“The NeXT machine’s “black hole” icon is an interesting alternative [to Macintosh’s trash can], but as a metaphor it suggests a disturbing irreversibility. One can, after all, take things back out of a trash can – usually.”

(Brenda Laurel, “Computers as theatre,” p. 131, 1993)

NeXTSTEP 1.0 has been licensed to IBM, who ported it to AIX architecture. However, it took so long, that by the time the project was finished, NeXTSTEP 2.0 for NeXT hardware was ready. Since the company wanted more money for a new 2.0 license, and there was no obvious benefits, IBM lost interest in NeXTSTEP.