Editing NeXT (section)

===Background===
In 1985, Apple co-founder and CEO [[Steve Jobs]] led a division campaign called SuperMicro, which was responsible for developing the [[Macintosh 128K|Macintosh]] and [[Apple Lisa|Lisa]] computers. They were commercial successes on university campuses because Jobs had personally visited a few notable universities to promote his products, and because of [[Apple University Consortium]], a discounted academic marketing program.<ref name="The NeXT Big Thing" />{{rp|56,67,72}} The Consortium had earned over $50 million on computer sales by February 1984.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Morrison|first=Ann|date=February 20, 1984|title=Apple Bites Back|work=Fortune|url=http://fortune.com/1984/02/20/apple-bites-back-fortune-1984/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609050506/http://fortune.com/1984/02/20/apple-bites-back-fortune-1984/|archive-date=June 9, 2019}}</ref>

Jobs met [[Paul Berg]], a Nobel Laureate in chemistry, at a luncheon in [[Silicon Valley]] held to honor President of France [[François Mitterrand]].<ref name="The NeXT Big Thing">{{Cite book|last=Stross|first=Randall|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780689121357|title=Steve Jobs and the NeXT Big Thing|publisher=Athenium|year=1993|isbn=0-689-12135-0|page=|access-date=August 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628074925/https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780689121357|archive-date=June 28, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|72}}<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shannon|first=Victoria|title=Apple losing its polish in France| work=[[International New York Times|International Herald Tribune]]|page=11|date=May 22, 2006|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/21/business/lobbyside.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060602104905/http://iht.com/articles/2006/05/21/business/lobbyside.php|archive-date=June 2, 2006}}</ref> Berg was frustrated by the time and expense of researching [[recombinant DNA]] via [[wet laboratory|wet laboratories]], and suggested that Jobs should use his influence to create a "[[3M computer]]" that is designed for higher education.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Patton|first1=Phil|date=August 6, 1989|title=Steve Jobs: Out For Revenge|work=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/06/magazine/steve-jobs-out-for-revenge.html|url-status=live|access-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214133646/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/06/magazine/steve-jobs-out-for-revenge.html|archive-date=December 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Lubenow|first1=Gerald C.|date=September 29, 1985|title=Jobs Talks About His Rise and Fall|work=[[Newsweek]]|url=https://www.newsweek.com/jobs-talks-about-his-rise-and-fall-207016|url-status=live|access-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728070045/https://www.newsweek.com/jobs-talks-about-his-rise-and-fall-207016|archive-date=July 28, 2021}}</ref>

Jobs was intrigued by Berg's concept of a workstation and contemplated starting a higher-education computer company in late 1985, amid increasing turmoil at Apple. Jobs's division did not release the upgraded versions of the Macintosh computer and much of the [[Macintosh Office]] software.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Apple's new Mac push; can Apple Computer succeed in wooing big companies with its Macintosh Office?|last=Fuerst|first=Irene|date=March 15, 1985|work=Datamation|page=42}}</ref> As a result, its sales plummeted,<ref name="West of Eden">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/westofedenendofi00rose_0/page/193|title=West of Eden|last=Rose|first=Frank|publisher=Viking|year=1990|isbn=0-670-81278-1|access-date=August 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103205807/https://archive.org/details/westofedenendofi00rose_0/page/193|archive-date=January 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|193}} and Apple was forced to write off millions of dollars in unsold inventory.<ref name="West of Eden"/>{{rp|227}} In 1985, [[John Sculley]] ousted Jobs from his executive role at Apple and replaced him with [[Jean-Louis Gassée]].<ref name="West of Eden"/>{{rp|291}} Later that year, Jobs began a power struggle to regain control over his company. The [[board of directors]] sided with Sculley, and Jobs took a business trip to Western Europe and the Soviet Union on behalf of Apple.{{sfn|Young|Simon|2005|p=118}}