Apple Filing ProtocolThe Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), formerly AppleTalk Filing Protocol, is a proprietarynetwork protocol, and part of the Apple File Service (AFS), that offers file services for macOS, classic Mac OS, and Apple II computers. AFP supports Unicode file names, POSIX and access-control list permissions, resource forks, named extended attributes, and advanced file locking. In OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and earlier, AFP was the primary protocol for file services.
HFS PlusHFS Plus or HFS+ (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Extended) is a journaling file system developed by Apple Inc. It replaced the Hierarchical File System (HFS) as the primary file system of Apple computers with the 1998 release of Mac OS 8.1. HFS+ continued as the primary Mac OS X file system until it was itself replaced with the Apple File System (APFS), released with macOS High Sierra in 2017. HFS+ is also one of the formats supported by the iPod digital music player.
Apple File SystemApple File System (APFS) is a proprietaryfile system developed and deployed by Apple Inc. for macOSSierra (10.12.4) and later, iOS10.3, tvOS 10.2, watchOS 3.2, and all versions of iPadOS. It aims to fix core problems of HFS+ (also called Mac OS Extended), APFS's predecessor, which had been in use since 1998. APFS is optimized for solid-state drive storage and supports encryption, snapshots, and improved handling of metadata integrity.
Network-attached storageNetwork-attached storage (NAS; pronounced ) is a file-level computer data storage server connected to a computer network providing data access to a heterogeneous group of clients. In this context, the term "NAS" can refer to both the technology and systems involved, or a specialized computer appliance device unit built for such functionality – a NAS appliance or NAS box. NAS contrasts with block-level, storage area networks (SAN) and direct-attached storage (DAS).
Mac OS X LeopardMac OS X Leopard (version 10.5) is the sixth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on October 26, 2007, as the successor of Mac OS X Tiger, and is available in two editions: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a server version, Mac OS X Server. It retailed for $129 for the desktop version and $499 for Server. Leopard was superseded by Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) in 2009.
MacOS Big SurmacOS Big Sur (version 11) is the seventeenth major release of macOS, Apple's operating system for Macintosh computers. The successor to macOS Catalina, it was announced WWDC 2020 on June 22, 2020, and was released to the public on November 12, 2020. It was succeeded by macOS Monterey, which was released on October 25, 2021. For the first time since OS X Yosemite six years earlier, macOS Big Sur features a user interface redesign.
MacOSmacOS (previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a proprietary Unix operating system, derived from OPENSTEP for Mach and FreeBSD, which has been marketed and developed by Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's line of Mac computers. As of April 2026, within the market of desktop and laptop computers, it is the second most widely used desktop OS, after Microsoft Windows and ahead of all Linux distributions, including ChromeOS and SteamOS.
Operating systemAn operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, peripherals, and other resources.Backup softwareBackup software is software for creating a copy of computer data such as files and databases, called a backup, with the intention to recover from data loss. It may support extracting data from a backup and even restoring it to its original location.
Thunderbolt (interface)Computer hardware interfaceThunderbolt is the brand name of a hardware interface for the connection of external peripherals to a computer. It was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. It was initially marketed under the name Light Peak and first sold as part of an end-user product on February 24, 2011. Thunderbolt combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort (DP) into two serial signals and provides DC power via a single cable.
USBStandard for computer data connectionsUniversal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics.
Apple Inc.American multinational technology companyApple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, and known for consumer electronics, software and online services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, the company was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc. the following year.
HFS PlusHFS Plus or HFS+ (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Extended) is a journaling file system developed by Apple Inc. It replaced the Hierarchical File System (HFS) as the primary file system of Apple computers with the 1998 release of Mac OS 8.1. HFS+ continued as the primary Mac OS X file system until it was itself replaced with the Apple File System (APFS), released with macOS High Sierra in 2017. HFS+ is also one of the formats supported by the iPod digital music player.Apple File SystemApple File System (APFS) is a proprietaryfile system developed and deployed by Apple Inc. for macOSSierra (10.12.4) and later, iOS10.3, tvOS 10.2, watchOS 3.2, and all versions of iPadOS. It aims to fix core problems of HFS+ (also called Mac OS Extended), APFS's predecessor, which had been in use since 1998. APFS is optimized for solid-state drive storage and supports encryption, snapshots, and improved handling of metadata integrity.Network-attached storageNetwork-attached storage (NAS; pronounced ) is a file-level computer data storage server connected to a computer network providing data access to a heterogeneous group of clients. In this context, the term "NAS" can refer to both the technology and systems involved, or a specialized computer appliance device unit built for such functionality – a NAS appliance or NAS box. NAS contrasts with block-level, storage area networks (SAN) and direct-attached storage (DAS).Mac OS X LeopardMac OS X Leopard (version 10.5) is the sixth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on October 26, 2007, as the successor of Mac OS X Tiger, and is available in two editions: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a server version, Mac OS X Server. It retailed for $129 for the desktop version and $499 for Server. Leopard was superseded by Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) in 2009.MacOS Big SurmacOS Big Sur (version 11) is the seventeenth major release of macOS, Apple's operating system for Macintosh computers. The successor to macOS Catalina, it was announced WWDC 2020 on June 22, 2020, and was released to the public on November 12, 2020. It was succeeded by macOS Monterey, which was released on October 25, 2021. For the first time since OS X Yosemite six years earlier, macOS Big Sur features a user interface redesign.MacOSmacOS (previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a proprietary Unix operating system, derived from OPENSTEP for Mach and FreeBSD, which has been marketed and developed by Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's line of Mac computers. As of April 2026, within the market of desktop and laptop computers, it is the second most widely used desktop OS, after Microsoft Windows and ahead of all Linux distributions, including ChromeOS and SteamOS.Operating systemAn operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, peripherals, and other resources.Backup softwareBackup software is software for creating a copy of computer data such as files and databases, called a backup, with the intention to recover from data loss. It may support extracting data from a backup and even restoring it to its original location.Thunderbolt (interface)Computer hardware interfaceThunderbolt is the brand name of a hardware interface for the connection of external peripherals to a computer. It was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. It was initially marketed under the name Light Peak and first sold as part of an end-user product on February 24, 2011. Thunderbolt combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort (DP) into two serial signals and provides DC power via a single cable.USBStandard for computer data connectionsUniversal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics.Apple Inc.American multinational technology companyApple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, and known for consumer electronics, software and online services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, the company was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc. the following year.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.