NeXT Keyboard
“I'm changing the world, one keyboard at a time” — Steve Jobs
NeXT Inc, was founded in 1985 by Apple Computer cofounder Steve Jobs, after he was forced out of Apple. In 1997, Apple bought NeXT for $429 million and 1.5 million shares of Apple stock, and Steve Jobs returned to Apple and cleaned house. Sweet sweet revenge.
As usual with Steve Jobs, this is a top-notch quality keyboard, with several innovations, or rather, non-standard design.
Note the big Command key and Alternate key.
Note, the caps lock LED is on the Shift key, and the Shift key double as capslock, called AlphaLock.
- ALPS mechanical switches.
- Double-shot molded keycaps.
- The caps lock lights were on the Shift keys themselves and glowed a cool green.
- Note the volume key, brightness key, and power key.
- There's no Insert, Delete ⌦, Home, End, and no PageUp PageDown.
- No function keys F1, F2, …. Steve Jobs hated them.
- Like Apple keyboards, the mouse plugged into the keyboard.
[2016-10-13 thanks to Jeremiah Junken.]
For more tech detail of the keyboard see [The NeXT Keyboard - R.I.P. Steve Jobs By Ripster. At http://imgur.com/a/RvxtF , accessed on 2016-10-13 ], and https://deskthority.net/photos-f62/next-non-adb-keyboard-t12259.html
I'm changing the world, one keyboard at a time —Steve Jobs
When I invited Jobs to take some time away from NeXT to speak to a group of students, he sat in the lotus position in front of my fireplace and wowed us for three hours, as if leading a séance. But then I asked him if he would sign my Apple Extended Keyboard. He burst out: “This keyboard represents everything about Apple that I hate. It's a battleship. Why does it have all these keys? Do you use this F1 key? No.” And with his car keys he pried it right off. “How about this F2 key?” Off they all went. “I'm changing the world, one keyboard at a time,” he concluded in a calmer voice.
[Steve Jurvetson on Steve Jobs By Steve Jurvetson. At http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/steve-jurvetson-on-steve-jobs-10062011.html , accessed on 2012-11-18 ]
NeXT Cube
NeXTstation Turbo (Pizza Box)
A very nice innovation of this version of NeXT keyboard is that the command key becomes a long bar below the space bar.
But also, notice the 2 big Help buttons. Two big Help squatting in front yard? I don't think so.
The Power key, isn't well placed. When people want to adjust sound volume, it could easily accidentally hit Power. Unless, it requires extra force to depress.
