Steve Jobs and the NeXT big thing

What Hacker News says

1. endemicOct 2026
   I can also recommend "Steve Jobs and the NeXT big thing" by Randall Stross.
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2. pjmlpJul 2026
   The biography regarding how NeXT came to be is quite relevant in how it all went, and how lucky it was that Apple ended up going with NeXT instead of Be.

   "Steve Jobs and the Next Big Thing"

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3. dmazinMay 2026
   If you want more on this, I recommend Steve Jobs and the Next Big Thing by Stross. I’m not sure, but it might be the only extensive book about Next other than this new one.

   Though it’s essentially a long hit piece. The author really had it out for Jobs.

   In fact it’s a completely uncharitable book now that I think about it. Hopefully this new book will be a lot less biased.

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4. navesMay 2026
   Steve Jobs & the NeXT Big Thing by Randall E. Stross covers the NeXT years extensively and in period. Highly recommended also to do some “archeological” read/research into what it was like to sell computers in the late 80’s, early 90’s
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5. georgeecollinsMay 2026
   When I was younger I read the book "Steve Jobs and the Next Big Thing". It was a book about Steve Jobs and NeXT, written before Apple bought Next but far enough along that it was clear that NeXT wasn't going to work out.

   It's a really interesting book because it was essentially saying that Steve Jobs was a terrible manager and NeXT was a disaster. I don't think it was wrong either. NeXT was a disaster for its investors.

   The lessons I take from that story are: You can do a hundred things wrong and one thing right and the one thing may save you. Most everything NeXT did failed but they created OSX. No one is a perfect genius, everybody makes mistakes, and the most effective people learn from their setbacks.

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6. pjmlpOct 2025
   Besides the sibling comments, if you read books like "Steve Jobs & the Next Big Thing", this point of view is quite detailed there.

   Younger readers will find out that modern Apple attitude is quite similar to the early years of the Macintosh being sold to universities.

   The be nice and think different phase was only during the time they were about to close doors.

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