NeXT MegaPixel Display: Difference between revisions

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The NeXT MegaPixel Display, sitting on top of a NeXTstation with the original keyboard & mouse

The NeXT MegaPixel Display is a range of CRT-based computer monitors manufactured and sold by NeXT for the NeXTcube and NeXTstation workstations, designed by Hartmut Esslinger/Frog Design Inc.

Description

The original MegaPixel Display released in 1990 was a monochrome 17" monitor displaying four brightness levels (black, dark gray, light gray, and white) in a fixed resolution of 1120 × 832 at 92 DPI (just shy of a true megapixel at 931,840 total pixels) at 68 Hz.

It integrated a mono microphone, mono speaker, stereo RCA sockets, a 3.5 mm headphone socket and a socket for the keyboard (which in turn provided a socket for the mouse). A unique feature was that the monitor was connected to the computer by a single 6 foot cable which provided power, video signals and the aforementioned signals.

A severe problem with this setup was that the monitor could not be switched off completely while the computer was powered on. The screen could be switched black but the cathode heater always remained on. This led to extreme screen dimming after some years of use, especially when the computer was not turned off overnight as in a server setup or in a busy software lab.

This problem was later rectified with the now ultra rare^{[citation needed]} 4000A model rated at 10,000 hours (~14 months).

The display has a stand that allows it to be tilted. The stand also features two rollers that can be used to move the monitor back and forth despite its heavy weight. The stand also provides a place for the keyboard when not in use, freeing up the (real) desktop in front.

When the NeXTstation Color and the NeXTdimension board were released, NeXT sold rebranded color monitors (e.g. Sony Trinitron) with 13W3 connectors as MegaPixel Color Display in either 17" or 21". Remaining connections (formerly built into the MegaPixel Display) were provided via a DB-19 Y-cable to a separate box, the NeXT Sound Box.

The cost for the 17" MegaPixel Color Display was US$2,995 (equivalent to $6,700 in 2023), with the MegaPixel Display costing US$995 (equivalent to $2,230 in 2023).

Specifications

From the NeXT User's Reference:^[1]

Monitor

17-inch monochrome
Flat screen
1120 × 832 × 2 resolution (92 dpi)
Four colors (black and white and two levels of gray)
Refresh rate of 68 Hz noninterlaced
Integrated tilt and roll

Interfaces

Keyboard jack
8-bit, 8012.8 Hz analog to digital input via microphone miniphone jack (mono)
16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo digital-to-analog converter
output via:
- Headphone miniphone jack (stereo)
- Gold plated RCA line-out jacks (stereo)
- Integrated speaker (mono)

Keyboard and mouse

85 keys including:
- cursor keys, numeric pad
- Monitor brightness, sound volume
- Power on/off
Two button opto mechanical Mouse

Dimensions

16 in (w) × 17.3 (h) × 14 (d)
408 mm (w) × 440 (h) × 354 (d)
50 lb (23 kg)

References

^ NeXT User's Reference, 4/90, pg. 242, Reorder Product #N6002

External links

NeXTComputers.org
US Patent D312,629 monitor design
US Patent D312,630 monitor and stand design
US Patent D317,760 stand design
US Patent D317,291 cable design

[1] NeXT User's Reference, 4/90, pg. 242, Reorder Product #N6002

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Range of CRT-based computer monitors}}
-{{Multiple issues|{{refimprove|date=November 2016}}
-{{One source|date=March 2023}}}}
+{{One source|date=March 2023}}
 [[Image:NeXTstation.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The NeXT MegaPixel Display, sitting on top of a [[NeXTstation]] with the original keyboard & mouse]]
-The '''NeXT MegaPixel Display''' was a range of [[Cathode ray tube|CRT]]-based [[computer monitor]]s manufactured and sold by [[NeXT]] for the [[NeXTcube]] and [[NeXTstation]] workstations, designed by [[Hartmut Esslinger]]/[[Frog Design Inc.]]
+The '''NeXT MegaPixel Display''' is a range of [[Cathode-ray tube|CRT]]-based [[computer monitor]]s manufactured and sold by [[NeXT]] for the [[NeXTcube]] and [[NeXTstation]] workstations, designed by [[Hartmut Esslinger]]/[[Frog Design Inc.]]
 ==Description==
-The original MegaPixel Display was a monochrome 17" monitor displaying 4 brightness levels (black, dark gray, light gray and white) in a fixed resolution of 1120 x 832 at 92 [[dots per inch|DPI]] (just shy of a true [[Pixel#Megapixel|megapixel]] at 931,840 total pixels) at 68&nbsp;Hz.
+The original MegaPixel Display released in 1990 was a monochrome 17" monitor displaying four brightness levels (black, dark gray, light gray, and white) in a fixed resolution of 1120 × 832 at 92 [[dots per inch|DPI]] (just shy of a true [[Pixel#Megapixel|megapixel]] at 931,840 total pixels) at 68&nbsp;Hz.
 It integrated a mono [[microphone]], mono [[Computer speaker|speaker]], [[stereo]] [[RCA connector|RCA sockets]], a 3.5 mm [[Phone connector (audio)|headphone socket]] and a socket for  the keyboard (which in turn provided a socket for the mouse). A unique feature was that the monitor was connected to the computer by a single 6 foot cable which provided power, video signals and the aforementioned signals.
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 The display has a stand that allows it to be tilted. The stand also features two rollers that can be used to move the monitor back and forth despite its heavy weight. The stand also provides a place for the keyboard when not in use, freeing up the (real) desktop in front.
-When the [[NeXTstation]] Color and the [[NeXTdimension]] board was released, NeXT sold rebranded color monitors (e.g. Sony [[Trinitron]]) with [[DB13W3|13W3]] connectors as '''MegaPixel Color Display''' in either 17" or 21".  Remaining connections (formerly built into the MegaPixel Display) were provided via a DB-19 [[Y-cable]] to a separate box, the NeXT '''Sound Box'''.
+When the [[NeXTstation]] Color and the [[NeXTdimension]] board were released, NeXT sold rebranded color monitors (e.g. Sony [[Trinitron]]) with [[DB13W3|13W3]] connectors as '''MegaPixel Color Display''' in either 17" or 21".  Remaining connections (formerly built into the MegaPixel Display) were provided via a [[DB-19]] [[Y-cable]] to a separate box, the NeXT '''Sound Box'''.
 The cost for the 17" MegaPixel Color Display was {{USD|2995|1991|round=-1}}, with the MegaPixel Display costing {{USD|995|1991|round=-1}}.
 ==Specifications==
+From the NeXT User's Reference:<ref>NeXT User's Reference, 4/90, pg. 242, Reorder Product #N6002</ref>
-from the NeXT User's Reference<ref>NeXT User's Reference, 4/90, pg. 242, Reorder Product #N6002</ref>
 ===Monitor===
 * 17-inch monochrome
 * Flat screen
-* 1120 x 832 x 2 resolution (92 dpi)
+* 1120 × 832 × 2 resolution (92 dpi)
 * Four colors (black and white and two levels of gray)
 * Refresh rate of 68&nbsp;Hz noninterlaced
@@ Line 42: / Line 41: @@
 ** Integrated speaker (mono)
-===Keyboard and Mouse===
+===Keyboard and mouse===
 * 85 keys including:
 ** cursor keys, numeric pad
@@ Line 50: / Line 49: @@
 ===Dimensions===
-* 16 in. (w) x 17.3 (h) x 14 (d)
+* 16 in (w) × 17.3 (h) × 14 (d)
-* 408&nbsp;mm (w) x 440 (h) x 354 (d)
+* 408&nbsp;mm (w) × 440 (h) × 354 (d)
-* 50&nbsp;lbs. (23&nbsp;kg)
+* 50&nbsp;lb (23&nbsp;kg)
 ==References==

v t e NeXT
Corporate directors	Steve Jobs Ross Perot John Patrick Crecine
Team members	Susan Barnes George Crow Joanna Hoffman Steve Jobs Susan Kare Rich Page Bud Tribble
Hardware products	NeXT Computer NeXTcube NeXTcube Turbo NeXTstation NeXTdimension NeXT MegaPixel Display NeXT Laser Printer
Software products	NeXTSTEP OpenStep WebObjects Interface Builder
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