Anyone know where I can get a copy of the NeXT OS? I kinda want to load it onto some older computers of mine, just to get a look at it, get in touch with my proto-Mac OS X roots 
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Where can I get a copy of the NeXT OS?
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Try GnuStep
WindowMaker (as suggested above) is just a window manager. Whilst it can look quite a lot like NextStep it does not provide the underlying NS Objective C libraries (what is now Cocoa on OSX). GnuStep provides an open source clone of OpenStep (what NextStep was renamed as). It provided an almost complete implementation of the FoundationKit and AppKit, a NS-like window manager, a NS-like "dock", the works.
If you want/need real NextStep, try eBay and the like.
WindowMaker (as suggested above) is just a window manager. Whilst it can look quite a lot like NextStep it does not provide the underlying NS Objective C libraries (what is now Cocoa on OSX). GnuStep provides an open source clone of OpenStep (what NextStep was renamed as). It provided an almost complete implementation of the FoundationKit and AppKit, a NS-like window manager, a NS-like "dock", the works.
If you want/need real NextStep, try eBay and the like.
Blackhole has OpenStep 4.2 with CDs for both Intel and Black Hardware. They're kind of pricey though:
http://www.blackholeinc.com/
I've got NextStep 3.2 CDs but they're for black hardware only. Make sure you know which cpu its for if you go the eBay route.
http://www.blackholeinc.com/
I've got NextStep 3.2 CDs but they're for black hardware only. Make sure you know which cpu its for if you go the eBay route.
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So would I be able to use the OS with an old Performa? Or do I ahve to ahve the black NeXT hardware as well...?
I don't think that there was ever a version of Next that ran on Apple hardware, just the original "black" version and the latter (once it became OpenStep iirc) for Intel. You might be able to get the Black version to run on Apple hardware but I doubt it. You could pick up a dirt cheap Intel box (remember that OpenStep was around a long time ago) and run it on that. Or install fink on your apple and install GnuStep on there...
If you decide to get OpenStep for Intel, try to run it on a computer of similar vintage. I doubt OpenStep would run on modern x86 machines with their AGP and USB etc. technologies that weren't around when OpenStep was.
I don't believe there was ever a PowerPC version of Next/Openstep, so that rules out running it on a Mac. If you want to be really obscure, you could get an old SPARC workstation.
I don't believe there was ever a PowerPC version of Next/Openstep, so that rules out running it on a Mac. If you want to be really obscure, you could get an old SPARC workstation.
