NeXT Computer was officially announced by Steve Jobs 40 years ago on September 12th, 1985. Here's a nice overview of NeXT's history and impact:
Just soldered the 40 pin connector on my little PCB. I don't think the solder joints look too bad, do you?
Con esto empezó todo (la Web)
#WorldWideWeb #NeXTSTEP #NeXTcube
First draft of a small project page for the #NeXT #SoundBox mini. I will successively create similar project pages for the other models (#NeXTcube, #MegaPixel Display).
In front of it a landing page listing this and upcoming project pages.
#Miniatures #RetroComputing #Replicas #VintageComputing #3DPrint #3dprinting #Electronics #PCB #PCBDesign
I think I found a clean solution to assemble the two LEDs at the front grill of my #NeXTcube mini. It's a tiny custom #PCB holding the LEDs with two JST sockets, which will be wired up directly to the #RaspberryPi #GPIO ports.
Guess what it's gonna be. 
Current status: Printing #NeXTcube mini parts.
This was a fast one. Last night I designed a small 2 layer #GPIO stacking header board for the #RaspberryPi that will be used in my #NeXTcube mini to provide a power and activity LED. It's in production at #JLCPCB already.
@13pt8plus Something for the background:
I'm building a #NeXTcube mini (1:2). NeXT had these sound boxes (see image). So, I want install a HiFiBerry AMP into this box. This amp normally should be plugged onto the GPIO port. You get it? So, the plugs and sockets shout be not too big and ideally round shaped.
Thinking of NEXTSTEP this morning...I'd guess many aren't aware of the unusual color display arrangement.
The NeXTstation, which was the first "affordable" color solution for NEXTSTEP, has a 16-bit framebuffer, but instead of rendering the desktop in 65,536 colors (as per Windows or Mac hardware, say), it rendered in 12-bit color with 4-bits of alpha channel (transparency).
That means it had a palette of 4096 colors, with all colors available at once on the display (not like, say, the Amiga or Apple IIgs with a 4096 color palette, but video modes with a small subset of those colors available (yes, yes, HAM mode excluded). Additionally, anything on the screen had 16 levels of opacity available.
It's interesting to see in person, on the actual hardware (especially on a good LCD display). With dithering, it looks very close to 24-bit truecolor.
(The NeXT Dimension color board for the Cube allowed 24-bit color with 8-bits alpha, but that was not so frequently used -- less so than most NeXT hardware even...)
But that's not nearly the weirdest that NEXTSTEP-capable hardware got, when it came to color video display...
Today I did some research on possible legal aspects regarding the sale of products that contain electrical/electronic components. To my regret, there are a lot of requirements and regulations here in the EU that have to be met and complied with in order for a sale to be permitted at all (CE & RoHS conformity etc.).
It looks like I won't be able to sell my #NeXTcube mini as a whole. That could cause me huge problems. So I think I will sell just the case itself. That is a great pity.
The very first test prints of three parts of my #NeXT #MegaPixel display. And oh boy… the middle part (that one with the ribs) is a nightmare for #FDM printing! Horrible post processing getting rid of the support material! This is wh. y I'm thinking of buying a resin printer. The customers will appreciate it too. Because the parts will have WAY BETTER surface quality!
For those interested in my #NeXTcube mini and the #MegaPixel Display: I invite you to join me in my Slack workspace. Here, questions are answered or things discussed more quickly. So if you like, come in and spread the word...
https://join.slack.com/t/layeredwork/shared_invite/zt-2w7fwk22b-_KGgYX1NamCrvUyCFiwb5Q
#RetroComputing #VintageComputing #NeXTHardware #NeXTComputer
Oh wow! I was curious, so I uploaded all the parts of the #NeXT #MegaPixel Display for SLA printing to JLC3DP. Just to see how much the resin print would cost. All parts, printed with black resin including surface treatment, add up to about 220 EUR! For one(!) display!
It's funny that FDM printing is even more expensive, with poorer surface quality.
The parts for the #NeXTcube mini cost a similar amount. I'm starting to have my doubts as to whether anyone will even buy it
Oh wow! 30 potential buyers for my #NeXTcube mini! I should slowly pick up speed and start production... 
Oh. The system does power on with the NeXTdimension card plugged in, and I do get ROM Monitor output on a VGA screen. But either the system doesn’t boot, or I missed installing some required component and don’t get to see anything from the OS?
Oh, the new stickers for the back plate of my #NeXTcube mini have just arrived. And I think they turned out pretty well. Nice matte surface. 
