Min1123May 27, 2024
Grant Hutchinson

UPDATE!

I have a solid lead … thanks for all the help!

Hey, Mastodon … I’m trying to track down an #AppleNewton developer named Stephen D. Cronin.

He worked at #AMD and operated a software company called TapTech based out of Austin, Texas in the late 90s. I’ve managed to contact his former software partner, Francis Preve … but Francis lost touch with Stephen years ago.

Together they released a sequencer program for #NewtonOS called NR404 and I’m hoping the source code still exists somewhere.

May 26, 2024 at 6:22pmMastonaut
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 26, 2024
Well that certainly blew up my notifications. Thanks to everyone for the boosts.
Show threadalastair87 (old account)May 26, 2024
@splorp There seems to be a binary, possibly for a PalmOS version on archive.org but no source code unfortunately.
Show threadalastair87 (old account)May 26, 2024
@splorp Very long shot but maybe Dave of Dave's Garage on YouTube knows him? I'm thinking they would have been running software companies around the same time.
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 26, 2024
@alastair I’ll give Dave a shout. It couldn’t hurt.
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 26, 2024
@alastair I have the Newton package and documentation, but the source code would be a really exciting find.
Show threadMadeInDex 📰🌎May 26, 2024
@splorp The #doxxing #detectives begin their work 😂
Show threadvga256May 26, 2024

@splorp i assume you've checked out steve cronin, former VP of MMOTradeVault.com?

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/steve-cronin-11920514

(not knowing anything about this particular developer's bio, i have no idea if he was canadian)

Steve Cronin - MMOTradeVault | LinkedIn

6+ years molecular physics <br>Scientific Research Pipelines<br>3 published academic papers in chemical phsyics.<br>Business Development concentrated in Startups<br>Financial Instrument Calculations<br>4+ years in Machine Learning.<br>10+ Years in programming across various languages.<br><br>Specialties: Software, Science, Labwork, Social Netoworks, Programming, Business Development, Financial Planning, Sports Handicapping, Stock Evaluation. · Experience: MMOTradeVault · Location: Vancouver · 4 connections on LinkedIn. View Steve Cronin’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.

Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 26, 2024
@vga256 Yeah, checked that one out. Too young, wrong background. The Steve I’m looking for would have gone through school a decade earlier.
Show threadvga256May 26, 2024
@splorp ah okay, glad that one was at least eliminated. good luck!
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 26, 2024
@vga256 It’s becoming a very deep dive.
Show threadNO NAMEMay 26, 2024
@splorp hey so unfortunately not much online about Stephen A. Cronin. If this source code exists anywhere it will be in some super secret Apple vault that doesn't even exist that we know of that is.
Show threadChristian "Schepp" SchaeferMay 26, 2024
@splorp googling gave me this. An age of 67 seems plausible. The rest might be a computer generated mashup of all kinds of Stephen A Cronins. Still worth a shot. https://clustrmaps.com/amp/person/Cronin-5gh4en
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 26, 2024
@Schepp Thanks. I stumbled on that page a while back and followed whatever I could that seemed like a reasonable lead. All dead ends so far.
Show threadPaul D. OuderkirkMay 26, 2024
@splorp I've got a Stephen A. Cronin in Dallas, TX, email might be "[email protected]"
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 27, 2024
@pdo Oh, hey! I will give that one a try. Thank you!
Show threadniniMay 26, 2024
@splorp IIRC, Adrian Freed, who retired a few years ago from CNMAT, but is active, did early work on DAWs and wrote a Newton sequencer. He may have something. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianfreed
Adrian Freed - Adobe | LinkedIn

Experienced as a research leader and pioneer in music and audio technology, I focus on… · Experience: Adobe · Location: Berkeley · 500+ connections on LinkedIn. View Adrian Freed’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.

Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 27, 2024
@ntrembath Ooh. That is an interesting tangent. Thanks!
Show threadSurya Teja KMay 27, 2024
@splorp How you find him :)
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 27, 2024
@shanmukhateja It’s certainly been an interesting internet adventure, so far.
Show threadDansLeRuSH ᴱᶰMay 27, 2024
@splorp This NR404 ? https://archive.org/details/tucows_32998_NR404
NR404 : http://www.bga.com/~fap7/newtonwidget/index.html : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

NR404 is a drum machine/beatbox for the Newton MessagePad. Features include:Thirteen drum samples Variable tempo Four tracks with individual volume Several UI...

Internet Archive
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 27, 2024

@danslerush Yep. That’s the one.

Also …

https://www.newtonglossary.com/terms/nr404

NR404

A drum machine and beatbox application created by Steve Cronin and Francis Preve. NR404 includes thirteen percussive instrument samples which can be assigned to one of four …

Newton Glossary
Show threadThomas TempelmannMay 27, 2024
@splorp Found him (with a mac.com address) and emailed him about your quest.
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 27, 2024
@tempelorg That’s incredible! Thanks, Thomas!
Show threadOlivier MenguéMay 29, 2024
@tempelorg @splorp Well done!
https://mastodon.social/@NR404Guy/112514711579762483
Show threadFriedemann WachsmuthMay 27, 2024
@splorp I got a colleague who worked on the Newton — long shot, but worth the try. He is on sabbatical though until mid July...
Show threadGrant HutchinsonMay 27, 2024
@peaceman I may have a solid lead this morning, but I appreciate the offer.
Show threadFriedemann WachsmuthMay 27, 2024
@splorp crossing all the fingers!
Show threadDan Kletter 🥑May 27, 2024
@splorp 🥳
Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Jul 11, 2024
@splorp Wonderful, glad you got that lead!
Show threadjonathankoren™Jul 11, 2024
@splorp congrats on the lead. Let us know how it resolves.