1988-93 - NeXT Cube

While writing manuals on packet transfers for Tymnet McDonnell Douglas, I got a call from a headhunter asking if I wanted to work for a new startup called NeXT. It was run by a guy who had got ousted from Apple and was building a brand new type of computer. I walked in for the interview and there was a Bosendorfer piano in the lobby. This was going to be a great job!

NeXT User’s Reference manual

Most people didn’t have PCs yet, so a lot of our job was explaining how to use the most basic parts of the interface. I documented how to type on a keyboard, use a mouse, move a window, scroll, and much more. Here are some classic excerpts from the original NeXT User Reference manual. You’ll notice that this book reads a lot like an encyclopedia.

Click the picture to enlarge (4 slides)
A fun read (very retro)

The original Finder & more

The NeXT desktop eventually got ported to PCs and eventually evolved into today’s Mac desktop. We called today’s Finder the Browser.  You’ll even recognize the original Preferences.

Click the picture to enlarge (2 slides)