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Apple Newton

A series of handheld assistants sold from 1993 to 1998, the first with handwriting recognition.

Apple developed and sold the Newton from 1993 to 1998. It was an early personal digital assistant. The term itself came from the Newton, which was the first device to feature handwriting recognition.

Apple introduced it on May 29, 1992, and shipments began on August 2, 1993. Apple invested in Acorn Computers, which developed a special ARM6-based processor for it.

Why it matters

Bugs and problems with handwriting recognition caused negative publicity after launch, and sales fell well below what Apple expected. The Newton still helped define the handheld assistant category.

Key facts

  • Introduced May 29, 1992.
  • Shipments began August 2, 1993.
  • Sold from 1993 to 1998.
  • First device with handwriting recognition.
  • Used an ARM6-based processor made with Acorn.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Apple Newton", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton, accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. Wikipedia, "Personal digital assistant", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_digital_assistant, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.