iPod -- Overwhelmingly Shortsighted ?
I'll keep this short --
Apple, as a business, should invest substantially more interest in the embedded-CPU consumer electronic market. They are taking too long to enter the eventually-massive market for a singular, handheld information-transceiving device.
If they do not, they run the risk of being further marginalized (into a proprietary OS vendor) by companies such as Nokia, etc.
The iPod -- cute, but overwhelmingly shortsighted, in my opinion. (Note: I bought three as gifts for family and friends. Why spend $400 to browse ONLY AUDIO data?
What would I like to see?
I would like to see Apple offer two primary sub-notebook devices, as well as a set-top device. The entry-level unit would be the smallest, yet loaded with all of the features listed below. The mid-level unit would be a slightly-larger, slightly faster, and more expandable version of the entry level device. The set-top device would essentially be the equivalent of the handheld units, but would offer built-in disc-media options.
Apple shouldn't be soured by its history of offering the Newton and Pippin ideas to the mass-market before their time.
Scrap the iPod -- and, instead, offer consumers this--
A single device that is:
(1) sub-notebook sized (I specifically mean, able to fit into a medium-to-large-sized pocket) embedded device. It should be as convenient and tangible as a medium-sized cell phone.
(2) it's software functionality should be based on an "embedded market streamlined" distribution of OS X. Apple is fortunate to have PowerPC as their basis -- it is a natural product for the production of embedded-class devices.
(3) It should be fluent in communicating with all present and forseeable-future (via PROM firmware) wireless networking standards, whether it be the 3G, GSM, xDMA, etc., standards -- thus, it is immediately usable as a cellular telephone device. SIM card capability should be standard, in this regard.
(4) GPS savvy. This may seem esoteric, but the broad range of implications for GPS capability justify it as a standard feature.
(5) Unlike the narrow-focus of the iPod -- make it a general "Information Transceiving Device". Why limit an embedded-RISC handheld device to the narrow-focus of consumer audio? I envision a device which, built upon its wireless savvy, is an invaluable high-fidelity INFORMATION (not just audio) browsing-sharing (transceiving) tool. The device should be transceiver-fluent with no less than these formats: PDF, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, (QuickTime), TIFF, AIFF, MPEG Layer-3 Audio, AC-3, AAC, WAV. All expandability should be modular, and achievable through software updates.
(6) high-density full-colour LCD display, with no less than 800x600 pixels -- preferably 1024x768.
(7) Updated FireWire port(s).
Let's face it -- in a few years, Apple will be missing a huge-market that they need not miss and, instead, should be taking a leading role in.
Digital Convergence at the mobile consumer level, if overlooked by Apple, will cost them perhaps billions, if overlooked.
The Nokia 9290, for example (http://www.nokiausa.com/communicator/1,4990,|SRC-HM,00.html) is an attempt at such a device.
Apple, however, is in far better long-term shape to influence this developing market.
In summary, Apple...get down to business and offer the consumer world the coolest, most functional and savvy portable information browsing, retrieval, and sharing devices ever conceived and produced. Don't narrow the focus of capabilities to only information in the format of consumer audio (yawn!). Pack them with features that propel their viability 5 years into the future.
That's the bottom line. It's an opportunity that, if missed, is going to cost Apple a great deal of business.
--MF
Apple, as a business, should invest substantially more interest in the embedded-CPU consumer electronic market. They are taking too long to enter the eventually-massive market for a singular, handheld information-transceiving device.
If they do not, they run the risk of being further marginalized (into a proprietary OS vendor) by companies such as Nokia, etc.
The iPod -- cute, but overwhelmingly shortsighted, in my opinion. (Note: I bought three as gifts for family and friends. Why spend $400 to browse ONLY AUDIO data?
What would I like to see?
I would like to see Apple offer two primary sub-notebook devices, as well as a set-top device. The entry-level unit would be the smallest, yet loaded with all of the features listed below. The mid-level unit would be a slightly-larger, slightly faster, and more expandable version of the entry level device. The set-top device would essentially be the equivalent of the handheld units, but would offer built-in disc-media options.
Apple shouldn't be soured by its history of offering the Newton and Pippin ideas to the mass-market before their time.
Scrap the iPod -- and, instead, offer consumers this--
A single device that is:
(1) sub-notebook sized (I specifically mean, able to fit into a medium-to-large-sized pocket) embedded device. It should be as convenient and tangible as a medium-sized cell phone.
(2) it's software functionality should be based on an "embedded market streamlined" distribution of OS X. Apple is fortunate to have PowerPC as their basis -- it is a natural product for the production of embedded-class devices.
(3) It should be fluent in communicating with all present and forseeable-future (via PROM firmware) wireless networking standards, whether it be the 3G, GSM, xDMA, etc., standards -- thus, it is immediately usable as a cellular telephone device. SIM card capability should be standard, in this regard.
(4) GPS savvy. This may seem esoteric, but the broad range of implications for GPS capability justify it as a standard feature.
(5) Unlike the narrow-focus of the iPod -- make it a general "Information Transceiving Device". Why limit an embedded-RISC handheld device to the narrow-focus of consumer audio? I envision a device which, built upon its wireless savvy, is an invaluable high-fidelity INFORMATION (not just audio) browsing-sharing (transceiving) tool. The device should be transceiver-fluent with no less than these formats: PDF, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, (QuickTime), TIFF, AIFF, MPEG Layer-3 Audio, AC-3, AAC, WAV. All expandability should be modular, and achievable through software updates.
(6) high-density full-colour LCD display, with no less than 800x600 pixels -- preferably 1024x768.
(7) Updated FireWire port(s).
Let's face it -- in a few years, Apple will be missing a huge-market that they need not miss and, instead, should be taking a leading role in.
Digital Convergence at the mobile consumer level, if overlooked by Apple, will cost them perhaps billions, if overlooked.
The Nokia 9290, for example (http://www.nokiausa.com/communicator/1,4990,|SRC-HM,00.html) is an attempt at such a device.
Apple, however, is in far better long-term shape to influence this developing market.
In summary, Apple...get down to business and offer the consumer world the coolest, most functional and savvy portable information browsing, retrieval, and sharing devices ever conceived and produced. Don't narrow the focus of capabilities to only information in the format of consumer audio (yawn!). Pack them with features that propel their viability 5 years into the future.
That's the bottom line. It's an opportunity that, if missed, is going to cost Apple a great deal of business.
--MF
Comments
But let's be realistic. The company has survived these past five years by innovating well designed computers and software. They've engineered compelling industrial designs that have reinvented what computers should look like and how they should work. The recent "Digital Hub" strategy dictates that anything they create still need a Mac to connect to for full functionality. Something like what you propose must fit within this strategy.
Like many others, you suffer from the belief that a successful device (computer or otherwise) must have multiple functions and a broad range of options to be successful. But if there is one thing Apple has shown us with things like iTunes, iMovie or the iPod; a simple, narrowly focused product, done extremely well, can be the easiest to use, the most compelling to look at AND be very successful.
[ 07-04-2002: Message edited by: clonenode ]</p>
Getting into the consumer market is also very difficult and requires a lot of careful solid design work, manufacturing arrangements, and marketing. Trying to jump in with an expensive device like you outline, at a low margin price point like you clearly want, and with a high degree of complexity (hence room for bugs) is just going to fail... and the consumer just won't know what to make of it.
the iPod is selling well. it might not be able to wash your windows, but it plays music. easily and simply. wtf is your problem with it then?
it's wildly successful and breathed life into a market that has actually been pretty damn stagnent.
good lord, if people are bitching about the iPod now they need to stfu and get a clue. it is selling well. it must be doing what people want.
it's like those fax/copier/printer things. yeah, they're fine if you're some low level schmuck, but no one gets those for real use. 'cause in trying to be a little of 3 different things, they end up just sucking at all three.
the iPod does what it does, and does it well. drop it.
-alcimedes
<strong>The iPod -- cute, but overwhelmingly shortsighted, in my opinion. (Note: I bought three as gifts for family and friends. Why spend $400 to browse ONLY AUDIO data?
--MF</strong><hr></blockquote>
You are seriously uninformed. The iPod is a portable 5GB or 10GB hard drive, that also plays almost any type of audio. You can store and transfer ANY data on it. You can also view contacts and what not as well. With it's upgradeable firmware it's OS can be updated to do almost anything. The iPod is a wonderful product that has the market cornered and will sell like hotcakes to the PC industry if Apple chooses to do so.
"Come to think of it someone could write a little app for an iPod to give it the similar functionality, no? Sure it wouldn't be as precise, but it does have a useful wheel and some handy buttons. Maybe it could also display some kind of graph to let you gage the relative rotation, just an extra point of reference to guide your manipulations. Whaddaya think?"
here I was referring to writing a small app that could let your iPod function as a jog-wheel controller for you mac, for use in iMovie, A/V apps, Photoshop, etc etc...
I wouldn't look at the iPod as anything other than a very cool MP3 player but it has the potential (as it is) for a few cool 'other' uses -- like the portable HDD, or contact manager. Maybe Apple could add jog wheel/scrubber to the iPod's repetoire?
In that caase, YOU are shortsighted.
The old ones can be software-upgraded to do al of the PDA stuff, but the July 2002 ones will have touch sensitive screens.
Apple, as a business, should invest substantially more interest in the embedded-CPU consumer electronic market. They are taking too long to enter the eventually-massive market for a singular, handheld information-transceiving device.
If they do not, they run the risk of being further marginalized (into a proprietary OS vendor) by companies such as Nokia, etc.
--MF<hr></blockquote>
Hmm... I don't quite understand the logic here (but I'm thick-headed, so that doesn't necessarily mean anything).
The PDA market is not the best market to be in right now (see: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/25521.html"; target="_blank">Palm</a>). At some point, Micro$oft will bludgeon their way into being the monopoly in this market with PocketPC. These high end devices quite a bit since they can run (limited) Office apps.
On the other side, Nokia is an established player, and are hitting the PDA/combo market with their phones. Ericson, who knows this game, couldn't handle Nokia.
If you go even higher performance, from PDA-to-subnotebook range, the Sonys and Toshibas are already there.
This market isn't like MP3 players with companies like Rio. That was easy pickin's for Apple.
According to most accounts, the much of the work for the iPod was outsourced, which meant saving internal resources for core business strategies (OSX, Mac hardware).
I find it hard to present a business case to support this, both in dollars and strategy.
But what do I know.
<strong>I'll keep this short --
Apple, as a business, should invest substantially more interest in the embedded-CPU consumer electronic market. They are taking too long to enter the eventually-massive market for a singular, handheld information-transceiving device.
If they do not, they run the risk of being further marginalized (into a proprietary OS vendor) by companies such as Nokia, etc.
The iPod -- cute, but overwhelmingly shortsighted, in my opinion. (Note: I bought three as gifts for family and friends. Why spend $400 to browse ONLY AUDIO data?
What would I like to see?
I would like to see Apple offer two primary sub-notebook devices, as well as a set-top device. The entry-level unit would be the smallest, yet loaded with all of the features listed below. The mid-level unit would be a slightly-larger, slightly faster, and more expandable version of the entry level device. The set-top device would essentially be the equivalent of the handheld units, but would offer built-in disc-media options.
Apple shouldn't be soured by its history of offering the Newton and Pippin ideas to the mass-market before their time.
Scrap the iPod -- and, instead, offer consumers this--
A single device that is:
(1) sub-notebook sized (I specifically mean, able to fit into a medium-to-large-sized pocket) embedded device. It should be as convenient and tangible as a medium-sized cell phone.
(2) it's software functionality should be based on an "embedded market streamlined" distribution of OS X. Apple is fortunate to have PowerPC as their basis -- it is a natural product for the production of embedded-class devices.
(3) It should be fluent in communicating with all present and forseeable-future (via PROM firmware) wireless networking standards, whether it be the 3G, GSM, xDMA, etc., standards -- thus, it is immediately usable as a cellular telephone device. SIM card capability should be standard, in this regard.
(4) GPS savvy. This may seem esoteric, but the broad range of implications for GPS capability justify it as a standard feature.
(5) Unlike the narrow-focus of the iPod -- make it a general "Information Transceiving Device". Why limit an embedded-RISC handheld device to the narrow-focus of consumer audio? I envision a device which, built upon its wireless savvy, is an invaluable high-fidelity INFORMATION (not just audio) browsing-sharing (transceiving) tool. The device should be transceiver-fluent with no less than these formats: PDF, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, (QuickTime), TIFF, AIFF, MPEG Layer-3 Audio, AC-3, AAC, WAV. All expandability should be modular, and achievable through software updates.
(6) high-density full-colour LCD display, with no less than 800x600 pixels -- preferably 1024x768.
(7) Updated FireWire port(s).
Let's face it -- in a few years, Apple will be missing a huge-market that they need not miss and, instead, should be taking a leading role in.
Digital Convergence at the mobile consumer level, if overlooked by Apple, will cost them perhaps billions, if overlooked.
The Nokia 9290, for example (http://www.nokiausa.com/communicator/1,4990,|SRC-HM,00.html) is an attempt at such a device.
Apple, however, is in far better long-term shape to influence this developing market.
In summary, Apple...get down to business and offer the consumer world the coolest, most functional and savvy portable information browsing, retrieval, and sharing devices ever conceived and produced. Don't narrow the focus of capabilities to only information in the format of consumer audio (yawn!). Pack them with features that propel their viability 5 years into the future.
That's the bottom line. It's an opportunity that, if missed, is going to cost Apple a great deal of business.
--MF</strong><hr></blockquote>
You call that short?
<strong>I believe that the iPod will be updated in this month to become a cfull-fledged PDA.
In that caase, YOU are shortsighted.
The old ones can be software-upgraded to do al of the PDA stuff, but the July 2002 ones will have touch sensitive screens.</strong><hr></blockquote>
is this speculation or do you know for sure? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
<strong>Believe it or not the mass market consumer needs to have devices which have a single, easily understood purpose. Anything more than that and the mass market runs away -- fast. It gets relegated to geekdom and the market size is far smaller.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Case in point is the initial success of Palm. It didn't pretend to be a full fledged computer, but simply an address and to do organizer.
However with faster processors, more can be done and expected from PDA's. The challenge is for manufacturers to keep a balance between simplicity and features along with a reasonable price.
Apple seem to be poised to accomplish this balance...unfortunately it usually fails with the last requirement.
Especially if they make it windows compatable as well... Apple have a chance to grab a hefty slice of the portable music player market and a shot at domination? In sync with their audio purchase and iapps strategy?
The device itself is a clear indicator of Apple spreading its wings...who says they won't make the digital device you're after?
I can't see Apple not making such devices if it is viable and big bucks are to be made.
iPhoto on a 'vPod' for viewing photos?
Organisation...streaming video...Mac sync...who knows.
Knowing Apple...anything's possible.
Lemon Bon Bon
I had the pleasure of trying out a Nokia music player today and it's amazing, despite not being quite as chic as an iPod and having no mac support (sadly the software is horrible, and only ran under VPC if I rebooted in classic, where it crashed incessantly, and insisted on converting mp3s into another format and then back to mp3 before downloading them).
The Nokia player is about half the size of an iPod. It can only hold 32mb worth of songs, but if it had Mac support I think I'd buy one just for the radio facility.
Okay, so you can already buy tiny radios on their own, but radio/mp3 players are so much cooler than regular walkmans (...walkmen?) don't you think?
As for the PDA issue - come on guys! I know it's small, square and electronic, and I know that's got you all nostalgic for Newtons and such, but it's no more a PDA than a pack of cards. It's a walkman, it just happens to be a clever one. It just plays music. That's not a limitation, that's it's purpose.
<strong>I believe that the iPod will be updated in this month to become a cfull-fledged PDA.
In that caase, YOU are shortsighted.
The old ones can be software-upgraded to do al of the PDA stuff, but the July 2002 ones will have touch sensitive screens.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I'll say this much about the iPod/PDA thing: Don't hold your breath. Apple doesn't want to compete with Palm/Handspring/Sony PDAs that are featherweight, and even Compaq, etc PocketPCs that are welterweight, with the heavyweight iPod. Sure, its got a 5 GB HD, and sure it has an MP3 player in it...but it'd still be one hefty PDA. Also, assuming it DID have a touch-sensitive screen (with a stylus), how the heck are you going to write on that tiny screen WHILE seeing what you are writing. It would take a massive redesign of the iPod to add a much bigger screen, and a small scroll wheel....it would become a fat Palm/Visor/Clie. And no, current iPods couldn't be soft-upgraded to "full PDA" status...how do you enter text?
Nothing against the iPod, of course. I have a 5GB model and I love it. I just don't expect it to replace the Clie I plan on buying (unless Apple totally randomly produces a PDA, which is about as likely as a G5).
One thing to consider, though, is Apple's nomenclature. Food for thought: Why would Apple call it an iPod when that has nothing to do with its primary purpose: playing music. Yes, they've added Contacts into it, and its always had the ability to be a FW HD...but there's more to the story.
Whispers in the dark have thrown teasers at me about new digital devices that may make use of iPod in some way. Perhaps there's going to be a connection between new digital devices and an iPod. My first thought went to the idea that a digital camera could use iPod as storage (have a bay that it slides into). Since then many ideas have come to me...but I'd much rather hear your ideas. Discuss!
<strong>Discuss!</strong><hr></blockquote>
You can't make me, so there
The important thing, for the consumer, is to have a sleek/elegant enough interface, which distinguishes the device's purpose and market from that of a "general desktop-like" subnotebook device. The market for a "sub-notebook" computer and the market for a mobile media device -- are significantly different markets, and the devices need employ substantially different interface design -- to maximize their usefulness in their markets.
Thus, not only do I continue to stand by my "Apple should produce a device that..." of several days ago, I wish to update my thoughts...
"Entry Level" Mobile Media (Information Browsing-Sharing) Device, minimal feature set of:
(1) Size: L x W x H, <= 15cm x 10cm x 2.5cm. Mass: <= 650g
(2) Solid-state, removable storage: 2 slots for CompactFlash Type 2 cards. This makes it easy for exchanging data with others using the same device, as well as moving data between the device and digital cameras, etc.
(3) 256MB RAM standard -- 64MB of flashable space. This should be plenty for a very-slimmed-down version of OS X and basic software functionality for media-playback, email, and calendar/scheduling software.
(4) High-quality, full-colour LCD display -- approximately 12cm x 6cm, featuring no less than 800x400 pixels, ideally >= 1024x512 pixels. This should be very decent for the device's use as a mobile web-browser, video-file playback tool, PDF browsing tool, JPEG-viewing tool, etc.
(5) Usable as a cellular phone, in all current service contexts which are globally popular, whether it be GSM, xDMA, 3G, etc. Honestly, I now consider cell phone functionality trivial. Let's face it, in a few years, nobody will be impressed that you have a wireless solution for "making phone calls". With things like 3G and VoIP, "making phone calls" is increasing a matter of application software sitting on top of a network layer. An eventual mobile media device from Apple should be optimized for 3G networks (although compatible with GSM, etc) for the trivial purpose of "making phone calls".
(6) Built-in 802.11b functionality -- and it should be designed so that, when in the presence of another congruent device, automatic peer-to-peer networking/file-sharing is possible between 2 or more devices. This eliminates the need for device-to-device communication based on IR. I see no reason why a mobile media device such as this couldn't easily be auto-configurable to be a peer on a TCP/IP network.
(7) Two 800Mbps FireWire ports -- for all the obvious reasons.
(8) Basic media format fluency for AV-Media: QuickTime (MP3, AC-3, AAC, AIFF, WAV, OGG, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4. HTML. PDF. Essentially, the device should be fluent in every major information format published today. Apple should sell, via its web-site, modules which expand the file-format-fluency of the device. (For example, an engineer might want to purchase a DXF or LWO browsing fluency-module).
(9) Make ENCRYPTION a STANDARD option -- as this is a device which houses and communicates information of a very personal nature. Perhaps the user's data area could be an encrypted virtual-volume that, in terms of the source-data-file, is just an ecnrypted DiskCopy disk image.
(10) "Obvious" software tools -- Web Browser, Email, CellPhone, Calculator (including Scientific), Calendar/etc. The standard shit you find in every PDA out there...but...and this the KEY to the success of such a media-device in the mass market -- Apple should unify this mobile media functionality under an EXTREMELY elegant user interface whose accessibility is VERY efficient with respect to the actual layout and buttons on the hardware (a la iPod). My problem with the Compaq sub-notebook (and others out there) is that they try too hard to be a full windows PC that can fit in your pocket. By doing this, they don't distinguish their efficiency of use as mobile media devices.
(11) GPS-capable. Trivial, given the other crossover features which the device would already have. Furthermore, GPS functionality creates many cool possibilities that make the device useful in other markets (couriers, etc.).
(12) Priced within the range of $599 to $999. I think this is entirely possible. In fact, I think $799 would be the sweet-spot pricing for such a device.
If Apple doesn't take the mobile media (information browsing-sharing) device market seriously, it will be further marginalized into being an OS vendor. Let's face it, digital convergence is a reality -- and consumers are not going to want to carry around a multitude of mobile devices when it's not necessary to do so. Every mobile device is just another specific instance of an embedded device. The specific functionalities of embedded devices are, in essence, just layers of software functionality. They should be unified, but in a quick, efficient, elegant fashion.
The same coolness and interface-simplicity of the iPod should be characterized into the development of a general mobile media device. Just as people proved they wanted an Apple-branded device to play audio, the sales of such a mobile media deivce will show that, in addition to listening to music on-the-go, people also enjoy watching video files, browsing HTML, swapping information stored on solid-state media with friends, etc.
The important thing in a device like this is the ease to which the user-interface distinguishes it as a quick-access mobile media device, and not a "full blown" subnotebook that attempts to do everything a desktop/notebook PC does.
As far as a set-top box is concerned... Pack the same basic functionality into a very slim box that, when connected to your TV...and a DVD/CD is popped in...it auto-determines the directory structure and files/filetypes online...and lets you browse/view the media. Let SONY and MS focus on the game consoles. Apple should instead make a cheap-set-top box that can play CDs, DVDs, MP3s, VCDs, etc. Face it, that level of functionality is cheap and trivial today. I'd buy an Apple-branded set-top AV-playback box...IF...it allowed me to playback ALL the same media formats which my computer allows. The problem is, the typical consumer decks have limited functionality, targeted primarily at DVD and VCD formats. I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to buy a device that, if I stick in an ISO standard DVD or CD, wouldn't auto-detect the file types and let me browse ALL the popular data forms.
Food for thought...but I'm pretty stuck on wanting a mobile media device and set-top media browsing device. I'm sick of the standard consumer shit that SONY, etc has on the market. I want much, much, much greater media file format fluency...in a modular form...and priced accordingly to its specialization in the market.
"It is you, I think, who is being short sighted."
In one case, by believeng Apple needs to be the saviour to the small-electronics world by using their design talents to create the be-all end-all cool, most functional hand-held device. Secondly, by supposing that they are NOT already working on something like this.
But let's be realistic. The company has survived these past five years by innovating well designed computers and software. They've engineered compelling industrial designs that have reinvented what computers should look like and how they should work. The recent "Digital Hub" strategy dictates that anything they create still need a Mac to connect to for full functionality. Something like what you propose must fit within this strategy.
Like many others, you suffer from the belief that a successful device (computer or otherwise) must have multiple functions and a broad range of options to be successful. But if there is one thing Apple has shown us with things like iTunes, iMovie or the iPod; a simple, narrowly focused product, done extremely well, can be the easiest to use, the most compelling to look at AND be very successful.
[ 07-04-2002: Message edited by: clonenode ][/QB][/QUOTE]
Not sure if this helps or hinders your case.
I noticed this whil traipsing through the patent databases a while back.
<a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1='D368,911'.WKU.+'D370, 671'.WKU.&OS=PN/D368,911+OR+PN/D370,671&RS=PN/D368,911+OR+PN/D370,671" target="_blank">cell phone with removable radio card</a>
Wasn't quite sure what to make of it at the time, especially since the application date was in '94.
Seemed to go with this as well....
<a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=2&f=G&l=50&s1='D368,911'.WKU.+'D370, 671'.WKU.&OS=PN/D368,911+OR+PN/D370,671&RS=PN/D368,911+OR+PN/D370,671" target="_blank">radio card for a computing device</a>
which I'm assuming is a pre-cursor to Airport.