The Legacy of Apple's Newton MessagePad: A Humorous Misstep in Tech History
In August 1993, Garry Trudeau spent a week turning Apple’s new Newton MessagePad into a Doonesbury joke, including a panel where ‘Catching on?’ became ‘Egg freckles,’ and the $699 handheld never fully outran the punchline

Image: Maketecheasier
In August 1993, Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury comic lampooned Apple's Newton MessagePad, humorously depicting its handwriting recognition failure with the phrase 'Egg freckles.' Despite its initial shortcomings, the Newton paved the way for future mobile devices and contributed to the evolution of personal digital assistants.
- 01The Newton MessagePad, launched in August 1993 for $699, aimed to revolutionize personal computing with handwriting recognition.
- 02Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury comic famously mocked the device's flaws, particularly its inability to accurately interpret handwriting.
- 03Despite early failures, Apple improved the Newton's technology, leading to later models like the MessagePad 2000, which featured enhanced performance.
- 04Steve Jobs discontinued the Newton in 1998, prioritizing the Macintosh operating system and facing competition from devices like the PalmPilot.
- 05The Newton's legacy includes influencing modern mobile computing and leaving a cultural imprint through the memorable 'Egg freckles' joke.
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In late August 1993, Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury comic strip humorously highlighted the flaws of Apple's Newton MessagePad, particularly its handwriting recognition capabilities. The infamous panel where 'Catching on?' was misread as 'Egg freckles' became emblematic of the device's shortcomings. Launched for $699, the Newton was Apple's ambitious attempt to create a personal digital assistant, featuring a 20 MHz ARM processor and a monochrome display. Although the handwriting recognition technology initially struggled, Apple made significant improvements in later models, such as the MessagePad 2000, which boasted a faster processor and better functionality. However, when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he discontinued the Newton line, citing a need to focus on the Macintosh operating system and the competitive landscape dominated by PalmPilot and Windows CE devices. Despite its commercial failure, the Newton laid the groundwork for future mobile devices and is remembered for its humorous misrepresentation in popular culture, encapsulated in the enduring phrase 'Egg freckles.'
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