I’m sure you’re all sick of my computer geekery by now, but I wanted to post a few details of the color NeXT, showing how it differs from the grayscale machine.
At first glance, the CPU is identical; only the case badge differs. Also, for some strange reason my machine doesn’t have a serial number.
Keyboard and mouse are the earlier, non-ADB type. This keyboard is a buckling spring design, like the IBM Model M. And like the IBM, it’s hell for stout and nicely “clacky.”
Color NeXTstations used this odd little “Sound Box” for sound-in/out and keyboard/mouse connectivity. It holds a speaker and microphone along with miniplug and RCA sound-out jacks, a mic jack, and the proprietary keyboard connector.
And yes, EVERY piece of hardware bears the little slanted-cube logo; it’s even molded into the plugs on the cables. Steve Jobs paid Paul Rand $100,000 for the design and I guess he figured he was going to get his money’s worth out of it.
the keyboard uses alps mechanical keyswitches with a click leaf, not a buckling spring.