NeXTStep is a legacy operating system made by NeXT Computer. It provides a wide range of development and productivity tools for workstations. Similar to Windows, there is a file system with support for folders and access permissions. Please note that NeXTStep is discontinued and no longer supported by the developer.

Overview

The OS was designed to be a high performance, object oriented environment for workstations. It is known for the advanced GUI that can be personalized according to personal preferences. Additionally, there is full support for distributed computing.

Users are able to run multiple applications simultaneously and seamlessly switch between them. The integrated development environment is helpful for creating and testing new programs. There are several common built in utilities such as an email client and word processor. The included web browser was the prototype for Safari.

History

First released in 1989, this operating system was installed in a variety of first party computers, including NeXTcube and NeXTstation. Moreover, devices from other manufacturers like HP Apollo 9000 and Sun SPARCstation were compatible with NeXTStep. Apple acquired NeXT Computer in 1996 and used their OS as the foundation for the new Mac OS X.

Features

contains a legacy operating system from NeXT Computer;
free to download and use;
was developed to increase productivity on high end workstations;
several popular programs like a web browser and email client are available;
compatible with all modern versions of Windows.