Spotted a Newton 130 advertised as not working, and picked it up for $34

Posted 2025-05-09 | Back to blog index

Spotted a Newton 130 advertised as not working, and picked it up for $34. While until now I've had luck with several "not working" devices just being user error, even if it actually doesn't work, it's still worth the price in parts (like the pen! My only other Newton pen has fallen apart, and I've literally never seen another Newton pen for sale, just lots of eMate ones)

Well it just arrived, let's take a look

Newton MessagePad 130, in seemingly good condition

After messing around with the main batteries, the backup battery, the DC jack, the contrast knob and the reset hole a bunch, it's definitely not working right. Twice, seemingly randomly, I did manage to get it to light up with the boot screen and chime, but it went off again in a second.

On closer inspection, there are signs of corrosion on the battery terminals! But it doesn't seem to have gone far - nothing is visible on the dock terminals, the serial port or DC jack.

Let's open it up!

Close up of Newton battery terminals either some small spots of teal Pristine serial port

The logic board looks pristine! No signs of corrosion at all that I can see…

There are definitely signs of corrosion on the inside case though… I'm not sure if this is just light green copper corrosion from fumes/humidity, or if it's the green from battery acid that someone before me has tried to clean??

Pristine Newton 130 logic board Green blotches on the copper RF spray on the inside of the Newton case

Nope, no luck. When I have more time I'll tear it down further and see what things look like under the battery contacts.

Any Newton experts out there have any ideas? Like I said, it did randomly show signs of life twice, so it's not completely dead…

Update on 2025-05-10:

So after finding the MP130 page on the PDA-Soft website, today I decided to take it apart further to see the other side of the board, at U43.

Hmm, he's looking a bit askew.

Poking at it lightly with a tool pick, and just just fell off! Well there's your problem!

Side angle shot of a Newton PCB with a chip that is not flat on the board Top view of a Newton PCB. A chip has come off the board and is lying in the table. There is also a toothpick.

I am utterly incompetent at soldering..

“Oh too much solder, I'll use some solder wick to get rid of it!” Solder wick is now soldered to the board… this is why I'm a software guy!

Anyway here is the result. It ain't pretty but it's in place and nothing is bridged.

A small chip with globs of solder on the pins. Solder wick that has been soldered to a chip A chip that is soldered to a PCB

Holy crap it's fixed?!??! Didn't expect it to actually work!!

A Newton MessagePad that is on and showing a memory info screen with 1024K of memory and Newton OS 2. In the background is a messy desk full of soldering equipment

Backlight seems fine too!!!

Great result! Basically I got this guy for like 1/4 what they usually go for! Gangbusters!

A Newton MP130 held at an angle so you can see the indiglo green backlight

Now the only weird thing is the lid - it seems to have a bit of a bend to it! Is this a common issue (old plastics?) or just an EU model🍌?

Silhouette of a Newton MessagePad. The screen protective plastic flap is bending upwards so it doesn't latch closed

Now for the most important - getting it on

A Newton MessagePad 130 showing a long AppleTalk Zones list, connected to a PhoneNET PLUS adapter. An ImageWriter II and AsanteTalk are also visible in frame

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