NeXTSTEP
NeXTSTEP was an operating system developed by NeXT, a company founded by Steve Jobs after his departure from Apple in 1985. Here are detailed insights into NeXTSTEP:
History and Development
- Origin: NeXTSTEP was initially developed as the operating system for the NeXTcube workstation, which was NeXT's first computer product released in 1988.
- Release: The first version of NeXTSTEP was released in September 1989, with the system being built on the Mach microkernel, BSD subsystems, and a graphical user interface (GUI) known as Display PostScript.
- Evolution: Over time, NeXTSTEP saw several releases with version 1.0 in 1989, version 2.0 in 1990, which introduced the Objective-C programming environment, and subsequent versions up to version 3.3 in 1995, which was the last version before NeXT was acquired by Apple.
Key Features
- Object-Oriented Programming: NeXTSTEP was one of the first systems to provide an integrated development environment (IDE) for object-oriented programming, particularly with support for Objective-C.
- Unix-Based: It was a Unix-like operating system, which meant it supported multitasking, multi-user operations, and had a strong security model.
- User Interface: The GUI of NeXTSTEP was revolutionary for its time, featuring a sophisticated windowing system, drag and drop, and dynamic menus, all rendered using Display PostScript.
- Applications: NeXTSTEP came with several pre-installed applications like NeXTmail, WriteNow, and Digital Webster, showcasing its capabilities in productivity and development.
Influence and Legacy
- Apple's Acquisition: In 1997, Apple acquired NeXT, and NeXTSTEP's technology formed the foundation for macOS (formerly Mac OS X), iOS, and watchOS.
- OpenStep: Before the acquisition, NeXT worked with Sun Microsystems to create OpenStep, an open API specification for object-oriented programming, which was intended to make NeXTSTEP's applications portable to other platforms.
- Impact on Modern OS: Many of NeXTSTEP's features, like the Dock, Interface Builder, and the AppKit framework, have directly influenced modern operating systems, particularly Apple's.
Sources
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