Beautiful machine - like the Mac Cube. I wonder if the experience with NeXT, though, helped shape Jobs' ideas about pricing, interoperability, and backwards compatibility when he returned to Apple.
"Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
31–38 of 38 posts
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#32In 1996, I bought a used TurboSlab from a company called Spherical Solutions, which was run by a man named Sam Goldberger (IIRC). I loved that machine and the Nextstep 3.3 install media that came with it even had x86 binaries, so I was able to install it on the PC I owned at the time (a Micron Millenia with a 200mhz Pentium Pro). I would have upgraded it to Openstep 4 but Next wanted something like $900.00 for it. I…
It is definitely possible to run Openstep in VMware, I used to do it. Not everything works, but it is very cool to see all the parts of that OS that made it into OS X. edit: here's a helpful blog post by one of the VMware guys: http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2008/05/weekend-geek-ou.h...
Thanks!
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
The funny thing is, I regularly used my NeXTstation turbo right up until 2002. It still felt fast with 128meg ram+fast hard drive. Coupled with the NeXTlaser I was able to keep up with modern life. I had Mathematica, pagemaker, openwrite, email, omniweb, etc. In fact, even today you could use it as a usable desktop. I still find it amazing that we've gone from 8meg to 8192meg ram and two orders of magnitude cpu power…
Huh?? Quantrix is still around, and there's an OSX version available - I know, because I have it!
It's written in java and it just isn't quite the same as the old next quantrix. Doesn't play as nice as native nextstep quantrix does.
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#34Fun Facts about the original Cube: * A single cable connects the Cube to its monitor (with speakers and microphone). A single cable connects the monitor to the keyboard. And a single cable connects the keyboard to the mouse. * Neither the Cube nor its monitor have any buttons, switches, or controls. The only way to turn the machine on is by pressing the Power key on the keyboard (which is connected to the monitor). I…
You could sort of get a keyboard with an included USB hub and connect a mouse to it. Or better, get a monitor with a USB hub and just connect your peripherals to the monitor. If you want to go overboard, you can even get speakers and a network card that connect through USB. But sadly, with Intel torpedoing USB3, our dream of a one-cable computer is still far.
The NeXT monitor cable also provided power for the monitor.
Apple tried this all-in-one approach again with their ADC connector for the early LCD cinema displays. That carried USB, DVI video, and power for the monitor.
The problem is, it's a hassle if you want to use the monitor with a non-ADC video card or a non-ADC monitor with an ADC video card. You end up buying expensive adapter bricks so you can plug an ADC monitor into a computer with DVI-out.
Interestingly, Apple's latest 24" and now 27" LCD goes the other way: it provides a magsafe power cord for a macbook. You still have separate USB and mini-DVI connectors, though, so it isn't a one-plug affair.
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#35Incidentally, I just contacted ColorWare to suggest that they offer "NeXT Black", the paint used on the Cube, as an option. I found the paint specification online in an old NeXT document for developers of NeXTBus expansion cards for the Cube.
(http://www.nextcomputers.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=136&...)
Yes, 3rd party hardware developers were expected to make sure the card-end panel face matched the cube's color, rather than being unsightly bare steel.
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#36Fun Facts about the original Cube: * A single cable connects the Cube to its monitor (with speakers and microphone). A single cable connects the monitor to the keyboard. And a single cable connects the keyboard to the mouse. * Neither the Cube nor its monitor have any buttons, switches, or controls. The only way to turn the machine on is by pressing the Power key on the keyboard (which is connected to the monitor). I…
The NeXT printer also had no power buttons or other controls. It was driven entirely by the computer, powering up when needed.
I always liked the voice alerts for printer issues. Recorded people speaking various messages. For English, it was a woman with a British accent saying things like "Your printer is out of paper." Other languages each had their own set of recordings.
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Huh?? Quantrix is still around, and there's an OSX version available - I know, because I have it!
It's written in java and it just isn't quite the same as the old next quantrix. Doesn't play as nice as native nextstep quantrix does.
Yes, it's certainly a downside. And one would think they'd release a Linux version too, in that case...
That's why I prefer to use Lotus Improv under WINE ;-)
Re: "Steve Jobs' New Machine for the '90s: the NeXT Computer" (BYTE magazine)
#38Funny that most of you are holding that code in your hand...
Indeed.
What struck me as I was ogling at the Macbook Air 11" in an Apple store in my neighborhood was how Steve Jobs still holds true to his artist vision of a beautiful product - one that is both externally (visually, viscerally) and internally (experience-wise) a joy to use.