![]() ![]() Given the pace of computer technology and development, it’s a bit startling that we still use anything developed so long ago. ![]() Think about that the next time you get a message that your drive is full! That’s more than 1.2 million times the size of that first Mac. This computer I’m writing from now has 8GB of RAM-almost 16 thousand times more RAM than my first Mac-and 512GB of storage capacity. My first Mac, which came out late in 1984, had 512KB of RAM (four times the original Mac’s memory) and a single floppy drive that could store 400K. To give you an idea of how “state of the art” has changed since then, consider this. (HFS+ came later with some improvements for newer Macs.) That’s right, more than thirty years ago now. HFS was introduced in 1985, back when the Mac was still new. The current file system Apple uses is HFS+. Neither will iOS, which mostly abstracts file management: the under-the-hood stuff that tells the computer where to put and how to work with data. The Finder, the main way you interact with files on your Mac, won’t undergo any major cosmetic changes because of APFS (at least none Apple has told us about yet). It’s designed from the get-go to work well on modern Apple device architectures and offers plenty of scalability going forward.ĪPFS won’t change how you see files. It works with watchOS, tvOS, iOS, and macOS, spanning the entire Apple product line. What Is APFS?Īpple hasn’t defined the P in APFS, but that differentiates it from Apple File Service (AFS), a term used to describe older Apple file and network services.ĪPFS is designed to scale from the smallest Apple device to the biggest. Since our Mac client is a native app, we, like many Apple developers, have been boning up on APFS and what it means. Apple will migrate everything to use it in the future. APFS also adds some cool features that we haven’t seen before in other file systems.ĪPFS first appeared with macOS 10.12 Sierra as an early test release for developers to try out. APFS thoroughly modernizes the way Apple devices track stored information. ![]() Apple revealed plans for APFS at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2016. Whether it’s a picture you’ve taken on your phone, a Microsoft Word document, or an invisible file the computer needs, the file system accounts for all of that stuff.įile systems may not be the sexiest feature, but the underlying technology is so important that it gets developers interested. The file system tells the computer how to interact with data. Let’s take a look at APFS to understand what it is and why it’s so important, then answer some questions about it.įile systems are a vital component of any computer or electronic device. Backing up your data is our job, so we think a new file system is fascinating. (In fact, it’s already available if you’re a developer.) APFS changes how the Mac, iPhone, and iPad store files. It makes its public debut with the release of iOS 10.3, but it’s also coming to the Mac. We’ve since updated it with new information.ĪPFS, or Apple File System, is one of the biggest changes coming to every new Apple device. Editor’s note: We posted this article originally in August 2016. ![]()
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