NeXT Computer

Short description: Workstation computer

NeXT ComputerManufacturer| NeXT, Redwood City, California

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Type| Workstation
Introductory price| US$6,500 (equivalent to $17,300 in 2024)
Discontinued| 1991 (1991)
Operating system| NeXTSTEP, OPENSTEP
CPU| Motorola 68030 @ 25 MHz, 68882 FPU @ 25 MHz, 56001 DSP @ 25 MHz
Memory| Shipped with 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB using 4 MB SIMMs
Storage| 256 MB magneto-optical drive, optional 330 MB or 660 MB hard disk
Display| MegaPixel 17" monitor
Graphics| 1120×832, four-level grayscale
Sound| Built-in speaker
Input| 85-key keyboard, 2-button mouse
Connectivity| Ethernet
Power| 300 Watts, 3 Amperes
Dimensions| 1-foot (305 mm) die-cast magnesium cube-shaped case
Successor| NeXTcube

NeXT Computer (also called the NeXT Computer System) is a workstation computer that was developed, marketed, and sold by NeXT Inc. It was introduced in October 1988 as the company's first and flagship product, at a price of US$6,500 (equivalent to $17,300 in 2024), aimed at the higher-education market.[1] It was designed around the Motorola 68030 CPU and 68882 floating-point coprocessor,[1] with a clock speed of 25 MHz. Its NeXTSTEP operating system is based on the Mach microkernel and BSD-derived Unix, with a proprietary GUI using a Display PostScript-based back end. According to the Science Museum Group, "The enclosure consists of a 1-foot (304.8 mm) die-cast magnesium cube-shaped black case, which led to the machine being informally referred to as 'The Cube'."[1]

The NeXT Computer was renamed NeXTcube in a later upgrade. The NeXTstation, a more affordable version of the NeXTcube, was released in 1990.

## Contents

* 1 Launch
* 2 Reception
* 3 Legacy
* 4 Architecture
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## 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 Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall 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 $6,500 market price".[2] The workstation was not a significant commercial success, failing to reach the high-volume sales of the Apple II, Commodore 64, Mac, or IBM PC compatibles. This was mainly blamed on the computer's substantial price, and the fact that there was not a great demand for the system outside of the higher-education market. Next Computers were mainly sold to universities, financial institutions, and government agencies.[1]

## Legacy

This NeXTcube was used by Tim Berners-Lee as the first 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 (CERN httpd) and web browser (WorldWideWeb).

The NeXT platform was used by Jesse Tayler at Paget Press to develop the first electronic app store, called the Electronic AppWrapper, in the early 1990s. Issue #3 was first demonstrated to Steve Jobs at NeXTWorld Expo 1993.[3]

Pioneering PC games Doom, Doom II, and Quake (with respective level editors) were developed by id Software on NeXT machines. Doom engine games such as Heretic, Hexen, and Strife were also developed on NeXT hardware using id's tools.[4]

NeXT technology provisioned the first online food delivery system called CyberSlice, using GIS based geolocation, on which Steve Jobs performed the first online order of pizza with tomato and basil. CyberSlice was curated into the Inventions of the 20th Century, Computer Science[5] at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[6][7]

## Architecture

The NeXT Computer features three Motorola-manufactured chips: the Motorola 68030 CPU, a Motorola 68882 Floating Point Unit, and a Motorola 56001 digital signal processor.[8]

## See also

* Previous, emulator of NeXT hardware
* NeXTstation
* NeXTcube
* NeXTcube Turbo
* NeXT character set
* Power Mac G4 Cube

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "NeXT Computer | Science Museum Group Collection" (in en). https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8094437/next-computer-personal-computer.
2. ↑ "The BYTE Awards". BYTE: 327. January 1989. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1989-01/1989_01_BYTE_14-01_PC_Communications_and_Annual_Awards_and_Digitizing_Tablets#page/n371/mode/2up.
3. ↑ Rob Blessin (2024-05-19). Electronic App Wrapper Sept 93 NeXT CD 1st App Store Jesse Tayler, Yes Black Holes Exist Rob Blessin. Retrieved 2025-04-22 - via YouTube.
4. ↑ "Apple-NeXT Merger Birthday!". http://rome.ro/2006/12/apple-next-merger-birthday.html.
5. ↑ "CyberSlice, Incorporated". http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=Cyberslice.
6. ↑ "AppStorey talks with Steve Green about Steve Jobs, The Smithsonian and how a pizza with basil became the first food delivered via the web" (in en). June 6, 2019. https://appstorey.com/2019/06/06/appstorey-talks-with-steve-green/.
7. ↑ PMQ Pizza Magazine (June 3, 2019), How Steve Jobs Made Pizza History, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxR6I-KRAug, retrieved June 7, 2019
8. ↑ "NeXT Computers - Company - Computing History". https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/927/next-computers/.

## External links

* 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

* v
* t
* e

NeXT (1985 to 1996)

Corporate Directors|

* Steve Jobs
* Ross Perot
* John Patrick Crecine (as of 1988)

Original NeXT Team Members|

* Susan Barnes
* George Crow
* Joanna Hoffman
* Steve Jobs
* Susan Kare
* Rich Page
* Bud Tribble

Hardware Products|

* NeXT Computer
* NeXTcube
* NeXTcube Turbo
* NeXTstation
* NeXTdimension
* NeXT MegaPixel Display
* NeXT Laser Printer

Software Products|

* NeXTSTEP
* OpenStep
* WebObjects
* Interface Builder

Annual Sales
$140 million USD (FY 1992)
Employees
240 (1993)
Website

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