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 (opens in new tab)

In late August 1993, Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury turned Apple’s new Newton MessagePad into a national handwriting joke. In the panel that lasted, Michael Doonesbury wrote “Catching on?” and the Newton read it as “Egg freckles.” The gag landed because the product had only just arrived. Apple had shipped the Newton MessagePad that month, selling a […]