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Two rare original Apple Computer development boards for Apple FileServer, an early file-sharing and networking software developed in the 1980s that was designed to allow Apple computers, particularly Apple Lisa and early Macintosh systems, to share files over a network. Both boards measure 9 x 8.75 and are marked, respectively, as “Apple Computer, FileServer, MC1082-03, 1985” and “Apple Computer, FileServer, MC1082-04, 1985,” with the former marked as “42” with a small label that reads: “OK, 1 or 2 drive, Script #42.” Both boards contain side-by-side Read-Only Memory (ROM) chips with affixed labels annotated in ink that read as follows: “FS ROM 1885 2-22 Low” and “FS ROM815A 2-22 High”; and “FS ROM 2/22 1885 L” and “FS ROM 2/22 815A H.” In overall fine condition.
The Apple FileServer was Apple’s early attempt at providing a networked storage solution for compact Macintosh computers like the Macintosh 128K, 512K, and Mac Plus. Instead of installing an internal hard disk in each computer, Apple explored a centralized file-sharing system where multiple machines could connect to a shared hard drive. Given Apple’s prior experience with the Profile external hard disk (for Lisa and Apple III) and the Widget internal hard disk (for Lisa 2), this approach was seen as a potential alternative to engineering smaller, Mac-compatible hard drives. The FileServer connection system was named AppleTalk, which allowed a laserwriter printer to connect to the Macintosh computer.
Additionally, Apple envisioned the FileServer as a cross-platform device that could potentially serve Macintosh, Lisa, and Apple II systems. It may have also been one of Apple’s earliest SCSI-based devices, preceding the Macintosh Plus (1986), though details on its implementation remain scarce. The Apple FileServer project was ultimately canceled, in part due to Apple's shift away from in-house disk drive development following the failure of the Twiggy drive. Instead, Apple eventually embraced external hard drive solutions, including SCSI-based devices, which became standard in later Mac models.
From the collection of Dennis Grimm.
