

2025-07-11 20:33:54 UTC

“This iBook was recovered from a field.”
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-laptops/edmonton/1720494206

2025-07-09 01:19:46 UTC

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Oh, sure. He wants proof of statement now.

2025-07-09 01:02:59 UTC

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And they were called that, not specifically referencing the shape, but because if they accidentally swallowed, the hole would still allow air to pass through your air canal.

2025-07-01 00:49:44 UTC

Swoon.
https://indieweb.social/@classicweb/114767203523444952

2025-06-18 18:39:35 UTC

@npub1yqw…ywz8 Heads up! There’s a couple of Hazeltine terminals for sale in your vicinity!
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1714456101

2025-06-06 20:42:10 UTC

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Yeah, went with the Forstner. A fine-toothed curved rasp is my current weapon of choice.

2025-06-06 19:34:28 UTC

TFW you have a 1 ¾" Forstner bit and a 2" bi-metal hole saw, but you need to make a 1 ⅞" hole.

2025-04-30 14:15:38 UTC

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We once had a pair of crows dump an entire package of fish crackers in one of our bird baths.

2025-04-12 18:31:27 UTC

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The Old Dutch Seal of Approval®

2025-03-23 19:06:33 UTC

Putting out a call for #RetroComputing help!
Does anyone in the Boston area (or thereabouts) have with experience with the #AppleLisa? The Museum of Printing in Haverhill, MA is looking for someone to help them get their Lisa system booted.
https://museumofprinting.org
If you think you might be able to help, ping me and I’ll put you in touch with the appropriate folks.
Boosts welcome.

2025-03-23 02:00:09 UTC

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I can’t seem to see the described effects on mobile (using either Vivaldi or Safari) on iOS. It doesn’t seem to be mentioned as a limitation anywhere in the article.

2025-03-22 16:41:01 UTC

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Maybe you and I need to meet in the middle and set up a garage sale in Red Deer.

2025-03-22 15:16:14 UTC

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And then there’s the pile Sun servers, the IBM RS6000, the “mini fridge” RAID drive … all these things I saved from the dump, but I know I won’t ever do anything with.
We really need some vintage computer swap meets in Alberta.

2025-03-22 05:46:08 UTC

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This is the main reason I’m trying to find a home for my pieces of a DEC PDP-8/M that I’ve had for nearly four decades, including a disk drive and DECWriter printer.

2025-03-20 23:17:43 UTC

Waiting for my plane at #YYC … starting off this weekend’s adventure to @npub1q3e…l84l’s Interim Computer Festival in Seatttle.
And yes, there is a Newton #MessagePad in my carry on.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/197/309/291/919/557/original/033d51a1ba6517cf.jpeg

2025-03-18 15:44:43 UTC

Worked in The Bay’s camera department (across from the candy counter … a dangerous combination) at Calgary’s Market Mall location while I was finishing high school in 1982.
The store was falling apart then.
https://mastodon.social/@pxlnv/114175748915372242
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/184/202/823/754/559/original/5d1b104ffbc900fa.jpeg

2025-03-14 18:40:42 UTC

This just in.
The newest addition to the nerd library is a beginner’s guide to #AppleNewton programming written by the infamous Yosuke “Basuke” Suzuki.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/162/246/515/880/893/original/9a7f91a4c9c4309d.jpeg

2025-03-10 20:59:06 UTC

Ok, #photography folks … does anyone out there happen to have a first generation Luma Loop camera strap (the one with the beefy plastic clasp) in their equipment stash that they’d be willing to sell?
https://web.archive.org/web/20091212224840/http://www.luma-labs.com/products/lumaloop

2025-02-17 15:58:45 UTC

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I have copy of the DVD contents. Pretty sure that Larry’s preeentation was only a partial snippet in an overview video.
Let me check.

2025-02-17 05:02:18 UTC

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I wish I could confirm this, but I seem to recall that Lewis Miller (Sir Izaac) recorded all of the sessions, but only some of them made it to YouTube. He may still have unpublished video from the remaining sessions.

2025-02-14 17:08:16 UTC

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I can’t even imagine how many additional PhoneNet dongles I’d need to accomplish that here.

2025-02-14 16:58:47 UTC

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The power is in your hands. You are close to unstoppable now.

2025-02-11 21:00:46 UTC

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We ran our own DNS server as well, on a 7x00 series Power Macintosh using QuickDNS by Men&Mice … back when they were still a young company based in Iceland.

2025-02-11 19:46:40 UTC

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EIMS.
http://www.eudora.co.nz/

2025-02-11 19:22:19 UTC

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The best example I can show you is this pile of goodies stuffed into my 2002 Volvo V70CC approximately eight years ago.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/986/878/492/631/350/original/42ac20b05656a3d7.jpeg

2025-02-11 18:14:36 UTC

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Do you guys all drive Mercedes?

2025-02-09 03:16:58 UTC

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Also, please don’t do terrible, terrible things.

2025-02-08 21:55:22 UTC

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Of the nine MessagePads on my desk, four are 2100s. I just sold one of my extras to a fella in Ontario, in fact. There’s more in the basement bins. For you … just cover the postage.

2025-02-08 21:38:57 UTC

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If you’re interested in tinkering with a working Newton, I’d be happy to send you one of my spares. Any model you like. I currently have nine just on my desk in my office! I can only use so many of them at the same time, right?

2025-02-08 20:54:45 UTC

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Ok, so apparently I have five (five!) new old stock replacement screen assemblies for what I believe are for MP110/120 devices. These do not have the backlight, so they’re definitely not for the MP130.
Have you disassembled your MP120 yet?
It would be prudent to visually compare what I have to what you’re trying to replace, right?
Here are a couple of photos:
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0db5D-tbEgF8EkUlj5xuqqNvw

2025-02-07 16:07:44 UTC

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I might just have one of those too!

2025-02-07 16:07:03 UTC

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Good find, Dan. The older versions of SnapMail down the page seem to be System 7/8 compatible.

2025-02-07 15:55:22 UTC

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Guys! Guys! I just checked my software database and apparently I have a boxed version of C&G’s SnapMail 1.0 in the archive. (Unfortunately, without the manual.) It seems to be a 5-pack license, according to my notes. I also have a floppy with the trial version of the 1.0.1 release.
I’ll have to go to my storage unit to pull it out and make sure the disk in still readable, but hey!

2025-01-10 19:09:13 UTC

If you need another reason to appreciate being Canadian, here you go …
“Apple Intelligence is not available when Siri is set to English (Canada).”
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/805/631/745/269/278/original/2d7348d4905aacee.jpeg

2024-12-08 21:45:50 UTC

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I wonder if someone else got to the first link before me? The download page indicates that links will be deleted after downloading.
At any rate … got the second one. Thanks!

2024-12-08 20:05:24 UTC

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Hrm … s that the correct link? The page says the transfer has been deleted.

2024-12-08 05:00:55 UTC

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Would you be able to scan that article for me? I’d appreciate a copy for the Image Club “archives” I seem to have accumulated.

2024-12-08 01:06:15 UTC

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Holy moley! I totally forgot about that interview.

2024-12-04 22:26:04 UTC

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The last time I checked eBay, the pickings were slim to none. Maybe I had a weird filter on my searches. I’ll give Yahoo! Japan a try this time … only used it for #AppleNewton bits in the past.

2024-12-04 22:12:50 UTC

Is it possible to buy new old stock #MiniDiscs anywhere these days?

2024-12-03 22:56:43 UTC

A fascinating article related to two of my favourite obsessions.
https://arun.is/blog/leica-font/

2024-10-21 20:23:31 UTC

Z80 Sans is an #OpenType font that disassembles #Z80 processor instructions through clever use of GSUB and GPOS tables.
#Typography
#RetroComputing
#NerdWizardry
https://github.com/nevesnunes/z80-sans

2024-10-10 23:27:33 UTC

Believe it or not, all of these #Xserve and #XRAID bits are still available. Pick one or pick them all. Cover the shipping and they could be yours.
https://mastodon.social/@splorp/113227827994142432

2024-09-17 17:53:23 UTC

Ok, #RetroComputing folks … does anyone have a copy of the December 2008 issue of Laptop magazine in their stash they’d be willing to part with?
This issue contains an article on repurposing your old #PDA and includes a photo of one of my #AppleNewton devices. The author was supposed to send me a copy of the magazine when it was published, but it never happened.
A reference to the issue from the @npub1umd…wfr7 …
http://web.archive.org/web/20081217102251/http://www.laptopmag.com/issue/issues.aspx

2024-09-13 00:25:26 UTC

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Technically, this unit is known as a “Video Titler” … which just looks awkward, if you ask me.

2024-09-12 19:33:55 UTC

Currently on the bench.
3M Datavision Video Products D-1032 Character Generator
A government surplus pick up from about three decades ago. Previously used at the University of Calgary in the faculty of law.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/126/252/655/232/983/original/7ad1515847789b06.jpeg

2024-08-06 20:55:16 UTC

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Well, if you know any other Canadians “enthusiasts” looking for an assortment of ISA cards, let me know.

2024-08-06 20:46:55 UTC

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I have a Sound Blaster Vibra 16S (CT2900) card in one of my bins (along with a bunch of other ISA cards that I’ll never use). Is this something you’d be interested in, like super cheap?