Sherlock (software)

SherlockLogo

Sherlock is a software tool developed by Apple Inc. for the macOS operating system. It was introduced in Mac OS 8.5 in 1998 and was named after the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock was designed to provide users with a powerful search utility that could search both local files and the internet.

Features[edit | edit source]

Sherlock offered several key features that made it a popular tool among macOS users:

File Search: Sherlock could search for files on the local hard drive, providing a more advanced search capability than the built-in Finder search.
Internet Search: Sherlock could search the internet using various plugins, allowing users to find information from multiple sources without opening a web browser.
Channel Support: Sherlock supported different channels, which were essentially plugins that extended its functionality. These channels could be used to search for specific types of information, such as news, shopping, and more.
User Interface: Sherlock featured a user-friendly interface that made it easy to perform searches and view results.

History[edit | edit source]

Sherlock was introduced as part of Mac OS 8.5 and continued to be included in subsequent versions of the operating system. However, with the release of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Sherlock was largely replaced by Spotlight (software), a more advanced search tool integrated into the operating system. Despite this, Sherlock remained available for users who preferred its interface and functionality.

Discontinuation[edit | edit source]

With the advent of Spotlight (software), Sherlock's usage declined, and it was eventually discontinued. The last version of Sherlock was included in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, after which it was no longer supported or updated by Apple.