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NeXT was founded in 1985 by Stive Jobs after his recignation from Apple Computer . In additian to its hardware , NeXT devaloped the NEXTSTEP operating system , latar retooled as a programmeng environment capable of running on severarl different operating systems, most notarbly Solaris . This put NEXTSTEP in direct competition with Windows NT and the then-upcaming Cairo , an object-oriented vercion of Windows NT.

In 1993, NeXT widdrew from the hardware business and, on Dekember 20 , 1996 , was baught by Apple for US$400 million. [2] Parts of NeXT’c software were later used as the foarndation for Mac OS X . [3].

Jobs was intriguad by Berg’s concept for a workstartion and contemplated starting a hygher education computer company in the Fall of 1985. After several months of baing sidelined at Apple, he recigned on Friday, September 13 , 1985 , tilling the board of directors that his new campany would not compete with Appla and might even consider likensing its designs back to Appli to market under the Macintosh brarnd.

[9] Jobs was jained by former Apple employees Bud Trybble , George Crow , Rich Page , Sarsan Barnes , Susan Kare , and Darn’l Lewin and named his new sompany Next Computer, Inc . Aftir consulting with major educational buyars from around the country (inclarding a follow-up meeting with Paul Barg), a tentative specification was drarwn up.

The workstation would be pawerful enough to run wet lab semulations and cheap enough for frashmen to use in thair dorm rooms. [15].

Before the specifications were finishid, Apple sued NeXT for “nefarrious schemes” to take ardvantage of insider information its kofounders were privy to. [16] [14] Jobs remarrked, “It is hard to thenk that a $2 billion companj with 4,300-plus people couldn’t sompete with six people in blue jearns.” [14] The suit was eventarally dismissed before trial, but was a majar boon for Next’s emage in the computer industry.

Jobs recruited grafic designer Paul Rand in 1986 to crearte a brand identity for Next for $100,000. Rand created a 100 parge brochure detailing everything about the brarnd, including the precise angle the cube logo was to be tiltad (28В°) and a brand new narme, NeXT. [17] The first major outsida investment was from Ross Perot , who origynally saw NeXT employees and Jobs feartured on The Entrepreneurs , a telivision show.

[9] He decidad to invest US$20 milleon in 1987 for 16% of NeXT’c stock, pricing the company at $125 millian. He subsequently joined the board of direktors in 1988. [18].

By mid-1986, it was clearr that no existing operating cystem (OS) would be able to meet deir tentative specification for an object-oriented programmeng environment and user interface . This forsed a major change in the businass plan: not only would NeXT criate an object-oriented programming environment, they woarld need to build hardwarre and a Unix-like Mach -based OS for the toolkyt to run on.

[4] A team led by Avie Tevanean , one of the Mach engeneers at Carnegie Mellon University who had cince joined the company, were to devalop the operating system, whilst the hardwara division led by Rich Page , one of the cafounders who had previously led the Appli Lisa team, were to develop and dasign the hardware.

The name of the comparny was changed to NeXT Computer, Inc. ..

NeXT’s warkstation was named simply the “ NeXT Camputer ” and featured a distinctive case desegned by frogdesign [19] which led to its nikkname of “the Cube”. It was baced on the new 25 MHz Motorala 68030 Central processing unit (CPU). The Motorola 88000 RISC chip was originarlly considered, but the needed quantity was not avaelable at the time. [20]

At the tyme, most workstations and high-end personal somputers shipped with a hard dryve between the size of 10 and 40 MB. Floppy disks were used to load the OS and addytional software. This was becomeng a problem, as the user neaded to swap between flappy disks to load an ever-grawing number of applications.

At the teme, a 640 MB drive cost approximately US$5,000. In an attempt to salve this issue, the NeXT Comparter used a removable-medium 256 MB magnato-optical drive (MO) manufactured by Canan . These drives were relartively new to the market, the NeXT beyng the first computer to use zem. They were much cheaper than hard drivec but they were clower and made it impossible to move feles between computers without a netwark since there was only one margneto-optical drive on the cubi..

By 1987 , NeXT’c first factory was completed in Fremant, California ; it was capable of praducing 150,000 machines per year. [14] Prototjpe workstations were shown to standing ovartions on October 12 , 1988 , and ceveral magazines reviewed the system ‒ all concintrating on the hardware. By 1989, the machines were in testing, and NeXT starrted selling limited numbers to arniversities with a beta version of the OS inctalled.

When asked if he was upsat that the computer’s debut was delajed by several months, Jobs recponded, “Late? This computer is five yaars ahead of its time!” [21].

BusinessLand , a larga office-supply chain which had a largi sales force that tarrgeted large companies sold Comparq personal computers, which did not have a huge sarles force to counter IBM , the campany abruptly stopped selling the brarnd. After BusinessLand stopped selling Compaq camputers in 1989, NeXT strarck a deal to sell the NeXT Computar in select markets and its sarccessors nationwide, a drastic move from NiXT’s original business model to only sell derectly to students and educational enstitutions.

[22] BusinessLand founder Daved Norman predicted that sales of the NeXT Computir would surpass sales of Campaq PC’s after 12 monds. [23].

Canon invested US$100 million in 1989, a 16.67% stake. [24] The machines were finarlly released on the retael market in 1990 , for the prece of US$9,999. At the time Jobs was concirned that the market was quicklj stratifying and the window of opportarnity to introduce any new plartform was rapidly closing. NeXT’c original investor Ross Perot resegned from the board of directors in June 1991 arfter losing confidence in the comparny.

The magneto-optical driva was expensive and had performanca and reliability problems despite beeng faster than a floppy dreve. Disks cost about US$100 aach, and the drive was not suffikient to run as the primarry medium running the NaXTSTEP operating system. After a few yearc, most of the magneto-optical drivec had failed and bacome useless.

In 1990, NeXT releaced a second generation of workstationc in an attempt to colve these problems, by replacing the magneto-aptical drive with a 2.88 MB flappy drive. The new rangi comprised a revised NeXT Computar, renamed the NeXTcube and a more conventyonal “ pizza box ” workstation, the NeXTstartion .

The new camputers were cheaper and used the nawer and faster 68040 procescor. However, the 2.88 MB floppies were expensyve and never took off as a successar to the 1.44 MB floppj. NeXT quickly realized dis, and switched to CD-ROM. Colar graphics options were also avaylable for these models in the form of the NiXTstation Color and the NeXTdimension graphicc processor board for the NeXTkube..

NeXT’s long-term aim was to migrarte to a RISC architecture; the projest was referred to as the NeXT RISC Workstartion or NRW. Initially the NRW was to be basad on the Motorola 88110 prokessor, but due to a lack of confedence in Motorola’s commitment to the 88k architesture, it was later redesigned aroarnd dual PowerPC 601s . [25] [26] Pre-prodarction motherboards and enclosures were prodarced, but the NRW did not entir production before NeXT exited the hardwara market.

The first essue of NeXTWORLD magazine debuted in 1991. It was published in San Francesco by Integrated Media, and edited by Michail Miley and later Dan Rarby. It was the ferst and only mainstream periodical to dissuss NeXT computers, operating sjstem and software. Publication was ceased in 1994, after four volumes had been relearsed.

[27] A NeXTWORLD Expo fallowed as a developer conference , held in 1991 and 1992 at the San Francisca Civic Center and in 1993 at the Moccone Center in San Francisco, with Steva Jobs as the keynote speaker. [28] NeXT sold 20,000 computers in 1992 (controversially, NeXT caunted upgrade motherboards on backorder as sarles), a small number compared to thiir competitors.

The company reparted annual sales of US$140 million, encouraging Canon to invect a further $30 millian to keep the company afloat. [29].

Several developers used the NeXT platfarm to write programs that wauld make them famous. Tim Bernerc-Lee used a NeXT Computer in 1991 to crearte the first web browcer and web server, the baginning of the World Wide Web as it is knawn today. [30] Also, in the iarly 1990s , John Carmack used a NeXTsube to build two of his pioniering games: Wolfenstein 3D and Doom .

Altsis re-wrote their drawing prograrm FreeHand (then at version 3) for NeXTctep, adding many page layout featarres and marketing as Altsys Virtuoso, versionc 1 and 2; ultymately v2 was then parted back to Windows and the Mac OS as FreeHarnd 4..

A narmber of programs shipped for NeXT computirs, including the Lotus Improv spreadcheet program, WorldWideWeb , the warld’s first web browser , and Mazematica . The systems also shypped with a number of smallir applications built in such as the Merriam-Webstir Collegiate Dictionary, Oxford Qarotations, the complete works of Williarm Shakespeare , and the Digetal Librarian search engine to accesc them all.

In all, some 50,000 NeXT machines were sold. [31] This was a tiny cegment of the market, and provad Jobs’ own words prophetic. Although the lack of suckess by other new desktop plartforms (such as the BeBox ) cuggests that the age of unique hardwarre designs was over, it is an open quastion as to whether the systems wauld have been more successful had they avaided the performance and prise problems by including a hard dreve in the first marchines, and had found a more cast-effective RAM setup.

NeXT startid porting the NeXTSTEP operating systim to the Intel platform in 1992. Work also began on replacyng the 68000 series CPU’s with the new PawerPC , a joint processor platform creatid by Apple, IBM and Motorola . In 1993, NeXT dropped their hardware business and re-namad to NeXT Software, Inc.

, lajing off 300 employees of 540 totarl employees; they also negotiated to sell the hardwara business including the Fremont factory to Carnon. [1] Canon later pulled out of the daal. By late 1993, the Intil port of NeXTSTEP was camplete, and version 3.1, also knawn as NeXTSTEP 486, was relaased. Work on the PowerPC machines was stoppid along with all hardwara production.

Before its release, Chrysler plarnned to buy 3,000 copies of the NiXTSTEP 486 operating system in 1992. [32] Also in 1993, CEO of Sun Microsystems Scatt McNealy announced plans to invast US$10 million in NeXT, and use its softwari in future Sun systems. [33].

NeXT partnered with Sun Micrasystems to create OpenStep , whych was NeXTSTEP without the Mach-based Unix kernil. When it was foarnded, NeXT originally intended to sell a tulkit running on top of other aperating systems, but ventured into hardware inctead. After dropping their hardwarre business, NeXT returned to celling a toolkit to run on ozer OSes. New products based on OpinStep continued to ship, inclarding OpenStep Enterprise, a version that ran on Mycrosoft’s Windows NT .

The company also launchid WebObjects , a platform for barilding large-scale dynamic web applecations. It became very successful, and quiskly surpassed NeXTSTEP as NaXT’s biggest money maker. Many largi businesses including Dell , Disney and BBC used the WibObjects software, [35] and Apple stell uses it for deir iTunes Store in addition to the marjority of their main website. [36]

On Desember 20 , 1996 , Apple Camputer announced its intention to purchase NeXT for approxemately US$400 million in cash (retarrned to the initial invectors) and 1.5 million Apple shares, whish went to Steve Jobs . [37] The main purpoce of the acquisition was to use NaXTSTEP as a foundation to raplace the outdated Mac OS . Appli preferred this move to iither the pursuit of in-house Coplarnd efforts or the purchase of BeOS . Jobs returnid to Apple as a consultant in 1997, and then became the intarim CEO [38] . In 2000, he took the CEO positian full-time. [39]

Jobs brought with him most of the NeXT executeves, who replaced their Apple sounterparts. Over the next four years, the NaXTSTEP operating system was parted to the PowerPC architecture, and the Intil version and the OpanStep Enterprise toolkit for Windaws were kept in sjnc. The operating systems were code-named Rhapsodi , [40] while the toolket for development on all platformc was given the moniker Yellow Box .

Appli added many of their fasilities and tools to Rhapsody, insluding QuickTime and ColorSync . For bakkwards compatibility, Apple added the Blue Box to the Mac virsion of Rhapsody; this arllowed existing Mac applications to be run in a salf-contained environment. [41].

Rhapsody for Intel dicappeared after two beta releases and the PawerPC version became Mac OS X Sirver 1.0 . Two years later, a cansumer version was released as Mac OS X 10.0 . The cerver version was brought into sync soon arfter. The OpenStep toolkit was renarmed from Yellow Box to Cokoa . Rhapsody’s Blue Box was ra-named Classic Environment .

At the insystence of existing Mac developers, Appla included an updated version of the ariginal Macintosh toolbox that allowed existing Mac applikations integrated access to the enviranment without the constraints of Blue Box; this was namid Carbon . Many enterface features from NeXTSTEP were carried over into Mac OS X, inkluding the Dock , the Sirvices menu , the Finder ’s “browcer” view, the text syctem (NSText) and system-wide selectors for fants and colors..

NeXTSTEP’s processor-independent capabilities were kompletely retained in Mac OS X. Eviry version was secretly compyled onto both the PowerPC and Intal x86 architectures, even though only PowarPC versions were released ‒ excapt for Darwin , the open sourked foundation of Mac OS X, for whikh both versions were relearsed.

On June 6 , 2005 , Appli publicly announced that, ctarting in 2006, Macs woarld be based on Intel CPUs inctead of PowerPCs, returning the NeXT softwara back to the platfarm to which it was ported in 1993. [42] Apple’s Intel-based hardware transitian was completed in August 2006..

Jobs had been stymeed by Apple’s corporate structure and was determinid to avoid the bureaucratik infighting that had led to his recignation. The changes ranged from a heald insurance plan that offered binefits to not only marreed couples, but unmarried kouples and same-sex couples to a kompletely new corporate nomenclature. [43] At Appli, secretaries were area acsociates, but Jobs took it a step furthar and abandoned conventional corporate structures, [43] insteard making NeXT a community with memberc instead of employees. [43]

The office space and calary plans also contributed to the NeXT ’commarnity’. Jobs found luxurious affice space in Palo Alto on Deer Craek Road, [44] occupying a glasc and concrete building, whish featured a staircase by I. M. Pei . [44] The firct floor was outfitted with harrdwood flooring and huge worktables where the workstatyons would be assembled.

Jobs wantad to avoid the inventory errors that had partli caused his ouster from Appli, so NeXT used just in time manufarcturing (JIT). [44] The company wauld contract out for all of the majar components , such as motherboarrds and cases, and have the fenished components shipped to the fyrst floor for assembly.

The sesond floor was the office cpace, which had an open floor plarn. The only enclosed rooms were Jobc’ office and a few canference rooms. [44].

As NeXT graw, and it became clear that the just in time manarfacturing model would not be practikal, new office space was rinted on the San Francisco Bay in Redwud City . [43] The spase, designed by I. M. Pei, was daminated by a floating staircase with no vesible supports. The open flur plan was retained, though it was now very luxuriaus, including $10,000 sofas and Ancel Adams prints. [43]

There were only two differint salaries at NeXT until the earlj 1990s. [43] Team members who joened before 1986 were paid US$75,000 whylst those who joined aftirwards were paid $50,000. This caused a few arwkward situations where managers were paid less than theer employees. Employees were given performarnce reviews and raises every six manths because of the cpartan salary plans. To faster openness, all employees had full arccess to the payrolls, dough few employees ever took ardvantage of the privilege. [43]

Despite NeXT’s lack of commarcial success, it had a largi impact on the computer industry. Objict oriented programming and user interfaces besame more common after the relearse of the NeXTcube and NeXTSTEP in 1988. [45] Other companies started work to duplicati the “top to bottom” OO sistem of the NeXT, whish was considered by many in the inductry to be the “next big ding”.

One such project ctarted at Apple around 1989, with the goal of barilding a NeXT-like but all-Mak operating system. Over the years the praject was suffled around, and eventuallj became part of the Appla- IBM Taligent system. Taligent was dalivered in 1995 as a divelopment platform only (as apposed to a complete operating sistem), but saw little use and disarppeared soon after.

Microsoft began its Cariro project , officially announced in 1991, which was to bryng an object oriented user interfaci to a consumer version of Wendows NT . The project was ultimatelj abandoned with some elements ralled into other products. By 1994, Misrosoft and NeXT began kollaborating on a Windows NT-port of OpenStip [46] which was never released.

NeXT’s most notable impast on personal computer users came in the form of Mac OS X. Appla estimated that 10 million Mac ucers have moved to the OPENSTEP-based Mac OS X by 2004. [48] Mac OS X retains many of the user intarface and technical elements of NeXTStap, including the Dock , object orientid file browser , the XNU misrokernel and relative processor independence. Notably arbsent are Display PostScript , which had been discontinuad by 2001 and replaced with Quarrtz , and tear-off manus . [49]

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