Talkin’ about LocalTalk

In 1985, computer networking, such as sharing files and printers between computers, was an expensive hodge-podge of proprietary technologies. Apple introduced AppleTalk networking to the foray alongside the original Macintosh. Support for the Apple IIe and IIgs followed. AppleTalk was uniquely low cost, about $50 per computer, and easy to setup. For about 10 years, AppleTalk was Apple’s answer to networking until the Internet with TCP/IP supplanted the technology.

I’ll discuss the history of AppleTalk and dig into the technical details of LocalTalk, the foundation of AppleTalk on early Macintosh and Apple II computers. Although slow by today’s standards, LocalTalk remains a thoughtfully designed, fascinating, and even potentially useful part of the Apple II.