NeXTstep platform

Despite market failure, Apple rehired Jobs to integrate NeXTstep technologies into OSX

The NeXT line of computers exclusively marketed for business use; even the home versions (for small businesses). Yet it had surprisingly advanced gaming capabilities. CD quality sound was a selling point. Initially, it was a monochrome system but later versions added color. Probably the most noticeable gaming capability was the inclusion of a real-time version of Pixar's RenderMan. It was integrated in such a way that real-time animated 3D objects could be added to static 2D images. When I say added, that is to say the object could exist within the depth of the 2D image, such as behind a tree in the otherwise 2D image. It did not have full 3D acceleration as it is known today but did include hardware graphics primitives. Sadly, it seems that very few NeXTstep games ever took advantage of RenderMan. Also of gaming interest was the capability of LaserDisc interface and software. LaserDisc compatibility was apparently never utilized for games. Finally, the Mattel PowerGlove (NES accessory) could be adapted to plug directly into a 680x0 NeXTcube or 680x0 NeXTstation DSP port to read it as an 4-axis, 3-throttle, 1-hat, 4-button input device. Again, no know games are designed to use a PowerGlove this (only some CAD and VR apps).

The NeXT Computer used the Motorola 68030 CPU
The NeXT Station and NeXT Cube used the 68040
These are commonly referred to as "Black Box" due to there black case.

The NeXTstep OS later added x86, Sparc and HP-PA support. NeXT Inc did not manufacture hardware for these CPUs; rather it was meant for installations on IBM-PCs & compatibles, HP RISC, and Sun Sparc hardware.

NeXTstep released 1989-09-18 with the final official release being 1995 (version 3.3). An unofficial release was made available 1997-09 (version 4.2). It was written in C and Objective-C; closed source with some components being open source. It was vaguely based on UNIX and used a Hybrid kernel based on Mach and the BSD kernel. UNIX applications needed to be compiled or ported to run on NeXT. It had a "UNIX Shell" based on csh but was designed to do everything from the GUI. Later an rsh terminal was used.

NeXTstep was the first operating system to use an AppStore, a Web Browser, a Dock, WYSIWYG HTML editing, system-wide Find Buffer, the spinning pinwheel, and an App Shelf. NeXTstep included GUI development tools that allowed "executives" to create custom GUIs for most any task with minimal typing and no CLI (effectively users could easily create applications using drag and drop). The WorldWideWeb and Hypertext as we know it today was developed on a NeXT cube.

Misplatformed Groups

• IBM AIX
  
• AROS
  
• BeOS
  
• BSD
  
• BSDi v4
  
• FreeBSD
  
• General Comprehensive Operating System
  
• HP-UX (Hewitt-Packard UNIX)
  
• Sun IRIX OS
  
• Minix
  
• NetBSD
  
• NeXTstep
  
• OpenBSD
  
• OpenVMS
  
• Pandora
  
• QNX
  
• RISC OS
  
• SkyOS
  
• Oracle/Sun Solaris
  
• SunOS
  
• syllable
  
• Tru64
  
• Bell Labs UNIX
  
• AT&T UNIX
  
• SCO UNIX