NeXT

NeXT was a computer and software company that Steve Jobs co-founded in 1985 after leaving Apple, and which he led as chairman and CEO until 1997. It first built workstation computers aimed at higher education and business, introducing the NeXT Computer in 1988.^{Source [1]Source [3]Source [2]}

Its NeXTSTEP operating system and development environment used object-oriented programming in Objective-C. NeXT shipped fewer than 50,000 computers, and by 1997, as NeXT Software, Inc., it focused on software for internet, intranet and client/server business applications.^{Source [3]Source [4]}

Apple acquired NeXT in February 1997 for a total purchase price of $427 million to obtain an operating system foundation. NeXTSTEP became the basis of Mac OS X and the Cocoa frameworks, which first shipped in March 2001, and NeXT executives including Avie Tevanian and Jon Rubinstein took senior roles at Apple.^{Source [4]Source [3]Source [1]}

Co-founded in 1985 by Steve Jobs, who served as chairman and CEO. By 1997 it was known as NeXT Software, Inc. and developed software for internet, intranet and client/server business applications. Apple acquired it in February 1997 for a total purchase price of $427 million, and its technology was planned as the basis of a new Apple operating system.^{Source [1]Source [4]}