The idea might have been originally that the eMate 300 charging rack (24 at a time, as I recall) could be adapted/ re-produced in a new form for use with the Clamshells – which followed the same basic design.... Obviously, talk of a mass charging rack means that Apple was fondly hoping for the same sort of sales in the schools system as it had achieved with the eMate. It is difficult to imagine what other setting such an envisaged charging rack could have been for, other than schools.

The eMate's charging contacts are at the right here.

As we know, it did not get any such sales. Once [a school system is] bitten [on the ass by Apple in cancelling the Newton project], twice shy?