neXtcube
Workstation · Era 1990
Fixed price, or send an offer — an operator responds within the window. No live auctions.
About this unit
The NeXTcube is the machine Tim Berners-Lee wrote the first web server and browser on: a one-foot magnesium cube running NeXTSTEP years ahead of its rivals, with a 68040, a dedicated DSP, and a Display-PostScript UI that still reads as modern. For the collector who wants the object that arguably started the web, working.
Condition
Grade B, with the honesty a four-figure machine deserves. The die-cast magnesium case shows micro-scratches and light edge wear but no dents or cracks. It has been electrically serviced (PSU recapped, SIMM sockets cleaned, drive bay gone through) and boots NeXTSTEP to the workspace. The original magneto-optical drive reads but is not guaranteed for daily use, so a SCSI2SD is included and you are not dependent on 30-year-old optics.
Specifications
- CPU
- Motorola 68040 25 MHz
- RAM
- 32 MB
- DSP
- Motorola 56001
- Display
- NeXT MegaPixel (1120x832 grayscale)
- OS
- NeXTSTEP 3.3
- Storage
- 2.88 MB floppy + SCSI
- Case
- Die-cast magnesium 1-foot cube
Forensic notes
Provenance
Acquired from the estate of a university computer-science department; this is the 68040 NeXTcube generation, not the earlier 68030 model. Asset history is documented back to the department's 1991 purchase order, and the MegaPixel display cabling is included.
Recap & restoration
PSU recapped, the NeXT-specific SIMM sockets cleaned and reseated, and the drive bay serviced. The period magneto-optical drive reads but is not guaranteed for daily duty (disclosed); a SCSI2SD alternative is included.
Forensic notes
30 macro photographs, a boot recording, and a scan of the original purchase order are on file. The die-cast magnesium case shows honest micro-scratches and light edge wear, no dents. Boots NeXTSTEP to the workspace.
Certificate of Authenticity
Signed and shareable, generated after grading.
Photo credits: Michael Hicks (CC BY 2.0) · Rama & Musee Bolo (CC BY-SA 2.0 FR)
Sold as graded. Condition is documented, not idealized.