NeXT Computer
| Company type | Product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | October 1988 |
| Founder | Steve Jobs |
| Products | NeXT Computer, NeXTcube, NeXTstation |
NeXT Computer—also referred to as the NeXT Computer System—was a workstation created and marketed by NeXT Inc., launched in October 1988 as the company’s premier offering, priced at , and primarily aimed at the higher education sector. It was powered by a Motorola 68030 processor alongside a 68882 floating-point coprocessor, both operating at . The system ran on NeXTSTEP, an operating system that merged the Mach microkernel with a BSD-based Unix foundation, featuring a unique graphical user interface built on Display PostScript. Its signature design—a one-foot () die-cast magnesium cube-shaped enclosure—earned it the nickname "The Cube."
Subsequently, the NeXT Computer underwent enhancements and was rebranded as the NeXTcube. In 1990, NeXT launched the NeXTstation, a more budget-friendly model positioned as an economical alternative to the NeXTcube.
Launch
The NeXT Computer was unveiled in October 1988 during an exclusive presentation titled "NeXT Introduction – the Introduction to the NeXT Generation of Computers for Education," hosted at San Francisco's Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The subsequent day featured "The NeXT Day" at the San Francisco Hilton, where educators and developers paid a $100 registration fee to attend detailed sessions covering the system’s software framework and principles of object-oriented programming. The keynote address was delivered by Steve Jobs.
Reception
In 1989, BYTE magazine awarded the NeXT Computer with an "Excellence" accolade, highlighting its pioneering optical drive technology, digital signal processor (DSP), and object-oriented software environment, acknowledging that its $6,500 price tag was justified. Nevertheless, the workstation did not reach widespread commercial popularity comparable to products like the Apple II, Commodore 64, Mac, or IBM PC compatible machines. Its premium cost and specialized focus confined its sales predominantly to academic institutions, financial organizations, and government bodies.
Legacy
The NeXT Computer and its object-oriented development environment played a crucial role for Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau at CERN in building the inaugural web server (CERN httpd) and web browser (WorldWideWeb).
Additionally, Jesse Tayler at Paget Press utilized the platform to create the first electronic app store, known as the Electronic AppWrapper, which was presented to Steve Jobs during NeXTWorld Expo 1993.
Significantly, groundbreaking PC games such as Doom, Doom II, and Quake were developed by id Software on NeXT hardware. Other titles based on the Doom engine, including Heretic, Hexen, and Strife, were also produced using NeXT systems.
NeXT technology facilitated the creation of CyberSlice, the first online food delivery platform employing GIS-based geolocation. Steve Jobs reportedly placed the initial online pizza order through this service. CyberSlice is recognized among notable computer science innovations of the 20th century at the Smithsonian Institution.
See also
- Previous, emulator for NeXT hardware
- NeXTstation
- NeXTcube
- NeXTcube Turbo
- NeXT character set
- Power Mac G4 Cube
External links
- Byte Magazine, November 1988: The NeXT Computer Facsimile, Complete text
- Simson Garfinkel's NeXT resources featuring NeXTWorld Magazine
- The Best of NeXT Archive
- NeXT Computer brochure (page 7 displays a full circuit board image)
- old-computers.com — NeXTcube information
- Photographs of NeXT equipment