TweetFollow Us on Twitter

Jul 00 Viewpoint

Volume Number: 16 (2000)
Issue Number: 7
Column Tag: Viewpoint

Viewpoint

by Jordan Dea-Mattson

A NeXT Victory? First Exposure

In 1989, shortly before Steve Jobs & NeXT launched the first NeXT Cube, Apple was presented with at least one of these brand, spanking new systems for the purposes of determining if any Apple intellectual property had been "misappropriated" in the process of its creation.

This strange turn of events came about due to the litigation, and its settlement, which followed Steve Jobs in 1985 as he left Apple and founded NeXT. In order to settle a lawsuit against Jobs, Apple demanded access to his new baby in advance of its introduction for purposes of evaluation. The outcome of the evaluation was that none of Apple's intellectual property had been misappropriated by NeXT. Steve Jobs and his new baby were "clean".

This exchange between Apple and its now prodigal founder had an interesting side effect: it gave me my first exposure to a NeXT system and the software it ran. I got to play with a NeXT cube as a user, and even did a little bit of development using very early versions of ProjectBuilder, InterfaceBuilder, and the AppKit. It was enough of an exposure to show me the greatness of this new platform.

I, along with many of my co-workers, was extremely impressed with the power, flexibility, elegance, and ease of development with the NeXTStep frameworks. A number of us, including myself, were very concerned that NeXT was going to "eat our lunch" if we didn't do something.

No Lasting Effect

Based on our, and other's concerns, task forces were launched and people came forward with proposals and prototypes. At its peak, Apple probably had two to three times as many folks focused on the "NeXT Menace", as were employed in the entire NeXT engineering organization.

While some good came out of all this effort — for example, the AppleScript had its genesis in this effort — in terms of core software development things stayed pretty much the same. Apple made tweaks here and there to MPW. Think, and then Symantec, made very minor changes to Think C. And Metrowerks burst onto the scene and made a lasting impression, not by changing how people developed software, but by turning out a fast turnaround C/C++ compiler for the PowerPC. Bottom line, in the realm of software development things were static.

It Wasn't Just Tools

But tools weren't the only thing that stagnated on the Mac platform. In fact the entire platform stagnated. Sure, Apple moved to the PowerPC, and delivered Mac OS 7 and then 8, but things essentially stayed the same. Yes, here and there things got a little better, but no big strides forward were taken. Apple, but again and again new initiatives withered on the vine after a 1.0 was released. It was a very frustrating time to be an Apple employee, Mac user or Mac developer.

Lunch Not Eaten

The amazing thing during this time was that NeXT didn't eat Apple's lunch. Yes, they took some key customers and markets away from the Macintosh and Windows camps, but they didn't eat anybody's lunch. It was sad to watch, but a product which greatly eased the work of developing software went essentially nowhere.

If you think about it, it was shocking. A shift in how software was developed — the move from procedural and static object oriented languages to dynamic object oriented languages like Java — which delivered 5 to 10 fold improvements in productivity was delayed for years.

In essence, untold millions of developer hours were poured down a rat hole, while NeXT's contributions sat on the sidelines, only seeing duty in a few specialized applications and narrow niches.

A Reunion

Fast forward now to a Friday evening in December of 1996 just prior to — as Apple always politically correctly put it — the "Winter Holiday". Numerous members of the press and Apple's executive staff are gathered in "Town Hall", the largest meeting room on the Apple Campus, for a "big announcement". We all know what was announced that evening: the acquisition of NeXT Software by Apple Computer, Inc.

For me it was the beginning of a reunion with a software development platform that had caught my eye years previously. And like meeting an old love once again, it rekindled strong passions in me. A passion to see this great development platform — be it called NeXTStep, OpenStep, WebObjects, Yellow Box, or Cocoa — freed from its obscurity.

The Right Distribution

With this passion burning strongly, I started to ask myself, "Why did NeXT fail?" Why didn't a significantly better way of developing software make major inroads? There are a number of reasons, but the biggest was lack of distribution. For many reasons, first because it was only on NeXT cubes and later because of pricing, NeXTStep, and later OpenStep, had little discernable market penetration.

And this is a problem that NeXTStep no longer faces! One way of looking at Mac OS X — in addition to it being the long overdue overhaul of the Macintosh operating system — is that it is stealth distribution channel for NeXTStep. A way of getting this great development platform onto millions upon millions of PCs.

Making the Move

I am sure that about now, you are all saying, "Ok, this is very interesting, but what does this have to do with Mac developers?"

Ok, let me tell you what it has to do with you: you know have the opportunity to develop for the best personal computer around using the best and most productive development platform available. This might seem an exaggeration, but trust me it isn't.

The launch of Mac OS X in early 2001 is going to provide a market opportunity for new products and companies. An opportunity next to which the launch of the Power Macintosh in 1994 pales. This coupled with the ease and productivity provided by Cocoa is too good of a chance to pass up.

So, what are you waiting for?


*The opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of the author, and not necessarily that of MacTech Magazine.

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Combo Quest (Games)
Combo Quest 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Combo Quest is an epic, time tap role-playing adventure. In this unique masterpiece, you are a knight on a heroic quest to retrieve... | Read more »
Hero Emblems (Games)
Hero Emblems 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: ** 25% OFF for a limited time to celebrate the release ** ** Note for iPhone 6 user: If it doesn't run fullscreen on your device... | Read more »
Puzzle Blitz (Games)
Puzzle Blitz 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Puzzle Blitz is a frantic puzzle solving race against the clock! Solve as many puzzles as you can, before time runs out! You have... | Read more »
Sky Patrol (Games)
Sky Patrol 1.0.1 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0.1 (iTunes) Description: 'Strategic Twist On The Classic Shooter Genre' - Indie Game Mag... | Read more »
The Princess Bride - The Official Game...
The Princess Bride - The Official Game 1.1 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $3.99, Version: 1.1 (iTunes) Description: An epic game based on the beloved classic movie? Inconceivable! Play the world of The Princess Bride... | Read more »
Frozen Synapse (Games)
Frozen Synapse 1.0 Device: iOS iPhone Category: Games Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Frozen Synapse is a multi-award-winning tactical game. (Full cross-play with desktop and tablet versions) 9/10 Edge 9/10 Eurogamer... | Read more »
Space Marshals (Games)
Space Marshals 1.0.1 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $4.99, Version: 1.0.1 (iTunes) Description: ### IMPORTANT ### Please note that iPhone 4 is not supported. Space Marshals is a Sci-fi Wild West adventure taking place... | Read more »
Battle Slimes (Games)
Battle Slimes 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: BATTLE SLIMES is a fun local multiplayer game. Control speedy & bouncy slime blobs as you compete with friends and family.... | Read more »
Spectrum - 3D Avenue (Games)
Spectrum - 3D Avenue 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: "Spectrum is a pretty cool take on twitchy/reaction-based gameplay with enough complexity and style to stand out from the... | Read more »
Drop Wizard (Games)
Drop Wizard 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Bring back the joy of arcade games! Drop Wizard is an action arcade game where you play as Teo, a wizard on a quest to save his... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

14-inch M4 Pro/M4 Max MacBook Pros on sale th...
Don’t pay full price! Get a new 14″ MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro or M4 Max CPU for up to $320 off Apple’s MSRP this weekend at these retailers…they are the lowest prices available for these MacBook... Read more
Get a 15-inch M4 MacBook Air for $150 off App...
A couple of Apple retailers are offering $150 discounts on new 15″ M4 MacBook Airs this weekend. Prices at these retailers start at $1049: (1): Amazon has new 15″ M4 MacBook Airs on sale for $150 off... Read more
Unreal Mobile is offering a $100 discount on...
Unreal Mobile, an MVNO using AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks, is offering a $100 discount on any new iPhone with service. This includes new iPhone 16 models as well as iPhone 15, 13, and SE phones... Read more
16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pros on sale for $250-...
Don’t pay full price! Amazon has 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pros (Silver or Black colors) on sale right now for up to $300 off Apple’s MSRP. Shipping is free. These are the lowest prices currently... Read more
Get a 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro for up to $240 o...
Amazon is offering a $150-$250 discount on Apple’s 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a third-party seller: – 14″ M4 MacBook Pro... Read more
Clearance 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pros availab...
B&H Photo has clearance 14″ M3 Pro MacBook Pros (in Black or Silver) on sale for $500 off original MSRP, only $1499. B&H offers free 1-2 day delivery to most US addresses: – 14″ 11-Core M3... Read more
Sams Club is offering a $50 discount on Titan...
Sams Club has Titanium Apple Watch Series 10 models on sale for $50 off Apple’s MSRP. Sams Club Membership required. Note that sale prices are for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Choose... Read more
Sunday Sale: Apple’s latest 13-inch M4 MacBoo...
Amazon has new 13″ M4 MacBook Airs on sale for $150 off MSRP right now, starting at $849. Sale prices apply to most colors and configurations. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a... Read more
Apple’s M4 Mac minis on sale for record-low p...
B&H Photo has M4 and M4 Pro Mac minis in stock and on sale right now for up to $150 off Apple’s MSRP, each including free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses. Prices start at only $469: – M4... Read more
Week’s Best Deals: 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros fo...
Don’t pay full price! These retailers are offering $200-$250 discounts on new 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros this week…they are the lowest sale prices available for new MacBook Pros: (1): Amazon is offering... Read more

Jobs Board

All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.