Previous

Previous is an emulator dedicated to NeXT computers, including iconic models such as the NeXTcube, the NeXTstation, and their Turbo or Color variants. Designed by Steve Jobs after his departure from Apple, these machines made history with innovations like NEXTSTEP, a pioneering software platform in object-oriented programming and graphical user interfaces. The emulator faithfully reproduces their architecture based on Motorola 68030/68040 processors, with advanced options such as emulation of NeXTdimension graphics cards (i860), SCSI, or ADB peripherals.

On macOS, Previous works on recent versions (from macOS 10.13 onwards), relying on SDL3 for compatibility. It supports a wide range of NeXT operating systems (NEXTSTEP 0.8 to OPENSTEP 4.2) and third-party environments like NetBSD or Plan 9. Features include folder sharing via NFS, screenshot capture, and network modes (NAT or bridged). Some limitations apply to Nitro accelerators or advanced serial peripherals, but the emulator remains a robust tool for exploring NeXT’s technical legacy.