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Inside Mac OS X 10.7 Lion: AirDrop limited to modern Macs - Page 2

post #41 of 55
7/31/11 at 7:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post

I guess. But Airdrop doesn't appear to be or use WiFi Direct. Not that I'm sure about that part.

Is this another FaceTime in the making? Open standard or not?
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post #42 of 55
7/31/11 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tribalogical View Post

I actually thought my on-topic observations were more interesting… but instead I started a long grammar discussion! Oi vey!

Go over to macfixit.com and read Topher Kessler's articles. Then you can start a long grammar discussion about how many conditional phrases the guy can string together consecutively in a single sentence. For example:

To check the amount of memory your Mac has, if you have a mouse, while holding onto the mouse, if you can see the mouse pointer on the screen, while moving the mouse with your hand, when the mouse pointer on the screen moves, after moving the mouse pointer over the Apple menu, if you have your finger on the mouse button, after clicking on the Apple menu, when you see the menu open, while moving the mouse pointer down, when "About This Mac" is highlighted, if your finger is still on the mouse button, click on "About This Mac".
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post #43 of 55
7/31/11 at 7:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post

I guess. But Airdrop doesn't appear to be or use WiFi Direct. Not that I'm sure about that part.

If it's not based on Wi-Fi Direct it's certainly a copy of the same tech with an additional simplistity added to it. According to AnandTech it creates a firewall between the peers and uses TLS encryption.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4485/b...lion-review/13 I can see how it's not intrinsic to the WiFI HW, but it is to the WiFI drivers, something Apple isn't likely to rewrite for older Macs and why there is an odd pattern of which Macs work with AirDrop.
Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"
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Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"
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post #44 of 55
7/31/11 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism View Post

If it's not based on Wi-Fi Direct it's certainly a copy of the same tech with an additional simplistity added to it. According to AnandTech it creates a firewall between the peers and uses TLS encryption.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4485/b...lion-review/13 I can see how it's not intrinsic to the WiFI HW, but it is to the WiFI drivers, something Apple isn't likely to rewrite for older Macs and why there is an odd pattern of which Macs work with AirDrop.

Is there any chance that the chips in these computers have two independent WiFi radios? It seems like a long shot, but I thought I'd throw that in the ring.
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post #45 of 55
7/31/11 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post

Is there any chance that the chips in these computers have two independent WiFi radios? It seems like a long shot, but I thought I'd throw that in the ring.

I thought about that, but it seems unlikely to me. I have yet to try AirDrop or read a thorough review of it in action. Specifically if you can access the internet while you are sending/receiving a large file via AirDrop.

edit: I accessed AirDrop on my Mac to allow it to search for others and still kept downloading a file I had started. That tells me that it does not switch from your main WiFi connection in order to work. Maybe Apple did start adding to new features to WiFi chips or it could just be a version of Wi-Fi Direct.

edit2: I've found a few unverifiable sources online that say the modern client-side WiFI cards have dual-band support. I haven't heard about it but that doesn't mean Apple hasn't been planning for this for the last few years without telling anyone. In fact, that sounds a lot Apple.
Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"
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Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"
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post #46 of 55
8/1/11 at 7:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism View Post

I thought about that, but it seems unlikely to me. I have yet to try AirDrop or read a thorough review of it in action. Specifically if you can access the internet while you are sending/receiving a large file via AirDrop.

edit: I accessed AirDrop on my Mac to allow it to search for others and still kept downloading a file I had started. That tells me that it does not switch from your main WiFi connection in order to work. Maybe Apple did start adding to new features to WiFi chips or it could just be a version of Wi-Fi Direct.

edit2: I've found a few unverifiable sources online that say the modern client-side WiFI cards have dual-band support. I haven't heard about it but that doesn't mean Apple hasn't been planning for this for the last few years without telling anyone. In fact, that sounds a lot Apple.

That's very interesting. I couldn't find anything about the hardware. I know Apple has supported dual bands in a way, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, but in the early days of supporting 5GHz, I think it was either switching radio circuits or retuning the transceiver. It's possible that it is more or less a second WiFi adapter, or that it's very fast switching between two WiFi networks.
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post #47 of 55
8/1/11 at 1:21pm
Airdrop I guess will be an idea platform for folks visiting other folks and they need to exchange files???
To me it a pain in the backside. I really don't see all the hullabaloo over this feature.

Its a dead issue for me and the way i work with my Macs

If i want to check email on laptop for example and have a file attached that I want to place on iMac or MacPro i just open that desktop in the finder and add the file. Piece of cake and its flawless.

Can even have folder from the other computer listed in finder window.

Just can't see the big deal with Airdrop.
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post #48 of 55
8/1/11 at 1:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gt1948 View Post

Airdrop I guess will be an idea platform for folks visiting other folks and they need to exchange files???
To me it a pain in the backside. I really don't see all the hullabaloo over this feature.

Its a dead issue for me and the way i work with my Macs

If i want to check email on laptop for example and have a file attached that I want to place on iMac or MacPro i just open that desktop in the finder and add the file. Piece of cake and its flawless.

Can even have folder from the other computer listed in finder window.

Just can't see the big deal with Airdrop.

These are for your Macs and on the same LAN. Apple didn't say nor imply that users who need to continually switch content between devices should only use AirDrop's ad-hoc connection. AirDrop has no concern for that. It seeks other AirDrop accessible users when you click on it in Finder and turns it off when you click off of it. It's simpler yet it's secure without requiring any setup for the user. That's a benefit.
Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"
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Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"
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post #49 of 55
8/1/11 at 1:31pm
Awesome, my 5,1 has served me well. I just wonder how long it shall be before i no longer get all the great updates.
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post #50 of 55
8/2/11 at 7:26am
Guess I'll stick with OS 8.5.1 on my IIci then...
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post #51 of 55
8/9/11 at 12:07pm
Did 8.5 work on a IIci? Thought it bailed at around 7.6.
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post #52 of 55
8/9/11 at 12:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman0 View Post

Did 8.5 work on a IIci? Thought it bailed at around 7.6.

Well, I got 9.2 running on an LC 575 that supposedly tops out at 8.5, so it's probable.
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #53 of 55
8/9/11 at 2:52pm
LC575 was a very different beast to a IIci though.
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post #54 of 55
8/9/11 at 4:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman0 View Post

LC575 was a very different beast to a IIci though.

True, true.

AH, the good old days.
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #55 of 55
8/10/11 at 4:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

True, true.

AH, the good old days.

Totally. I was in a s/h Mac Shop the other day, and I never recognised any of the modern gear. Got out of the business in 95, had Macs (AWS9150 as my desktop) until 2001ish, and only went back to Apple in 2008.

So anything other than a MacBook and I'm struggling to identify it lol.
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