MacTCP
Encyclopedia
MacTCP was the standard TCP/IP implementation for the Macintosh operating system
through version 7.5.1. It was the first application-independent implementation of a TCP stack for a non-Unix
platform and predates Winsock
by over 5 years. Released in 1988, it is considered obsolete and has reliability issues and incomplete features that sometimes prevent it from operating properly on the modern Internet
. In addition, the API
was unique to the Mac OS, and at least one developer released a Berkeley Sockets
-derived API to make porting from other platforms easier.
It was originally a substantial purchase, carrying a $2500 price tag for noncommercial use, with an additional $2500 fee for commercial use. The price was lowered until by the mid-1990s it sold for $60. MacTCP was not included free with Mac OS until System 7.5, when the rising popularity of the Internet made it a necessity. Apple replaced it in 1995 with Open Transport
, which had an improved interface for user configuration, but MacTCP remained in use on older systems because of its generally lower system requirements.
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
through version 7.5.1. It was the first application-independent implementation of a TCP stack for a non-Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
platform and predates Winsock
Winsock
In computing, the Windows Sockets API , which was later shortened to Winsock, is a technical specification that defines how Windows network software should access network services, especially TCP/IP. It defines a standard interface between a Windows TCP/IP client application and the underlying...
by over 5 years. Released in 1988, it is considered obsolete and has reliability issues and incomplete features that sometimes prevent it from operating properly on the modern Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. In addition, the API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
was unique to the Mac OS, and at least one developer released a Berkeley Sockets
Berkeley sockets
The Berkeley sockets application programming interface comprises a library for developing applications in the C programming language that perform inter-process communication, most commonly for communications across a computer network....
-derived API to make porting from other platforms easier.
It was originally a substantial purchase, carrying a $2500 price tag for noncommercial use, with an additional $2500 fee for commercial use. The price was lowered until by the mid-1990s it sold for $60. MacTCP was not included free with Mac OS until System 7.5, when the rising popularity of the Internet made it a necessity. Apple replaced it in 1995 with Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
, which had an improved interface for user configuration, but MacTCP remained in use on older systems because of its generally lower system requirements.