🚀 go-pugleaf

There have been a lot of questions regarding hardware specs for NeXTSTEP 486.
Here is a paraphrased summary of what is basically needed to run NeXTSTEP 486.
These specifications are preliminary, and will most likely change as additional
hardware is supported.  For specific configurations, consult the NeXTSTEP 486
hardware compatibility guide, or contact NeXT.


CPU - 486SX, 486DX, 486 DX/2.  Future 80x86 chips will be supported.  Need
an ISA or EISA expansion bus.  486DX and 486DX/2 are reccommended processors.

Hard Drive Minimum - 120MB user environment, 330MB developer environment

Graphics - Both Greyscale (2bit) and color (16bit) will be supported.  For
2 bit color (4 shades of grey) most VESA or SVGA cards will do.  Popular
SVGA cards from vendors like Orchid, ATI, Paradise, Video Seven and Compaq
will work.  Supported resolutions: 1024*768, 800*600, 640*480.  The RAM
requirements for 2bit systems is 8MB minimum, 12MB recommended.

16bit color systems - High quality graphics adapters needed.  Like Intel 
JAWS (such as Dell's Processor Direct Graphics), Chips and Technologies
Wingine, and certain Local Bus Graphics adapters.  Depending on size of
available VRAM (video RAM) resolutoins of 800*600, 1024*768, 1120*832, 
1280*1024 will be supported.  RAM requirements for 16 bit color are 16 MB
minimum, 24MB recommended.

Both IDE and SCSI interfaces will be supported.

Microsoft and Logitec compatible bus, PS/2 port and Serial mice are supported.
Certain graphics tablets will be supported.

Postscript level I and II printers will be suupported, connected through 
either the serial or parallel port.  Non postscript printers will be supported
in a future release.

ISA and EISA based networking adaptors will be supported including Ethernet
and Token ring cards from vendors such as SMC, intel, and 3Com.  A networking
card is optional.

Sound Support - Sound Blaster or Pro Audio Spectrum cards are optional.

ISDN support - supported through ISA add on cards.

FAX modems and fax modem cards will be supported


Eric Hermanson
NeXT Campus Consultant at MIT