NeXTSTEP is a discontinued
object-oriented,
multitasking operating system based on
UNIX. It was developed by
NeXT Computer in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was initially used for its range of proprietary
workstation computers such as the
NeXTcube and later ported to several other
computer architectures. Although relatively unsuccessful at the time, it attracted interest from computer scientists and researchers. It was used as the original platform for the development of the first AppStore, The
Electronic AppWrapper, the first commercial electronic software distribution catalog to collectively manage encryption and provide digital rights for apps and digital media. It was also the platform that created the first
web browser by
Tim Berners-Lee. After the purchase of NeXT by
Apple, it became the source of the popular operating systems
OS X,
iOS, and now
watchOS and
tvOS. Many bundled OS X apps, such as
TextEdit,
Mail and
Chess, are descendants of NeXTSTEP applications.