August/September 1995
Newton Software Review
Revelar Connection Utility
Type directly into your Newton
It can be argued that a computer is powerful in direct proportion to the
amount of information it has access to. Everyone loves the idea of a pocket-size
computer that stores vast stores of information, available instantaneously.
Creating small and powerful computing devices is relatively easy; getting
all of your important data into one can be tough. Revelar Software's new
Revelar Connection Utility for Macintosh 1.3 (RCU) is a solution to the
data-entry bottleneck when using a Newton device. Many Newton users need
to transfer lots of existing information into their Names, Dates, and Note
Pad databases. Version 2.0 of Apple's Newton Connection Kit (NCK) provides
an adequate mechanism for converting and transferring existing data in a
variety of personal computer file formats but it is a bit clunky to use
on a daily basis. RCU augments the NCK by connecting directly into the Newton's
built-in applications so you can view, correct, and add data right into
the fields without ever touching the Newton pen. The software will also
accept tab-delimited ASCII text to fill out your card fields automatically.
RCU consists of a small connection package for the Newton and a Macintosh
application. On the Mac side RCU does a good job of providing a simple user
interface to the Newton applications, though a few minor annoyances remain.
When you first connect to the Newton RCU doesn't automatically list all
the Unfiled notes, which, if you work like I do, are the ones you are most
likely to want immediate access to. RCU requires you to specify that you
wish to see All notes, then you can select Unfiled to see a listing. Version
1.3 of RCU also requires you to use a serial cable connection instead of
the much more convenient LocalTalk network connector. There are also a few
cosmetic screen redraw glitches that need to be ironed out. Revelar says
they will be releasing a new version this Summer that will fix bugs and
add new features including the much needed LocalTalk connectivity. There
should be a Windows version of RCU by the time you read this. There is a
demo version of RCU that is freely available wherever you download Newton
shareware. I found mine on eWorld, though I'm sure it will be everywhere
by the time you read this. The demo version gives you a chance to check
out the software but is limited to only two items per database. If you need
to hand enter loads of data into your Newton, RCU may be just your type.
Category: Data Entry
Contact: Revelar (800) 669-5191
Memory needs: 82K
System needs: Newton hardware 700K Macintosh disk space
List price: $29.95 disk
Pen Computing Issue #6