My Apple Newton
Just this past fall I went to Channel Camp, which is an Apple seminar. I went with Morgan and he brought along his Newton and used it for many things like the calendar feature (gotta make sure we got up in time for classes), the note-taking features and the to-do lists. I was very interested in this gadget. Morgan kept telling how amazing it was and how it could do all of these tasks. The things that interested me the most was the hand-writing recognition, the to-do lists and the ability to read eBooks.
Before the trip ended Morgan had me sold. I bought an Apple Newton before we even left for home. I received the unit, it was in an almost brand-new condition. I had Morgan install a few applications for me and put an eBook or 2 on there. I’ve been using the Newton since then. I use it to keep track of all my things that I need to get done. I use it to makes lists (food shopping, projects, longer tasks) and just for simple note-taking. I also like how you can flip the orientation of the screen to a horizontal mode or a vertical mode. The vertical mode is especially nice when I am reading an eBook.
Unfortunately Apple no longer makes the Newton so you can only find them on a few websites and eBay. The funny thing is they’re still be sold for about the same price they were sold for when they originally came out.
Hi Don,
Good posting. I teach in the Canadian Studies Program at UVM and this is a topic that comes up frequently in my classes. I’m hoping that Michael Moore’s movie Sicko helps stir things up a bit by showing people what single-payer systems really can be like. All systems have there problems, but the system here is so far from effective that this really would be a much better option for the US. Aside from all the money that the US govt. puts into the healthcare system (which is nearly double the percentage of the GDP put in by countries like Canada), if you factor in what employers have to pay here Americans are getting terrible value for their money. Taking the burden off of employers would make American businesses (both large and small) much, much more competitive nationally and internationally.
Good posting.
I’ve seen few people address the burden placed on employers and worse, the inequity it brings to the system. It’s not about the interests of business—it’s about the interest of all of us. Whenever an expense is wrongly channeled, it introduces inequities and inefficiencies.
Even more rarely discussed is the
economicsense of guaranteed, universal, baseline medical care for all citizens. We should have the basics covered universally.It makes no economic sense to accept gross inefficiencies.
It makes no sense to have people walk around sick, go to emergency rooms for health care, skip preventive medicine because of the cost, or be sub-par, mentally and physically, because they are not getting basic treatment. When a clinic visit costs three days’ wages, people go to work sick and skip their medications.
It also makes no sense to saddle our businesses with an extra cost and place them at a disadvantage in a global market. It is, as you say, a tax which adds a percentage to labor costs for all their US-based employees. Actually, it is worse than a tax since it goes not to the public, but to insurance companies who decide what medical care we are permitted!
Even if we disregard the humane considerations, the current system makes no sense.
With a basic care system covered by all—still a tax, but honest and visible—companies can decide whether to offer add coverage and how much to offer.