Jump to content

NeXTstation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NeXTstation
NeXTstation computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse
DeveloperNeXT
ManufacturerNeXT
TypeWorkstation computer
Release dateSeptember 18, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-09-18)[1]
Introductory priceUS$4,995 (equivalent to $12,000 in 2024) NeXTstation
US$7,995 (equivalent to $19,200 in 2024) NeXTstation Color
US$6,500 (equivalent to $15,600 in 2024) NeXTstation Turbo
Discontinued1993 (1993)
Operating systemNeXTSTEP, OPENSTEP, NetBSD (limited support)
CPUMotorola 68040
Memory8 MB - 32 MB
8 MB - 128 MB (Turbo)
DisplayMegaPixel or MegaPixel Color, 1120 × 832 pixels
Graphics4-level greyscale or 4,096 colors
A NeXTstation displaying its native desktop environment

NeXTstation is a high-end workstation computer developed, manufactured, and sold by NeXT from 1990 until 1993. It runs the NeXTSTEP operating system. The system was designed to be a lower-cost option compared to the company's upscale product, the NeXTcube. Compared to the cube, it removed a number of features and had limited expandability, allowing it to fit in a much smaller pizza-box form factor case.

There were two major series of the system released during its production run. The initial models were the NeXTstation and NeXTstation Color. Both were based on the Motorola 68040 processor running at 25 MHz. The Color units supported 12-bit color graphics (4,096 colors) stored in a separate 1.5 MB VRAM memory. Turbo versions were released in April 1992, which increased the speed of the processor to 33 MHz and increased the maximum amount of main memory from 32 to 128 MB of RAM.

Both the station and the cube initially used the same displays, the original MegaPixel display used on the original NeXT Computer. These used a single custom connector that included wiring for the monitor's built-in speaker and the Apple Desktop Bus connector for the keyboard. The mouse plugged into the keyboard. The MegaPixel Color Display moved to the (then) standard DB13W3 monitor connector, and the sound, keyboard and mouse connections were moved to the external NeXT Sound Box.

Overview

[edit]

The NeXTstation was released as a more affordable alternative to the NeXTcube at about US$4,995 or about half the price. Several models were produced, including the NeXTstation (25 MHz), NeXTstation Turbo (33 MHz), NeXTstation Color (25 MHz) and NeXTstation Turbo Color (33 MHz). In total, NeXT sold about 50,000 computers (not including sales to government organizations), making the NeXTstation a rarity today.[2]

The NeXTstation originally shipped with a NeXT MegaPixel Display 17" monitor (with built-in speakers), keyboard, and mouse. It is nicknamed "the slab", since the pizza box form factor contrasts quite sharply with the original NeXT Computer's basic shape (otherwise known as "the cube").

The Pyro accelerator board increases the speed of a NeXTstation by replacing the standard 25 MHz processor with a 50 MHz one.[3][4] There was also a very rare accelerator board known as the Nitro; between 5 and 20 are estimated to have been made. It increased the speed of a NeXTstation Turbo by replacing the standard 33 MHz processor with a 40 MHz one.[5]

John Carmack developed the PC Game Doom on a NeXTStation Color.[6]

After NeXT ceased manufacturing hardware in 1993, Canon Computer Systems (a subsidiary of Canon Inc.) acquired the rights to the design of and patents pertaining to the NeXTstation.[7] They later released the Object.Station, an x86-based workstation using the NeXTstation design, in 1994.[8][9] Canon had been a large stakeholder in NeXT since 1989.[9]

Specifications

[edit]
  • CPU: Motorola 68040, 25 MHz or 33 MHz (Turbo)
  • Memory: 8 MB (12 MB for NeXTstation Color, 16 MB for NeXTstation Turbo Color)
    • NeXTstation: Eight 30-pin SIMM slots (up to 32 MB)
    • NeXTstation Color: Eight 72-pin SIMM slots (up to 32 MB)
    • NeXTstation Turbo/Turbo Color: Four 72-pin SIMM slots (up to 128 MB)
  • Display resolution: 1120 × 832 px
  • Color Depth:
    • NeXTstation/Turbo (256 KB VRAM): 4 colors (black, white and two shades of gray)
    • NeXTstation Color/Turbo Color (1.5 MB VRAM): 4,096 colors (12-bit)
  • Digital signal processor: Motorola 56001 @ 25 MHz (16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo, 24 KB RAM, upgradable to 576 KB)
  • Speaker built into the monitor
  • Input/Output:
  • Media: 3.5 in 2.88 MB floppy disk drive
  • Storage: hard disk from 105 MB, 250 MB, 340 MB, 400 MB to 4 GB (Larger sizes may work but the OS cannot use partitions larger than 4 GB)
  • Operating System: NeXTSTEP, OPENSTEP. NetBSD supports some of the NeXTstation's hardware.
  • Peripherals:
  • Size/Weight: 39.8 (W) × 36.5 (D) × 6.4 (H) cm / 6 kg (13 lb)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Webster, Bruce F. (January 1991). "Next on the Agenda". Macworld. pp. 160–166. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  2. ^ "NeXTstation". Lowendmac.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  3. ^ Spherical Solutions, Pyro Installation & Ordering
  4. ^ Spherical Solutions, Pyro 50 MHz Accelerator Card
  5. ^ NeXT Nitro Information Archived April 24, 1999, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Quora (2016-09-01). "Why John Carmack Chose NeXT For Developing 'Doom' And Other Favorites". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  7. ^ Staff writer (March 10, 1994). "Canon Computer Systems Forms Advanced Technology Unit in the US for NeXTstation, PowerHouse Boxes". Computer Business Review. New Statesman Media Group. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  8. ^ Staff writer (n.d.). "Canon Object.Station". Old-Computers.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Staff writer (March 2, 1994). "Canon Computer to Ship NextStation". Los Angeles Times. Bloomberg Business News. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to NeXTstation.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NeXTstation&oldid=1279085430"