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#nextcube

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Thinking of NEXTSTEP this morning...I'd guess many aren't aware of the unusual color display arrangement.

The NeXTstation, which was the first "affordable" color solution for NEXTSTEP, has a 16-bit framebuffer, but instead of rendering the desktop in 65,536 colors (as per Windows or Mac hardware, say), it rendered in 12-bit color with 4-bits of alpha channel (transparency).

That means it had a palette of 4096 colors, with all colors available at once on the display (not like, say, the Amiga or Apple IIgs with a 4096 color palette, but video modes with a small subset of those colors available (yes, yes, HAM mode excluded). Additionally, anything on the screen had 16 levels of opacity available.

It's interesting to see in person, on the actual hardware (especially on a good LCD display). With dithering, it looks very close to 24-bit truecolor.

(The NeXT Dimension color board for the Cube allowed 24-bit color with 8-bits alpha, but that was not so frequently used -- less so than most NeXT hardware even...)

But that's not nearly the weirdest that NEXTSTEP-capable hardware got, when it came to color video display...

Today I did some research on possible legal aspects regarding the sale of products that contain electrical/electronic components. To my regret, there are a lot of requirements and regulations here in the EU that have to be met and complied with in order for a sale to be permitted at all (CE & RoHS labelling etc.).

It looks like I won't be able to sell my #NeXTcube mini as a whole. That could cause me huge problems. So I think I will sell just the case itself. That is a great pity.

The very first test prints of three parts of my #NeXT #MegaPixel display. And oh boy… the middle part (that one with the ribs) is a nightmare for #FDM printing! Horrible post processing getting rid of the support material! This is wh. y I'm thinking of buying a resin printer. The customers will appreciate it too. Because the parts will have WAY BETTER surface quality!

The first attempt to apply the #NeXT logo to the #NeXTcube mini is not perfect, but in the end it is much better than expected.

I printed the base of the logo separately and glued it to the case. I printed the logo itself on vinyl sticker paper. Unfortunately, my laser printer no longer prints that cleanly. But it looks quite good, doesn't it?

Btw: The printed logo is only 7x7mm.

Continued thread

The main shapes of the MegaPixel display are roughed out and I've ordered a small TFT that I hope will nicely fit inside. I'm tempted to also fit the microcontroller board inside the display case (where the tube would be on the originals) because a cable from the cube with enough lines to drive the TFT would be much thicker than a correctly scaled original cable. I suppose that I could use a microcontroller in each and send image data via BLE 😸.
#retrocomputer #miniature #NeXTcube

As directed by Patreon members, I've started working on a 1:6 scale NeXTcube. My general plan is to model the cube, the keyboard, the mouse, the MegaPixel Display, and the laser printer and sell it as a tiny workstation. I'm also researching the Connection Machine 2 and thinking about whether it needs peripherals like a terminal. Both machines have been modeled before so I feel the need to go the extra mile and contribute something new.
#retrocomputers #miniatures #NeXTcube #FreeCAD

Can someone explain the appeal of transparent computer cases to me, or cases with windows, or interior RGB lighting?

To me the ideal PC shape is the NeXTcube. Or if you want a splash of color an SGI Octane or something.

Not criticizing your choices, but like… why do you want to see the dust gathering inside your case all the time lit up by garish colors?

what am I missing (other than a sense of fun and whimsy)?