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Apple Officially Discontinues AirPort Wireless Router Lineup [Updated]
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Damn. Writing was on the wall, but this still sucks. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had to restart an Apple router due to a dropped connection in the 10+ years I've owned one.
My friends who own LinkSys, Asus, and D-Link units all think it's normal to have to reboot their routers once a month...
My friends who own LinkSys, Asus, and D-Link units all think it's normal to have to reboot their routers once a month...
Yes I'm sure. This so called eco-system is only software based today.
As I wrote previously, I can't even charge my iPhone with my MacBook. I can't even use my Magic Mouse with my Mac if it dies (they killed the Mighty Mouse with USB connection as well). I can't charge my iPhone while using my EarPods (which I could before). If I want to use a monitor with my MacBook I gotta buy a non-apple one. If I want to create a simple home network, can't do that either. Time Capsule? Nope, only local Time Machine now.
I know I can use AirPods and I do have them and enjoy them a lot. But it's still annoying that they cut basic stuff when Steve focused on the customer experience. Tim only looks at numbers.
It's great that we have cool watch bands and overpriced iPhone X cases but that is NOT something that Apple can do forever to keep the customer. Eventually people like me wants the whole Apple experience and that is what Apple had and does not have anymore.
According to Apple, you just need a router that has UPnP or NAT-PMP support. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204618
I think the MacBooks we have now would’ve been released with Jobs anyway but I don’t think he would’ve neglected them like Cook has. Letting the Mac Pro and Mac Mini rot away. Sure most Apple customers today are buying iPhones and iPads but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a huge loyal Mac fan base out there. Look at all the business they’ve lost to Microsoft and PC OEMs in the past couple of years. This isn’t because people don’t want macs anymore, it’s because the Macs they’re selling aren’t what these customers want.
The time it took for new MBPs after the 2015 refreshes was a disgrace.
Can’t tell you how disappointed I am by this decision. It may have been a niche product but when you provide an end to end solution, integration is always better.
I liked it that when all the big name routers were showing up with exploits that the Apple routers had fewer issues that were quickly patched.
Apples problem is that they didn’t ship enough units to cover costs plus a 30%+ profit.
I liked it that when all the big name routers were showing up with exploits that the Apple routers had fewer issues that were quickly patched.
Apples problem is that they didn’t ship enough units to cover costs plus a 30%+ profit.
And yet its still at the top. Whether we like it on not companies are "living organisms" and have to change with the times or die. Apple made it clear it can't make meaningful revenue developing and selling routers. Apple is only going to do things that make money. It's not a co-op.
Airport was a great product. Hate that its no more. But it's 2018. It's not like there aren't decent, easy to set up routers these days. This is not a terrible move for Apple or Mac fans. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale.
I grabbed Netgear Orbi. It has a dedicated "back haul" channel that means it doesn't slow down when you're connected to one of the satellites.
So far: loving it.
How did they get around Apple's proprietary requirements for Time Machine?
I've had a Linux server running various versions of Samba and AFP for years, and it's always been a HUGE pain in the ass to get Time Machine to work with it. I've had to employ hacks, some on the Mac and some on the server, to get it to work, and on top of all that it was unreliable.
In the end I bought a Time Capsule since I was tired of fighting Apple on this. The sever's shares STILL don't show up as being Time Machine capable today.
The hard drive on the TC recently failed, so I'm using an external USB drive now. But it'd be nice to do it networked again so the drive can be shared between my iMac and MBP.
How are Asus and other router makers getting around Apple's finicky nature with networked Time Machine?
Apple sells a USB-C to Lightning cable that actually charges the latest iPhones faster than the old cables.
A little, I guess. However, Eero is available and is up-to-date with the latest wifi mesh technology. Its design and ease of use are very much like Apple.
I have a Time Capsule I still use. It was my main wifi router. Now I have it connected to my network via ethernet while my Eero provides the wifi. And Time Machine still works.
Couldn't tell you, but that router is A+ and ASUS doesn't make garbage either, it's one of the best PC parts manufacturers on the market... (probably THE best for GPUs).
Bummer they did not do a browser-based configuration utility like almost every other router. Once the AirPort Utility app breaks, which can happen as soon as the next major iOS/MacOS release, that's all folks.
I'm annoyed that a lot of the newer WiFi access points (like Google's) are configured through the company's servers, basically making your internal network depend on the Internet working for configuration. This is a disturbing trend.
Much of Apple stock shares are likely owned by institutional investors who don't even use Macs! Why should Mac users trust those investors to know what's best for the Mac platform?
On the other hand, the discontinuation of Airport products may be a good thing as it will force Apple customers to consider price, features and performance instead of just an Apple logo.
I read the article. Just because Apple sells a third party one in their stores, that doesn't mean people like it, which is why I asked for recommendations. What has your experience with the one mentioned the article been like? Do you recommend it?
Ubiquiti or AmpliFi (their consumer line). Can’t do any better than that.
Bingo! This was why I decided to spend $275 for the TC. Just like I bought the iPhone 3G because I was tired of having to replace the Moto Razr over and over, I bought this thing that costs 2x what Netgears and others cost for the stability and reliability. People can say Apple products are overpriced but they’re extremely reliable and well made and I’m more than willing to pay for that.
Don't forget to by a good quality shredder though.I'm starting to think that going back to paper is the way to go.
I don't like greedy companies that only looks at their own profit and ignoring it's customers.
I'm an experienced IT guy so I know how to install third-party routers but take a look at the customers aged 40-80. Do you think they are going to look for third party accessories and install everything themselves?
HomePod is not going to make Apple any money. I think everyone knew that before it even launched since Siri is the most dumb assistant out there by far. So that works?? Not really.