Some analysts were cautious in their assessment of Apple’s wisdom in choosing Next. “I am a little bit surprised by this move, and I still have to digest this,” said Daniel Kunstler, who follows the computer systems industry for the investment banking firm J.P. Morgan. “There are no real details as to how they are going to use the Next technology and platform to jump-start their own operating system or how long it’s going to take.”
Category: NeXT
Fifteen Years Ago, Today
This was the best $429 million Apple has ever spent.
NeXT: The Hardware
My mini-series on NeXT Computer: Installment 1: On the Creation of NeXT Installment 2: NeXT: The Hardware Installment 3: NeXT: The Software Installment 4: NeXT: The Apple Purchase Installment 5: Why Did NeXT Fail?
In 1988, NeXT showed off prototype hardware and started shipping “beta” hardware — and software — the next year. The first machines didn’t ship until almost a year later. When approached about the delays, Steve Jobs replied:
Late? This computer is five years ahead of its time!
iFixit’s NeXTstation Teardown
NeXT’s slab desktop was well designed inside. No surprise, I suppose, as Steve Jobs was involved.
Jean-Louis Gassée, on NeXT and Apple
ZDNet has posted a great video of Gassée speaking recently in San Jose. Of course, his own Be OS was considered by Apple before NeXT was purchased.
On the Creation of NeXT
My mini-series on NeXT Computer:
Installment 1: On the Creation of NeXT
Installment 2: NeXT: The Hardware
Installment 3: NeXT: The Software
Installment 4: NeXT: The Apple Purchase
Installment 5: Why Did NeXT Fail?
With the Steve Jobs biography being read this week by just about every nerd I know, NeXT is coming up in conversations more and more. Today, I’m starting a mini-series on the company and its products.
Creation
NeXT was formed by Steve Jobs after he was kicked out of Apple in 1985.
On the NeXT Logo
In 1986 Jobs approached Rand to design the logo for his NeXT educational computer company. After obtaining permission from IBM, Jobs offered Rand a handsome sum to develop a logo for a product that was not yet public. The only thing Rand knew was that the mysterious NeXT computer was a black cube.
This is a great article for any design or Apple nerds.
via @carlfoxiv
Steve Jobs: Founder, NeXT Computer
Go read this interview.