[ams6110]

Jobs built a factory. The NeXT computer was made there and the factory was reportedly state-of-the-art.

Of course Jobs is gone but I would guess there are others still at Apple that were involved so that it might not be totally new to them.

[declan]

I visited the NeXT factory in Fremont, and it certainly seemed state of the art to me at the time.

NeXT Computer Inc. eventually became NeXT Software Inc. and ceased manufacturing hardware. That was 23 years ago. I'd be surprised if any significant presence from that manufacturing team remained in Cupertino today.

[protomyth]

I was under the impression due to cost and poor sales, they actually had alternate arrangements to build the NeXT products after a while. It was a nice video and launch story though.

[ams6110]

You're right they did get out of the hardware business totally in the later years. But still, they build an an incredible factory that was widely praised.

[protomyth]

I'm not talking about getting out of the hardware business.

"The factory that Jobs had configured to produce 10,000 computers every month produced hundreds every month. Because of the low volume, human labor was cheaper than maintaining the automated equipment."

http://lowendmac.com/2013/next-years-steve-jobs-before-trium...

[ams6110]

My point was that he built a great factory. That is not diminished by his inability to sell the product.

But, he is gone and as others note it was a long time ago. It's probably not very relevant, in retrospect.

[mikeash]

In the entire life of the company, that factory built about as many computers as Tesla built cars just last year. And Tesla is a tiny player. This experience hardly seems relevant. Modern Apple is built on NeXT's software, but I don't think there's much if anything of their manufacturing in there.

[ams6110]

You are probably right. Doesn't seem that long ago to me but it really has been decades.

[mikeash]

I know what you mean. I often feel like the state of things in the 90s (when I really started with computers in earnest) is "how things are" and all the changes since then are recent developments.

Looking more recently, Apple does have their own factory in the US to make the Mac Pro. I wonder if any of that was intended as a testbed for in-house manufacturing in general.