CHAPTER 1
Newton and Its Users
1-10 Design for the Newton System
Design for the Newton System 1
In addition to the general user interface principles presented in the previous
section, you should keep in mind the guidelines in this section as you design
software specifically for the Newton system.

Observe the Built-In Applications 1

Your software will coexist with built-in Newton applications and services.
On an Apple MessagePad they include the Notepad, Names File, Date Book,
In/Out Box, Filing, Routing, Find, Assist, and others. If your application has
functions analogous to those in the built-in applications and services, use
the same mechanisms. Users will be accustomed to them and will expect
other software to work in the same way. You can most easily match the built-
in applications and services by using the system proto templates in the
Newton Toolkit.
You can extend the Newton interface if you need to, but make sure your
extensions retain the original look and feel.

Use the Common Pool of Data 1

All built-in Newton applications and services can access a common pool of
data, and so can your Newton software. This pool is the information a user
enters into the Newton device. Since all applications have access to this data,
a user can work more efficiently—because each piece of information needs to
be entered only once. Thereafter, the data can be accessed and used in many
different ways. Your application can read and write this data. Put it to the
user’s advantage.