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AppleShare was a suite of networking services for Apple computers that started as a file sharing system and later added web, print, and email servers. It eventually added support for Windows protocols but was phased out with the introduction of Mac OSX Server in 1999. The suite used proprietary network protocols known as AppleTalk for file transfer, which were later replaced by TCP/IP in the IP-branded version. The suite had eight applications and turned Apple into a viable server platform. AppleTalk protocols were abandoned in favor of standard Internet protocols, making AppleShare obsolete.
AppleShare® was a suite of networking services available for Apple computers. It was initially introduced as a file sharing system but eventually added the functionality of a web server, print server, and email server. At the end of its development cycle, it also added support for the Server Message Block (SMB) and Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocols commonly used by Windows computers. This allowed for a level of interoperability between the two, when file sharing was previously only available to clients running one version of the Mac OS. Apple ceased development and gradually began phasing out support for AppleShare® with the introduction of Mac OSX Server in 1999.
Initial versions of AppleShare® used proprietary network protocols known as AppleTalk for file transfer. These protocols were first introduced in 1984, although later versions of AppleTalk have also used the more common Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). These latest versions of the suite have been designated as AppleShare® IP, and the addition of TCP/IP support has brought it more in line with other server packages using these protocols.
While originally only allowing for file transfers, AppleShare® has eventually become a more comprehensive network services platform. Before the introduction of AppleShare® IP, it functioned primarily as a means for a small network of computers to share files and printers. The various changes implemented in the IP-branded version of the suite have changed this by adding support for TCP/IP protocols as well as a full suite of web server applications.
AppleShare® IP had a total of eight applications, including an IP manager, a print manager, a web and file server, and a mail server. Each base application had an administration application that allowed the server administrator to customize a number of settings, as well as provide certain monitoring tools. This essentially turned Apple into a viable server platform with the ability to serve web pages, deliver email, and more.
Mac OSX v10.5 was the last Apple operating system to support AppleTalk protocols. Without these protocols, most AppleShare® functionality was lost and the suite was discontinued. While the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) has remained intact, most other AppleTalk protocols have been abandoned in favor of standard Internet protocols. This made AppleShare® more or less obsolete, although much of the same functionality carried over to the first version of Mac OSX Server. Mac OSX Server itself relied on Apple’s acquisition of NeXT, rather than AppleShare®.
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