Why did apple discontinue the airport cards?!

[latergator116]

I bought a refurbished iBook G3 in November, planning to buy the airport card later. Now that apple has discontinued them, the chepest card I can find on eBay is for around $100 (and on macofalltrades.com, they are selling them for $125). There is obviously a high demand for them if the price immediately skyrockets. Sometimes apple really pisses me off.

[LeeTom]

I believe the companies that manufacture the 802.11b chips are stopping producing them, focusing on 802.11g chips instead, so it's not entirely Apple's fault.
That being said, they could produce a 802.11g card for the older macs, but they won't. And that is their fault.

Lee Tom

[latergator116]

I was considering getting a little USB wireless card, but I heard they get horrible reception since they can't utilizie the iBook's built in antenna. If only apple made a 802.11g card that fit in older iBook's. :rolleyes:

[Horrortaxi]

They haven't made computers that use the original AirPort card in quite some time. It was foreseeable that they'd discontinue the cards.

[latergator116]

They haven't made computers that use the original AirPort card in quite some time. It was foreseeable that they'd discontinue the cards.

I knew that apple would eventually discontinue the airport card, but the iBook G3 (the last computer to use the original aiport card) was only discontinued a few months before the airport card was. Besides, after the iBook G3 was discontinued, they were still selling refurbished and new iBook G3's in the "save" section.

[MisterMe]

I bought a refurbished iBook G3 in November, planning to buy the airport card later. Now that apple has discontinued them, the chepest card I can find on eBay is for around $100 (and on macofalltrades.com, they are selling them for $125). There is obviously a high demand for them if the price immediately skyrockets. Sometimes apple really pisses me off.The Apple Airport card is a standard Wi-Fi PCMCIA card. If you can't get one from Apple, you should be able to get one from someone else.

[5300cs]

The Apple Airport card is a standard Wi-Fi PCMCIA card. If you can't get one from Apple, you should be able to get one from someone else.

The iBooks don't have PC card slots. Where were you thinking of putting it, in the slot under the keyboard? Would that work? What about the antenna wire?

[jimsowden]

I knew that apple would eventually discontinue the airport card, but the iBook G3 (the last computer to use the original aiport card) was only discontinued a few months before the airport card was.
Over half a year. Sounds like someone needs so stop being Scrooge McDuck.

[MacFan26]

You can still find them around in a few places. I bought one for my mom at a place called Mac Media for $71. This was after searching at all the chains, and not wanting to spend more than usual on eBay.

[latergator116]

Over half a year. Sounds like someone needs so stop being Scrooge McDuck.

Either way, its still a short amount of time. BTW, apple recently stopped selling iBook G3s in the refurb section. :rolleyes:

MacFan26: Thanks. I didnt even think about that. I guess I will go check my local CompUSA.

[Counterfit]

The iBooks don't have PC card slots. Where were you thinking of putting it, in the slot under the keyboard? Would that work? What about the antenna wire? It wouldn't work at all, because the AirPort slot is not a standard PC Card slot.

[homerjward]

isnt ae a standard 802.11g mini-pci card, a la centrino? it seems to me airport would be too, so couldnt you just like buy one from dell or something?

[MisterMe]

It wouldn't work at all, because the AirPort slot is not a standard PC Card slot.Actually, it is. Even the Airport (not Airport Extreme) basestation is built around a standard Wi-Fi PCMCIA card. Airport Extreme uses a different form factor. That is what you may be thinking about.

[Horrortaxi]

It wouldn't work at all, because the AirPort slot is not a standard PC Card slot.
I just compared an AirPort card with a PCMCIA modem and it's a pin-for-pin match. So I'd bet that a PCMCIA wifi card that uses the same chipset would probably look like an AirPort card to the Mac. The big problem is the antenna-I'm not sure what you do about that, but I don't know my wifi cards so maybe it's an easy fix.

[Daveman Deluxe]

Only an AirPort card will work in the AirPort card slot, even though the pins are the same as on a PCMCIA card. I don't know whether that is because the Mac's firmware won't allow another card to be used, or if the slot is not pin-compatible despite having the same pin layout, but in any case, only an AirPort card will work in the slot.

[gwangung]

Aside from aesthetics, is there a reason that the interface that plugs into the USB port won't work? (Y' known, the one that looks like a thumb drive?)

[Counterfit]

MisterMe, Horrortaxi, please read this (http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@30.AXueaTTcun7.1@.68961c8a) (this post (http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@30.AXueaTTcun7.5@.68961c8a/5) in particular). Believe me now? :D

[Marlon_JBT]

Aside from aesthetics, is there a reason that the interface that plugs into the USB port won't work? (Y' known, the one that looks like a thumb drive?)

Are you talking about the D-Link DWL-122? If you are... basically, it kinda sucks. I just took one back about 2 days ago, because it crashed OS X. I think it was causing driver conflicts, which I could never solve. Another problem was that I could never get the driver to update. I didn't try another one though.

[gwangung]

Are you talking about the D-Link DWL-122? If you are... basically, it kinda sucks. I just took one back about 2 days ago, because it crashed OS X. I think it was causing driver conflicts, which I could never solve. Another problem was that I could never get the driver to update. I didn't try another one though.

Them's one of them...I think there are others...

[though I think constant crashes is a pretty good reason not to use it.... :(]

[Horrortaxi]

MisterMe, Horrortaxi, please read this (http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@30.AXueaTTcun7.1@.68961c8a) (this post (http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@30.AXueaTTcun7.5@.68961c8a/5) in particular). Believe me now? :D
I didn't say I don't believe you, but for supporting evidence those are pretty weak. They're just other people who say you can't do it without providing evidence themselves.

I'd love to see somebody try this--just for proof of concept...or refutal of concept--whichever.