How NeXT shaped Apple's software future

Steve Jobs influenced modern technology through Apple's products and the popularization of graphical interfaces navigated by a mouse, and he founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. How did NeXT shape Apple's software future, and what can that connection help readers understand about Apple's direction? The lessons trace the influence through operating systems, software design and development tools.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 2 hr 9 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   the influence of steve jobs on modern technology · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   Apple acquired NeXT, the company founded by Steve Jobs, for its NeXTSTEP operating system, software that provided a foundation for Mac OS X. Apple completed the acquisition on February 7, 1997. Apple's 2001 release of Mac OS X followed years of failed attempts to modernize the classic Mac OS. Based on NeXTSTEP, it combined a stable, reliable, and secure Unix foundation with a redesigned GUI.

2. Read
   

   The Deep History of Your Apps: Steve Jobs, NeXTSTEP, and Early Object-Oriented Programming · CHM · 20 min read

   NeXTSTEP, the operating and development environment, became the basis for OS X and Cocoa, which first shipped in March 2001. Apple's iOS SDK, Cocoa Touch, follows the same principles and foundations as Cocoa, linking Steve Jobs's NeXT to the tools used to build mobile apps. Apple's need to replace its aging Mac OS with a more modern and robust operating system led it to acquire NeXT and make NeXTSTEP the basis for what eventually became Mac OS X. Steve Jobs, returning to Apple as an employee in January 1997, explained how NeXTSTEP technology could help Apple survive and become great again.

3. Watch
   

   Has Apple Lost Steve Jobs' Vision of Simplicity? | Ken Segall | Big Think · YouTube · 9 min watch

   Ken Segall worked as his ad agency's creative director for twelve years on Apple, NeXT and Apple work. The video discusses Apple's approach to simplicity, including its limited product choices and shopping experience, and concerns about Apple Music's confusing interface.

4. Book
   

   Steve Jobs · Bookshop.org

   Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson describes how Jobs connected creativity with technology and combined imaginative leaps with engineering at his company. Friends, foes, and colleagues report on the passions and perfectionism behind his approach to business and innovative products.

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