AppleTalk

AppleTalk was a proprietary networking protocol used by Macintosh computers to make it easy to share files and to connect to network devices, such as printers, on a local area network (LAN).

Implementation
Local area AppleTalk networking was first introduced in 1985 as part of the Macintosh Office. This implementation, called LocalTalk, was connected through the built-in serial port for speeds of up to 230.4 kbps. AppleTalk file sharing was implemented through AppleShare.

Other implementations

 * EtherTalk allowed for a faster connection through an Ethernet port, though this initially required the use of third party cards until the feature became standard with the Macintosh Quadra series.
 * Netatalk, for Unix-based systems.
 * Miramar pcmaclan, for Windows.

Deprecation
The protocol has since been deprecated by Apple in favor of Bonjour.