NeXT Computer

The NeXT Computer (also called the NeXT Computer System) is a workstation computer developed, marketed, and sold by NeXT Inc. It runs the Mach- and BSD-derived, Unix-based NeXTSTEP operating system, with a proprietary GUI using a Display PostScript-based back end. The motherboard is square and fits into one of four identical slots in the enclosure. The NeXT Computer enclosure consists of a 1-foot (305 mm) die-cast magnesium cube-shaped, black case, which led to the machine being informally referred to as "The Cube". It was launched in 1988 at US$6,500 (equivalent to $13,200 in 2016).

The NeXT Computer was succeeded by the NeXTcube, an upgraded model, in 1990.

Launch

The NeXT Computer was launched in October 1988 at a lavish invitation-only event, "NeXT Introduction – the Introduction to the NeXT Generation of Computers for Education" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California. The next day, selected educators and software developers were invited to attend—for a $100 registration fee—the first public technical overview of the NeXT computer at an event called "The NeXT Day" at the San Francisco Hilton. It gave those interested in developing NeXT software an insight into the system's software architecture and object-oriented programming. Steve Jobs was the luncheon's speaker.

Reception

In 1989, BYTE Magazine listed the NeXT Computer among the "Excellence" winners of the BYTE Awards, stating that it showed "what can be done when a personal computer is designed as a system, and not a collection of hardware elements". Citing as "truly innovative" the optical drive, DSP and object-oriented programming environment, it concluded that "the NeXT Computer is worth every penny of its $6500 market price".^[1] It was, however, not a significant commercial success, failing to reach the level of high volume sales like the Apple II, Commodore 64, the Macintosh, or Microsoft Windows PCs. The workstations were sold to universities, financial institutions, and government agencies.

Legacy

This NeXT workstation (a NeXTcube) was used by Tim Berners-Lee as the first Web server on the World Wide Web

A NeXT Computer and its object oriented development tools and libraries were used by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau at CERN to develop the world's first web server software, CERN httpd, and also used to write the first web browser, WorldWideWeb.

The NeXT Computer and the same object oriented development tools and libraries were used by Jesse Tayler at Paget Press to develop the first electronic app store, the Electronic AppWrapper in the early 1990s. Issue #3 was first demonstrated to Steve Jobs at NeXTWorld Expo 1993.

See also

• Previous, emulator of NeXT hardware
• NeXTstation
• NeXTcube
• NeXTcube Turbo
• NeXT character set

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to NeXT.

• Byte Magazine, November 1988: The NeXT Computer Facsimile, Full text
• Simson Garfinkel's NeXT pages including NeXTWorld Magazine
• The Best of NeXT Collection
• NeXT Computer brochure (page 7 contains a full size image of the circuit board)
• old-computers.com — NeXTcube
• Photos of black hardware

A fun fact and one of Steve Jobs' quirks. All the components in the cube including the PCB and connectors had to be black in color. PCBs were typically green from the solder mask that was applied. A process of "pad capping" was developed to allow the black oxide from the inner layers to be seen and a then clear solder mask was applied to the outer layers. Even the euro card connector (DIN91612)had to be specially molded in black which where typically grey. The mounting hardware had to be black oxide. etc..