Sherlock - the mysterious case of how sherlocking became a thing

Sherlock was introduced in 1998, as a tool for finding files on Mac OS 8.5. It used advanced search technology harvested from the carcass of Apple’s failed next generation operation system, Copeland. Sherlock revolutionized search on the Mac, enabling users to search within files for the first time.

But its file searching prowess is not the reason Sherlock is remembered today. By competing with a similar third-party app called Watson, Apple was accused of putting an indie developer out of business, which coined the term “sherlocking.” 

Sherlock was a technical marvel, featuring a breakthrough user interface that continues to influence how we use the Internet to this day. But its reign was short-lived. Just seven years after its launch, Sherlock was replaced by Spotlight.

APPLE CORE MERCH

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LINKS

Original Sherlock page on Apple.com via WayBack Machine (you might need to scroll down to see it)

Phil Schiller demos Sherlock 2 at WWDC 1999 (at 59:28)

Sherlock 3 page on Appe.com, via WayBack Machine (you might need to scroll down to see it)

Steve Jobs demos Sherlock 3 at Macworld New York 2002 (25:08)

Karelia Software’s Watson website