NeXTSTEP

NeXTSTEP

NeXTSTEP was an advanced, object-oriented operating system developed by NeXT Computer in the late 1980s. It pioneered many innovative features for its time including the Mach kernel, Display PostScript, and a GUI built on top of it.
NeXTSTEP image
objectoriented mach-kernel display-postscript gui

NeXTSTEP: Advanced Operating System

NeXTSTEP was an advanced, object-oriented operating system developed by NeXT Computer in the late 1980s. It pioneered many innovative features for its time including the Mach kernel, Display PostScript, and a GUI built on top of it.

What is NeXTSTEP?

NeXTSTEP was an advanced, object-oriented operating system developed by NeXT Computer in the late 1980s as the core of its NeXT computer workstation line. It was based on the Mach kernel, UNIX, and the Objective-C programming language.

NeXTSTEP pioneered many innovative features for its time including:

  • The Mach kernel for memory protection and multiprocessing
  • Display PostScript for resolution-independent graphical applications
  • A GUI built on top of Display PostScript powered by Objective-C objects
  • Integrated development tools such as the IDE Workspace Manager
  • High quality text handling through advanced typography

Although initial sales were disappointing, NeXTSTEP influenced many future operating systems such as macOS, iOS, and others. Several key members of the NeXT team eventually created the Core Foundation and Cocoa frameworks that are the foundation for Apple's modern OSes.

NeXTSTEP Features

Features

  1. Object-oriented operating system
  2. Mach kernel
  3. Display PostScript
  4. Graphical user interface
  5. Objective-C runtime environment
  6. Developer tools

Pricing

  • One-time Purchase

Pros

Innovative object-oriented architecture

Powerful development environment

Elegant user interface design

High performance and stability

Cons

Limited adoption outside of NeXT

Required expensive NeXT hardware

Discontinued after acquisition by Apple


The Best NeXTSTEP Alternatives

Top Development and Operating Systems and other similar apps like NeXTSTEP


Windows 10 icon

Windows 10

Windows 10 is the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, released in 2015. It builds on the core foundations of Windows 7 and 8 and brings back the familiar Start menu while also introducing new features.Some key new features and improvements in Windows 10 include:The return of the Start Menu...
Windows 10 image
Zorin OS icon

Zorin OS

Zorin OS is a Linux distribution designed specifically for new Linux users coming from Windows or macOS backgrounds. It is based on Ubuntu and uses the GNOME desktop environment, but has been customized with themes, layouts, and tweaks to provide a familiar experience for those accustomed to other operating systems.A...
Zorin OS image
Linux kernel icon

Linux kernel

The Linux kernel is a free and open-source operating system kernel that serves as the core of Linux operating systems. It was first released to the public by Linus Torvalds in 1991, who wrote it specifically for the Intel x86 hardware architecture.Since then, the Linux kernel has become one of...
Linux kernel image
AntiX icon

AntiX

antiX is a lightweight Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. It aims to provide a fully functional yet lightweight operating system that can run efficiently on older hardware.Some key features of antiX include:Uses the IceWM window manager for speed and low resource usageIncludes useful applications like Firefox ESR web browser,...
AntiX image
DietPi icon

DietPi

DietPi is a Debian-based Linux distribution optimized specifically for single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi. It focuses on being lightweight and having a small resource footprint, making it well-suited for low-powered devices.Some key features of DietPi include:Lightweight system: Uses optimized software packages and settings to reduce RAM and CPU usage....
DietPi image
GhostBSD icon

GhostBSD

GhostBSD is a BSD-based operating system that aims to provide a user-friendly desktop operating system experience built on top of FreeBSD. It comes preinstalled with the lightweight MATE desktop environment which provides a traditional desktop layout for productivity.GhostBSD makes it easy for Linux users to try out the BSD operating...
GhostBSD image
AlmaLinux icon

AlmaLinux

AlmaLinux is a 1:1 binary compatible fork of RHEL, sponsored by CloudLinux. It was created in response to Red Hat's decision to discontinue the CentOS platform that many businesses relied on. AlmaLinux aims to fill the gap left by CentOS and serve as a free, community-driven alternative to RHEL.Some key...
AlmaLinux image
Linux From Scratch icon

Linux From Scratch

Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides step-by-step instructions for building your own custom Linux system entirely from source code. The goal is to end up with a fully functional Linux system that is optimized and customized to your needs.With LFS, you start by building all the basic...
Linux From Scratch image
Xubuntu icon

Xubuntu

Xubuntu is an official community edition of the Ubuntu operating system that comes with the Xfce desktop environment preinstalled instead of Ubuntu's default GNOME desktop. Xubuntu uses the same software repositories as Ubuntu, so it is just as easy to use and provides a similar user experience, but it is...
Xubuntu image
Mageia icon

Mageia

Mageia is a free and open-source Linux distribution that has its roots in the Mandriva Linux (formerly known as Mandrake Linux) project. After Mandriva S.A, a French company, went bankrupt in 2011, many of the core Mandriva developers decided to fork the distro to create Mageia, which would be community-driven...
Mageia image
NetBSD icon

NetBSD

NetBSD is a free and open-source Unix-like operating system based on the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). It was the second open-source BSD descendant to be formally released, after 386BSD, and continues to be actively developed. The NetBSD project focuses on code clarity, modularity, and portability.Some key features and characteristics of...
NetBSD image
Rocky Linux icon

Rocky Linux

Rocky Linux is a Linux distribution built from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It is intended to provide a drop-in replacement for RHEL and the discontinued CentOS, allowing organizations to migrate existing workloads with minimal disruption.Some key facts about Rocky Linux:Launched in 2021 after Red Hat...
Rocky Linux image