iPad runs Newton OS

Hmmm, the iPad isn’t out officially for the masses just yet, but it has already undergone a hack job thanks to developer Jonathan E. Vi. He apparently managed to rig it to be powered by Apple’s ancient Newton OS that was used to run Apple’s own personal data assistant (PDA) from the early 1990s. Of course, this isn’t a full OS per se since it runs on a Newton emulator app, where the iPad’s display will automatically change to that muted green color alongside dim gray text and beloved old Mac fonts. No word on whether the App Store will approve of this, but it does bring back memories of one of the rare failures from Apple. Having said all that, bear in mind that it is never a simple matter to create an emulation for another operating system, so there could very well be a possibility of this being another April Fool’s joke.