NeXTcube
 The base NeXTcube model | |
| Developer | NeXT |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NeXT, Fremont, California plant |
| Type | Workstation |
| Release date | September 18, 1990 |
| Introductory price | US$7,995 (equivalent to about $18,650 in 2023) |
| Discontinued | 1993 |
| Operating system | NeXTSTEP, OPENSTEP, NetBSD (limited support) |
| CPU | Motorola 68040 @ 25 MHz, 56001 digital signal processor (DSP) |
| Memory | 8–64 MB |
| Storage | 400 MB, 1.4 GB or 2.8 GB SCSI drive |
| Display | 1120×832 2-bpp grayscale |
| Dimensions | 1-foot (305 mm) die-cast magnesium cube-shaped case |
| Predecessor | NeXT Computer |
| Successor | NeXTcube Turbo |
The NeXTcube is a high-end workstation computer developed, manufactured, and sold by NeXT from 1990 until 1993. It superseded the original NeXT Computer workstation and is housed in a similar cube-shaped magnesium enclosure. The workstation runs the NeXTSTEP operating system and was launched with a US$7,995 list price.[1]
Hardware
The NeXTcube is the successor to the original NeXT Computer. It differs from its predecessor in having a 68040 processor, a hard disk in place of the magneto-optical drive, and a floppy disk drive. NeXT offered a 68040 system board upgrade (and NeXTSTEP 2.0) for US$1,495 (equivalent to $3,490 in 2023). A 33 MHz NeXTcube Turbo was later produced.
NeXT released the NeXTdimension for the NeXTcube, a circuit board based on an Intel i860 processor, which offers 32-bit PostScript color display and video-sampling features.
The Pyro accelerator board increases the speed of a NeXTcube by replacing the standard 25 MHz processor with a 50 MHz one.[2]
Specifications
- Display: 1120×832 17 in (432 mm) 82 ppi grayscale MegaPixel Display
- Operating System: NeXTSTEP 2.2 Extended or later
- CPU: 25 MHz 68040 with integrated floating-point unit
- Digital Signal Processor: 25 MHz Motorola DSP56001
- RAM: 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB (Sixteen 30-pin SIMM slots)
- Floppy Drive: 2.88 MB
- Hard Drive: 105 MB, 340 MB, 400 MB, 660 MB, 1.4 GB or 2.8 GB SCSI drive
- Expansion: four NeXTbus slots (mainboard uses one slot)
- Size (H × W × D): 12 in × 12 in × 12 in (305 mm x 305 mm x 305 mm (±1 mm))[3]
See also
- NeXT character set
- NeXT Computer
- NeXTcube Turbo
- NeXTstation
- Power Mac G4 Cube, a similar cube computer from Apple.
References
- ^ Webster, Bruce F. "NeXT on the Agenda". MacWorld (January 1991).
- ^ http://www.nextcomputers.org/NeXTfiles/Docs/Rare_NeXT_Hardware/pyro_installation.pdf
- ^ "NeXTcube brochure" (PDF).
External links
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