Here's my question - Just what sort of hardware would be in the ultimate NeXT box?
Here's what I came up with:
030 Cube case, for the dual OD slots
040/33 Turbo motherboard, 128MB RAM
3 ND boards, 64MB RAM each
2 36GB disks
Slot-loading DVD-ROM
Slot-loading CD-RW
I left out the OD, since you can't have both an OD and a Turbo mobo, and IMHO, the faster memory bus in the Turbos more than makes up for the loss of the slow, quirky OD. Yeah, it's cool - but not too practical. You could, I suppose, condense it down to a DVD/CDRW combo, but I've never ever seen one that was both slot-loading and SCSI. Also, the 36GB disks might be traded for 18GB ones if you want to run NeXTSTEP 3.3 instead of OPENSTEP 4.2.
The only thing that came to mind as being conspicuously absent is the Pyro accelerator. I didn't think the faster processor really made up for the loss of the faster memory system in the Turbos. Of course, if turbo-chipset 25MHz boards exist for cubes (like they do for at least color slabs), then this would be a shoo-in.
Anything I forgot? Suggestions? Also, is there any other cool NeXTBus hardware to fill those slots with instead of multiple ND cards?
And last but not least, does anyone have anything close to such a beast?
3 dimension boards? wowzer :P That'd be nice.
I wonder if it would be possible to create a CPU upgrade like they have for the Atari Falcon. It's a 060 cpu that can run over 100mhz plus onboard memory controller with pc133 ram that'll handle up to 512mb. Be cool if such a thing were possible on a NeXT. THe upgrade ignores the standard ram on the falcon motherboard iirc.
It also has usb2.0 and a few other things on it :)
Quote from: "helf"
I wonder if it would be possible to create a CPU upgrade like they have for the Atari Falcon. It's a 060 cpu that can run over 100mhz plus onboard memory controller with pc133 ram that'll handle up to 512mb. Be cool if such a thing were possible on a NeXT. THe upgrade ignores the standard ram on the falcon motherboard iirc.
It would rock! Look at this thread for an almost identically subjected discussion:
http://www.nextcomputers.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=817Only one question: are you sure the 060 on the Atari upgrade is over 100Mhz? As far as I know there was only one yeild of the 060's that went (close) to 100Mhz, but nothing over that. At least nothing without serious active cooling.
Quote from: "helf"
It also has usb2.0 and a few other things on it :)
I don't think USB (1.1 at least) would be too hard to do for someone who knows a thing or two about hardware, since there is a DSP port on the back of the cube, and also the serial ports (not sure what the maximum speed of those is, so it might just be a really slow USB :) )
@Kronoman:
I think the Nitro board would be the cherry on the cake, since, as far as I *recall* (could be forgetting or mixing things here) it has a cache on it, and even though at 40Mhz (vs 50Mhz for the Pyro), that makes up for the speed difference and turns the Nitro to a faster over-all upgrade than the Pyro.
da9k, you are right. 100mhz is about the limit of most 060s, BUT, some people have apparnelty had their CT63s (thats the falcon upgrade name) up to about 120mhz :) The ct63 runs at 80 or 100mhz normally. people have gotten them faster.
http://www.czuba-tech.com/CT60/english/overview63.htmthere is the website for the ct63... its the upgrade from the ct60. I've been dying to get a falcon and a ct63 and run a pci video card on it and run this OS on it :P
http://xaaes.atariforge.net/ok, we are getting offtopic again, da9k... ;P
anyone have an atari falcon they would sell/trade? ;)
Quote from: "helf"da9k, you are right. 100mhz is about the limit of most 060s, BUT, some people have apparnelty had their CT63s (thats the falcon upgrade name) up to about 120mhz :) The ct63 runs at 80 or 100mhz normally. people have gotten them faster.
Wow! I had no idea!!! Thanks for the links helf! I'll be checking them promptly! :D And yes, I want a Falcon too one day :)
Quote from: "helf"
ok, we are getting offtopic again, da9k... ;P
Heh. We're unbounded minds :p
Still in the dark a little with what the 040 board has in the way of MO support (I hear it has none), my set would be as follows:
-NeXT 030 cube with 2.88 mb floppy and internal MO drive
-Internal 4gb scsi drive (partitioned, of course)
--Several NeXT MO drives for use in finding a cure for the defective laser and thus make me the hero of NeXT MO disks (Talk about an ego)
-NeXT dimension board with 32 megs ram
-The usual external keyboard, mouse and soundbox
-NeXT 21" color monitor and the b/w Megapixel monitor
-Boxed set of NS 3.3 and the 3.3 developer kit
-NeXT external CD drive (I would paint the caddy NeXT black)
-NeXT laser printer
-All the system cables
-All the documentation
-Scsi dvd drive in external black scsi box
-40 2.88mb ED floppies
-10 NeXT MO disks
-NeXT mousepad
Correct me if I made any errors and tell me of any hardware I missed.
QuoteStill in the dark a little with what the 040 board has in the way of MO support (I hear it has none)...
The 040/25 cube mobo does in fact have the connection for an OD, but the 040/33 one does not.
Than I upgrade to the 25mhz 040 board and go all out on system ram. :lol:
Quote from: "pentium"
-NeXT external CD drive (I would paint the caddy NeXT black)
Did the original NeXT CD-ROM drive come with a black caddy ('leet!) or white caddy (disgrace!)?
Quote from: "pentium"
-NeXT mousepad
Never seen one. Got any photos/links ?
You might also want to have 64MB on the NeXT Dimension board since it can take it, and also up the DSP memory with the elusive 560KB (I think that's the right size) upgrade. :)
Quote from: "da9000"
. . . and also up the DSP memory with the elusive 560KB (I think that's the right size) upgrade. :)
close, 576KB :P
QuoteYou might also want to have 64MB on the NeXT Dimension board since it can take it, and also up the DSP memory with the elusive 560KB (I think that's the right size) upgrade.
If I had the money I would leave nothing unpurchased. :D
Quote from: "helf"Quote from: "da9000"
. . . and also up the DSP memory with the elusive 560KB (I think that's the right size) upgrade. :)
close, 576KB :P
Heh, "but no cheese" :/
What an odd number. I wonder where they got that one... (maybe 512KB+64KB ... 64KB is on-board? Don't recall. Have to search for the one)
I found a pic of a NeXT mousepad da.
Linkie (
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/next-cube/DSC02118.JPG)
You can just see the logo under the mouse.
Also look at the monitor above it. That's some nasty burn-in on the lower-left corner.
Quote from: "pentium"I found a pic of a NeXT mousepad da.
Linkie (http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/next-cube/DSC02118.JPG)
You can just see the logo under the mouse.
Nice! It's sweet, but where does one find one!? I guess Digibarn :)
Quote from: "pentium"
Also look at the monitor above it. That's some nasty burn-in on the lower-left corner.
Heh, that's nasty indeed! Looks like a Terminal window in reverse color :)
Quotebut where does one find one!?
If not ebay or at a vintage marketplace than give in.
Order a black mousepad and have the NeXT logo screened on to the front.
I should meet Bruce some day. Him coming from kamloops too I might try persuading him to give me one of the dimension cubes.
Moving back to the topic....
