{"id":8315,"date":"2026-08-29T15:34:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T14:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quantum-bits.org\/?p=8315"},"modified":"2026-08-29T15:41:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T14:41:41","slug":"on-retro-computing-building-a-mini-next-cube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quantum-bits.org\/?p=8315","title":{"rendered":"On retro-computing: building a mini NeXT Cube"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have a soft spot for weird<\/strong> old computers, there is no secret about that…<\/p>\n

From time to time, some of these machines become legends<\/strong>. The NeXT computers<\/a> definitely belong to this category. But, what is very<\/strong> special<\/strong> about them … is that my<\/strong> personal<\/strong> history<\/strong> crossed<\/strong> their paths<\/strong> a few times. They left a indelible<\/strong> mark in my memory<\/strong> and in my heart <\/strong>…<\/p>\n

Ever since I got into that damned<\/em> vintage computer hobby, I wanted<\/strong> a NeXT computer<\/strong>. I searched for years<\/strong>. In France, they are basically unobtainium<\/strong>. Once in a while, though, one of them (or sometimes parts of them) are showing up. But the prices then are completely bonkers<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

So … I chose another path.<\/p>\n

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The NeXT<\/strong> Cube<\/strong> was introduced in 1988<\/strong>, at a time when personal computers were boring<\/strong> beige<\/strong> boxes<\/strong>. It looked like something that had escaped from … outer<\/strong> space<\/strong>: a perfect<\/strong> black<\/strong> cube<\/strong>, a multitask Unix<\/strong>-based operating system (NeXTStep<\/a>), an onboard Motorola 56001 DSP<\/a>, a magneto-optical storage, an object-oriented development environment, Display Postscript<\/a> and a Graphical User Interface that was years<\/strong> ahead … of anything else. <\/p>\n

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It was NOT<\/strong> a personal computer. It was a workstation<\/strong>. It was designed – at least, at first – for High Education and Researchers<\/strong>. At a time when I was a young particle<\/strong> physicist<\/strong>, and started working daily on Unix workstations at my home research lab. Mostly on HP9000 series 300\/400. Sometimes on SparcStations. Sometimes on AIX-based machines.<\/p>\n

Unix-based and Unix-like computers became my daily driver. They are still today, in one form or another: on Linux-based machines and on MacOS<\/strong> X. Which … by the way …, is a direct descendant<\/strong> of NeXTStep<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

During my PhD, when I started working on experiments at CERN<\/a> in the early 90’s, I had the chance to cross the path of many geniuses<\/strong>. Some were physicists<\/strong> and mathematicians<\/strong>. Some were members of the IT Staff<\/strong>. Robert Caillau<\/a> and Tim Bernes-Lee<\/a> were some of them.<\/p>\n

Tim Berners-Lee had the first Web server<\/strong> and browser running at CERN, directly developing the software on a NeXT<\/strong> computer<\/strong>. The first website, ran on that machine. A machine … that I did physically touched<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

At my home research lab<\/a> was using the CC IN2P3<\/a> calculs infrastructure. There, Daniel<\/strong> Charnay<\/strong> and the late Wojciech<\/strong> Wojcik<\/strong> ran the first French web server. On a NeXT<\/strong> Cube. A maybe a NeXT Station, my memory is a bit fuzzy (I’m sure there was a NeXT Station in Wojciech’s office though)<\/p>\n

The web changed my life<\/strong>. When I quit academia in early 2000’s I jumped into the web revolution with my first startup. All this chain reaction started with NeXT<\/strong> machines<\/strong>. I feel connected<\/strong> to them.<\/p>\n

But NeXT machine are almost impossible<\/strong> to get on the second-hand market. Too rare<\/strong>. Too damn<\/strong> expensive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And then I found the project that provided the perfect starting point…<\/p>\n

A 10 cm NeXT Computer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nina Richards<\/a> is a faboulous<\/strong> british designer<\/strong>. She designed a 10x10x10 cm NeXT Computer replica<\/strong>. The model is made from several 3D-printed<\/strong> pieces: the main body, the front panel, the fins, the rear section and the internal tray that carries the Raspberry<\/strong> Pi<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

This is exactly the kind of project I like: the outside is pure retro-computing nostalgia, while the inside is completely modern.<\/p>\n

Nina’s intention was to host a web server on a Raspberry Pi 3, inside the model. I wanted a NeXT computer. I wanted to run NeXTStep<\/strong>. So I opted for a more modern and powerful solution: a Raspberry Pi 5, running the a NeXT<\/strong> emulator<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For this, I had to tinker<\/strong> a bit with Nina’s design, to accomodate the Raspberry Pi 5 factor. At the time, I did not have a 3D printer.<\/p>\n

This is were PCBWay<\/strong> entered (no sponsor there, everything is paid with my own money<\/em>). I had a nice experience with their 3D printing services for my MO5<\/a>. So … I sent the STL files, chose the right options from their very<\/strong> frendly<\/strong> online<\/strong> form<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, I had a quote<\/strong>. A few weeks later, I received<\/strong> the model!<\/p>\n

I must say … I was amazed<\/strong> by the print<\/strong> quality<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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Previous is NeXT<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is starting to look like a NeXT computer. Buf if I am going to build<\/strong> a NeXT computer, I want to run<\/strong> and experience<\/strong> the NeXT<\/strong> desktop<\/strong> on my screen!<\/p>\n

The solution is Previous<\/a>, an open source NeXT computer emulator. It is based on the famous Hatari<\/a> emulator. It can emulate several generations of Motorola 68k NeXT hardware, including the original NeXT<\/strong> Computer<\/strong>, NeXTcube<\/strong> Turbo<\/strong>, NeXTstation<\/strong> and their variants<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I went through the process of getting the sources on a Raspberry Pi, preparing the software, obtaining the necessary ROMs and disk images, building the emulator from sources and configuring it.<\/p>\n

One Step Further<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once the 3D model, the hardware and the emulator were ready, the fun part started. Booting<\/strong> a NeXT system today is an amazing<\/strong> experience.<\/p>\n

I took the time to install various software, including Lotus<\/strong> Improv<\/strong>, Mathematica<\/strong>, Wordperfect<\/strong>, Framemaker<\/strong> and even Games. And yes, Doom<\/strong> runs on NeXT computers!<\/p>\n

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Finally, I wanted to experiment the good<\/strong> old<\/strong> time<\/strong> web<\/strong>, browsing<\/strong> the very<\/strong> first<\/strong> web<\/strong> pages:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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YouTube video<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Here is the full video<\/strong> published on the Quantum-bits YouTube channel<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n

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