Description:

Ultimate Steve Jobs DS for the NeXT Computer Launch Keynote. Platform and Operating System Paved Way for Mac OS X & First Web Browser. PSA GEM MINT 10!

Historic DS, one page, 8.5" x 11", February 16, 1989, in which Jobs consents to the release of the audio of his NeXT demonstration at Boston Symphony Hall on November 30, 1988, as part of Charles Mann's "educational series of audiotapes relating to computers entitled 'The Powersharing Series.'" Boldly signed in full at the conclusion in bold ink by Jobs using his legal name as “steven p. jobs,” and countersigned in ballpoint by Mann. In fine condition. In fine condition. Authenticated and graded by PSA/DNA a Gem Mint 10. Encapsulated to an overall size of 9.75" x 13.25". 

Steve Jobs's keynote presentation served as the east-coast debut of the NeXT computer in which Jobs demonstrated the high-tech machine—a 12-inch square die-cast magnesium 'cube' with innovative optical drive, high-resolution display, and 25MHz clock speed—and, more importantly, its operating system, known as NeXTSTEP. The OS offered an intuitive GUI with features like an application dock, true multitasking, drag-and-drop tools, large full-color icons, real-time scrolling, and other elements that are considered ubiquitous today. This was the innovative platform on which Tim Berners-Lee would create the first web browser.  

Although NeXT computers encountered subpar sales, the NeXTSTEP operating system and development environment proved highly influential, forming the basis for Mac OS X. Unix derivatives incorporating NeXTSTEP would eventually power all of Apple's platforms, including the iPhone. Apple purchased NeXT in 1997 for $429 million and 1.5 million shares of Apple stock, with Jobs, as part of the agreement, returning to the company he had co-founded in 1976. Jobs's keynote presentations—similar to the one represented by this document—would become a hallmark of his return to Apple, with unforgettable introductions to popular products like the iPod, iPhone, and Macbook Air.

Jobs founded the innovative NeXT project, a computer and software company aimed at business and higher education markets after he was ousted from Apple in the fall of 1985. The first NeXT Computer was introduced in 1988 with great fanfare, thanks to Jobs's marketing strategy. At NeXT, Jobs helped to develop a pioneering "fingerless" automated manufacturing line right in Silicon Valley. He believed that keeping the design, development, and manufacturing in close proximity--all in a single plant rather than outsourced overseas—would help NeXT out-innovate its competitors by allowing continuous improvement of their products.

The Powersharing Series presents a meticulously selected array of presentations from computer industry pioneers, captured from 1981 to 1991 at notable venues like the Computer Museum, the Boston Computer Society, and various New York City user groups. This series offers a unique, firsthand account of the personal computer revolution, ensuring its stories and insights endure for future generations. Thanks to a collaboration with the Computer History Museum, where the series is preserved, Charles Mann, the visionary behind Powersharing and its chief editor and narrator, has digitally remastered the entire collection. This updated edition is now accessible on a USB-3 flash drive through Amazon.com.

The Powersharing Story
Charles Mann, a career international development economist, notably contributed to tech history while at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York. An early member of the Big Apple User Group (BAUG), Mann leveraged this platform for his initial dive into Apple technology. In 1983, he played a pivotal role in capturing the essence of a Computer Fair organized by BAUG, the UN International School, and the NYPC User Group, by recording 32 industry speakers—a project stemming from his belief in the importance of preserving tech industry dialogues.

Mann's efforts extended to his time in Cambridge in 1985 with the Harvard Institute for International Development, where he furthered his mission to document computing history through collaborations with Boston’s Computer Museum and The Boston Computer Society. This initiative paused in 1991 due to his advisory role in The Gambia but resumed in 2013, leading to the 2019 release of a comprehensive 134-program edition of The Powersharing Series on a USB-3 flash drive. For more information, visit www.ThePowersharingSeries.com.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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