At Ease 2.0 workspace on System 7 |
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| Developer(s) | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 5.0.2 / 1998[1] |
| Operating system | System 7.1 — Mac OS 8.5[1] |
| Type | File browser/Desktop environment |
| License | Proprietary |
At Ease was an alternative to the Macintosh desktop developed by Apple Computer in the early 1990s. It provided a simple environment for new Macintosh users and young children to help them to work without supervision. At Ease sits on top of the Finder desktop, providing a simple tab panel oriented graphical user interface in which applications and documents are represented by icons on large buttons. Aside from its security features, its interface and basic functionality is very similar to the Packard Bell Navigator.
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At Ease for Workgroups allows users to log on to a server from any workstation that has the At Ease software installed. At Ease for Workgroups introduced a number of network-specific features not found in the original At Ease. The workgroup version enabled client configuration, network access and restrictions on how the client's computer can be used. In addition to the beige-colored Applications "folder" and the blue-colored Documents "folder" that each user had in his or her account, the workgroup version of the software also would allow for easier access to removable media: a pink-colored folder would appear in the user's profile for any CD-ROM inserted into the computer and a green-colored folder would appear for a floppy disk. These features were controlled for each user by the administrator. At Ease for Workgroups also included an Administration program that can add users and workgroups to the network.
At Ease for Workgroups 5 also provided a restricted Finder mode that allowed the Finder to operate instead of the traditional At Ease panels. It provided quick access to the user's documents folder which could be stored on an AppleShare IP server. The restricted Finder mode later turned into Mac OS 9's multiple users feature.
Built-in support for multiple users was implemented into Mac OS 9, bringing all of the features straight into the Mac OS and thus eliminating the need to install and use a different environment.
Even though At Ease was discontinued, certain aspects of its user interface appear in later versions of Mac OS. For example Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9 included the Platinum interface theme, which resembles At Ease. Its influence upon iOS, Apple's operating system for iPhone and iPad devices, has also been noted. There is also a similarity to the productivity-enhancing Launcher Control Panel, in Mac OS 7 and 8.