Recent posts

#81

Hardware / Re: NeXT eBay Finds!

Last post by brams - May 01, 2026, 11:07 PM

Quix Computerware AG Daydream ROM BOX Mac OS Classic for NeXT Computers:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/306893942516

#82

General Discussion / Re: Lisa UI

Last post by Adam_Hall - Apr 29, 2026, 04:25 PM

I loved the original lisa OS with the "stationary" paradigm.

OS/2 had a similar thing, at least in Warp 3 forward.

#83

Off Topic / Re: Looking for NeXT prototype...

Last post by mikeboss - Apr 27, 2026, 07:16 AM

those are the only two I've come across:

https://bsky.app/profile/n4n0.ch/post/3lg4rigvfck25

https://bsky.app/profile/n4n0.ch/post/3lg4rwxm6k22d

taken from the book

Design forward : creative strategies for sustainable change

by Hartmut Esslinger

https://archive.org/details/designforwardcre0000essl

#84

Off Topic / Re: Looking for NeXT prototype...

Last post by Rhetorica - Apr 27, 2026, 04:28 AM

I believe the pictures you're thinking of are these: https://www.nextcomputers.org/NeXTfiles/Images/Rare_NeXT_Hardware/

#85

Off Topic / Looking for NeXT prototype pho...

Last post by jeffburg - Apr 26, 2026, 10:47 AM

I saw this on mastodon, it does not look like anyone replied to him. But he is looking for prototype photos of next hardware. I swear I have seen some posted here or the other forums. Can anyone help?

https://iosdev.space/@jonhendry/116458636986459337

#86

Virtualization / Re: What Needs to be done for ...

Last post by Adam_Hall - Apr 22, 2026, 06:19 AM

I'm not too familiar with it beyond using it in the background regularly — many of the programs I use come in that format. Honestly, I find it easier to work with than Flatpak.
I built Previous from source, so it runs fine on Debian 12 (I haven't moved to Debian 13 yet). I did have Claude AI walk me through creating an AppImage for another program I built from source. It was a bit of a blur since I'd never done it before, but it only took about five minutes and I ended up with an AppImage that runs on any Linux distribution.
I first became familiar with AppImage when GDoom switched to it from Flatpak, and later discovered I already had quite a few programs on my system using it.

#87

Virtualization / Re: What Needs to be done for ...

Last post by jeffburg - Apr 22, 2026, 04:15 AM

@Adam_Hall I admit, I had to google .AppImage to understand what it is. Seems pretty cool. Of course I should have figured that the Linux community had still not settled on a portable application binary format. Of course, I could see why given the incredible variety of linux distros and versions in use.

#88

Off Topic / Theseus, a static translator f...

Last post by Rhetorica - Apr 21, 2026, 09:39 PM

The Theseus translator is attempting to apply the methodology used by modern ports of retro console games to Windows binaries: instead of emulating the CPU (either interpretively or with a JIT compiler), process the binary in advance, disassemble it, and recompile it for the new target machine.

The result is nearly-native performance. (In reality the disassembly introduces some new baggage, as it describes register and memory-slot operations rather than the actual variables that the original used. The compiler may or may not be smart enough to optimize this stuff out.)

The developer originally started out working on a direct emulator but considered it rather slow and inefficient and has recently pivoted to this new direction instead. So far it only works on a few select binaries, as each program introduces new challenges. In particular I don't think it includes any native GUI support; the target problem space is games and demoscene emulation, and all that implies.

Conceptually, this is a more future-proof architecture for keeping old software functional, as you would never need to stack emulation layers: once a new target CPU is added to LLVM, the existing back catalog can be brought onto it for free. Now we just need a very brave soul to figure out how to recompile x86 functions in NEXTSTEP software so they aren't limited to the i486 instruction set.

#89

Virtualization / Re: What Needs to be done for ...

Last post by Rhetorica - Apr 21, 2026, 09:04 PM

Awaiting Linux builds from @wmlive!

Available now for Debian/Trixie amd64/arm64/i386 at wmlive.rumbero.org/repo/pool/main/p/previous/.

Mirrored!

#90

Virtualization / Re: What Needs to be done for ...

Last post by Adam_Hall - Apr 21, 2026, 08:40 PM

Anyone thought of just doing an .AppImage version? Might be much easier for everyone.