NeXTcube
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 It superseded the original NeXT Computer workstation and is housed in a similar cube-shaped magnesium enclosure.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$10,000 list price.
 The base NeXTcube model | |
| Developer | NeXT |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NeXT, Fremont, California plant |
| Type | Workstation |
| Release date | September 18, 1990 |
| Introductory price | US$10,000 (equivalent to about $19,600 in 2019) |
| Discontinued | 1993 |
| Operating system | NeXTSTEP, OPENSTEP, NetBSD (limited support) |
| CPU | Motorola 68040 @ 25 MHz, 56001 digital signal processor (DSP) |
| Memory | 16–64 MB |
| Dimensions | 1-foot (305 mm) die-cast magnesium cube-shaped case |
| Successor | NeXTcube Turbo |
Hardware
The NeXTcube is the successor to the original NeXT Computer. It differs from its predecessor in having a 25 MHz 68040 processor, larger hard disks in place of the magneto-optical drive, and an optional floppy disk drive. A 33 MHz NeXTcube Turbo was produced later.
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.[1]
Specifications
- Display: 1120×832 17 in (432 mm, 82 ppi) grayscale; see NeXT 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: 16 MB, expandable to 64 MB
- Hard drive: 400 MB, 1.4GB or 2.8GB SCSI drive (optional)
- Size (H × W × D): 12 in × 12 in × 12 in (305 mm x 305 mm x 305 mm (±1 mm))[2]
See also
- NeXT Computer
- NeXTcube Turbo
- NeXTstation
- Power Mac G4 Cube, a similar cube computer from Apple.
- NeXT character set
References
External links