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Airport Extreme Air Disk, and 801.11n Upgrades $4.99 [Update]

Assume Apple is being cautious and wants to abide by SOX to the letter. OK.

But how does that stop Apple from adding the driver into 10.4.9 or Leopard. Going this route the "new feature" would be in OS X, not the hardware. Heck, the 802.11n chip is already physically in Macs. Since Apple adds new features to software updates all the time (at no additional charge to owner), there shouldn't be an issue since Apple can charge the cost to OS X.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Assume Apple is being cautious and wants to abide by SOX to the letter. OK.

But how does that stop Apple from adding the driver into 10.4.9 or Leopard. Going this route the "new feature" would be in OS X, not the hardware. Heck, the 802.11n chip is already physically in Macs. Since Apple adds new features to software updates all the time (at no additional charge to owner), there shouldn't be an issue since Apple can charge the cost to OS X.
Click to expand...

That would be great if the airport card in your Mac was a piece of software but it isn't.It's a piece of hardware.
 
Peace said:
That would be great if the airport card in your Mac was a piece of software but it isn't.It's a piece of hardware.
Click to expand...

Your comment makes no sense. Apple is charging the $4.95 for a software driver, not a hardware upgrade. If the issue is an R&D issue and how to expense it, it can be rolled into the driver cost, and as the poster pointed out, that can in turn be rolled into an OSX upgrade.
 
fustercluck said:
Your comment makes no sense. Apple is charging the $4.95 for a software driver, not a hardware upgrade. If the issue is an R&D issue and how to expense it, it can be rolled into the driver cost, and as the poster pointed out, that can in turn be rolled into an OSX upgrade.
Click to expand...

A firmware upgrade to a piece of hardware in your computer is considered a hardware upgrade.

Makes perfect sense to me.Although I don't know why they MUST charge for it.
 
appleguy said:
What do you mean by dangerously here and there
they will be by your Airport Extreme Basestation, like on top of a bookcase or something like that.
its just a home backup..
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with this, i don't see these wires as being "dangerous"

the new airport is 6.5x6.5 just like the Mini, it will sit perfectly on top of the LaCie 320GB mini Hard Drive & Hub. then the laCie has 4 usb ports on the back.

I'm going to find out if there is anyway to store the iTunes movie of there, and if there is, the old airport is probably gonna go.

I do like having the old one hang on the wall though
 
xUKHCx said:
Then why are they releasing the Airport Extreme as far as i am aware N is still draft.
Click to expand...


Apple's not shipping it today. If you check the keynote, and Apple's online store, you'll see that it will ship sometime in February. I understand that it will move away from draft status at that point.
 
Update to the story

Update: MacRumors has received confirmation that Apple will be releasing Airport Extreme 802.11n Enabler 1.0 for US $4.95 in February.
 
Shame was hoping it would be free.

This with the lack of a built in modem will probably put me off from buying it.
 
Peace said:
That would be great if the airport card in your Mac was a piece of software but it isn't.It's a piece of hardware.
Click to expand...

I wonder if Airport Express cards in CD MBPs can be upgraded? What would prevent Apple from selling N-enabled cards to be installed in older systems?
 
I don't understand how this would be any different from multi-threaded OpenGL, or any other performance improvement for that matter...

SOX gets blamed for everything because companies don't like the law. My IT department tried telling me they couldn't increase my email quota because of SOX-- I linked them to the text of the law and asked what section covered my email quota. Never heard back...

It's more likely because they're using the draft standard and don't want a bunch of incompatible systems out there unless they have something to talk to. They don't want the complaints when someone's 802.11n draft Macbook won't talk to Cisco's 802.11n draft access point.

Chupa Chupa said:
Assume Apple is being cautious and wants to abide by SOX to the letter. OK.

But how does that stop Apple from adding the driver into 10.4.9 or Leopard. Going this route the "new feature" would be in OS X, not the hardware. Heck, the 802.11n chip is already physically in Macs. Since Apple adds new features to software updates all the time (at no additional charge to owner), there shouldn't be an issue since Apple can charge the cost to OS X.
Click to expand...
I suspect that may happen if the draft gets finalized.
 
bilingual said:
I wonder if Airport Express cards in CD MBPs can be upgraded? What would prevent Apple from selling N-enabled cards to be installed in older systems?
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to guess this will happen.You will need to take it to an authorised Apple repair place though.Unless you have a Mac that allows for self repair.Then you would be able to just buy a new airport card with draft-n and put it in yourself.
 
Peace said:
A firmware upgrade to a piece of hardware in your computer is considered a hardware upgrade.

Makes perfect sense to me.Although I don't know why they MUST charge for it.
Click to expand...

Is it in fact firmware? From what I have read, those using Bootcamp/Parallels already see it as 11n.

I admit, I don't understand the distinction between a software driver and a firmware upgrade.
 
fustercluck said:
Is it in fact firmware? From what I have read, those using Bootcamp/Parallels already see it as 11n.

I admit, I don't understand the distinction between a software driver and a firmware upgrade.
Click to expand...

It is reported as a .N in Windows.I know because I'm the one that found it and let the cat out of the bag.
This doesn't mean it's "enabled" which would require a firmware update.
 
ok,

someone please correct me if im wrong...

I have a C2D macbook
it came with a n card. apple restricted it to g. now they have a n base, I can either buy a base to enable the n (as it comes with a CD) or I could buy a 3rd party n router, and pay $5 for my n card to be upgraded? even though its already built in??

Why doesnt apple just put something in software update?
 
longofest said:
Update: MacRumors has received confirmation that Apple will be releasing Airport Extreme 802.11n Enabler 1.0 for US $4.95 in February.
Click to expand...
My understanding is that you only need to restate earnings if they're "material" to your bottom line, where "material" is some percentage. If they really peg the value of 802.11n as $5 (and I don't think the feature is worth more than that), I don't see how offering it free on a $1000 Macbook would have a material impact.

Is Apple just being gun shy after all the SEC investigations?

There's got to be an accountant on this list somewhere... Can anyone explain this?
 
Peace said:
A firmware upgrade to a piece of hardware in your computer is considered a hardware upgrade.

Makes perfect sense to me.Although I don't know why they MUST charge for it.
Click to expand...

A firmware upgrade can not in any way be considered a hardware upgrade, and is in fact by definition just a little peace of software. It´s just an update to the software that interfaces with the driver - Apple is charging money for a driver update....


Edit: and as far as we know, it´s not even a firmware upgrade.
 
etjazz said:
A firmware upgrade can not in any way be considered a hardware upgrade, and is in fact by definition just a little peace of software. It´s just an update to the software that interfaces with the driver - Apple is charging money for a driver update....


Edit: and as far as we know, it´s not even a firmware upgrade.
Click to expand...

I know for a fact that it is a firmware update.
 
etjazz said:
doh, some macusers are incredibly ignorant. 11a was never intended to replace 11b - it was developed in parallel because the 2.4ghz band had problems with interference because of the massive amount of devices on that band. However, speed is on par with 11g as long as you stay relatively close to the ap. The higher frequency lowers the penetration power of 11a, and makes it unsuitable unless the AP is in line of sight
Click to expand...

Oh picky picky...it was a generalization. Eventually people stick with the whatever is fastest...in other words, it would have replaced it. Because of the shortcomings of a, they developed g (infrastructure costs, physical properties as you mentioned, etc.). This person asked what 5.8GHz was for, and I gave him a basic idea of what it was (if he wanted more details, he could have looked up 802.11a in wikipedia or something).

I know everyone on here likes to look down on others because they think they know everything, but it's getting ridiculous. People just try to be helpful and they get bashed by everyone else. I also enjoyed how you assumed that because I didn't mention something, I didn't know...and that because I'm posting on here, that I'm a mac user... I guess the general consensus about message boards are correct...they are filled with immature and elitist nerds who have nothing better to do with their time.
 
Peace said:
It is reported as a .N in Windows.I know because I'm the one that found it and let the cat out of the bag.
This doesn't mean it's "enabled" which would require a firmware update.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you're incorrect, because I'm not sure exactly what you meant here. :)

If the card reports itself as 802.11n under Windows and can be used at 802.11n speeds under Windows, then there will be no firmware upgrade involved on the OS X side since the card already has the n-capable firmware installed (firmware is installed on the device itself, not as part of the OS). In this case you're wrong. ;)

However if the card is only currently capable of 802.11g speeds under Windows, and it's an n-capable card just based on the reported card name... then what you said is correct. Of course this is trickier to determine than one might think, since we're using Apple-provided drivers on the Windows side for many/most of the devices.
 
im a little confused, does this mean that my powerbook, only a year and a half old, will be able to use the 802.11N after this update or will i have to wait to buy the new airport card (if they make one) to enable the N
 
tyr2 said:
I wander what file systems are supported on the external disk, the linked document doesn't say. NFS+ and FAT32 I'd guess.
Click to expand...

I'd guess HFS+ is a given - Apple will want to support their own journaled filesystem. What filesystem is attached, though, doesn't matter so much on a network device (although I'd argue that journaling is important, whichever filesystems are available).
 
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