Well, I remember the big iBook G4 controversy... Apple charging everyone who's screen went purple $350 to fix it and saying it was the first they had heard of it. The then-popular "Screen savers" cable show broke the story about just how many people had this happen, and suddenly Apple re-reimbursed everyone's money for the repairs and offered free fixes on it. Then there was an overheating battery issue on some iPod models. Then there was the flickering screen issue on the iMac 27".... etc etc etc... Let's be honest here - Apple has never been front-and-center to ADMIT when there's a problem with their products until they're called out on it and can't escape the inevitable.
I almost fell for it and bought an iPad this weekend at a local Best Buy. But like someone above, I noticed only 1 bar on the wifi signal icon on it and asked the store rep about it. He just said, "Oh, it's probably just a fluke". I chose to wait and observe the "fluke" a while longer before I shell out part of my saving's account.
My advice: If you notice ANY real issues with your wifi - take the thing back to the store for a refund. You can get one later when the bugs are worked out, and the more of them that get returned, the quicker Apple with be to get the fixes out there on models that haven't already shipped yet (translation - money talks).
I'm having a problem where I can't get past the login screen for the guest wifi at the hospital I work at. It gets an IP and the screen to enter the login info for the wifi slides up but once you hit 'go' it just sits there.
Good to see they've released yet another product without doing adequate testing...
Meh... no one will ever have adequate testing prior to product launch of anything.
What did Apple have?...
30 testers?...
300 testers?...
3000 testers?...
30,000 testers?...
300,000 testers? They do now!
Apple has only been around producing electronics for over 30 years. Ford Automobile company has been in the car making business for over a hundred years and yet my prior Ford Explorer, which was just a tweaked update from the previous year and not a newly overhauled design had 10... TEN, count 'em 10 recalls.
I guess Ford released yet another product without doing adequate testing...
If this is a hardware issue, it is a major blunder. If it is a software issue, it is a major blunder, but fixable.
This is a problem for me also. I am connecting using wireless via my Time Capsule (NOT a dual band) and have connection was not allowed even when it actually indicated plenty of signal. This with my iPhone sitting side by side and not having any problems connecting at all.
There is a lot to be said for testing in a real world environment and unfortunately trying to enforce privacy/security for a new product at the same really complicates the matter. Steve was not working there most of the time I was there and even though security was not as tight it was still tight.
I know that when I worked at Apple in 'Network Integration' a few years back we had this very problem (that was with primarily with hard wired solutions). Mix in all the wireless solutions and third party stuff and even a sparse matrix of testing becomes huge. No excuses for Apple here - but it is very difficult to not have issues when connecting to the outside world (networking, printers, et al). It takes a large set of users with disparate hardware to test simple connectivity issues much less deal with all the edge conditions.
On the positive side I think Apple has probably got the 3G radios taken care of so that those folks connecting that way should have little problem. (This is assuming that the connection issues are hardware issues near the radio end and not in the software stack in session/connection mgmt.)
I suspect Apple will have this all sorted out in fairly short order.
BTW: My little bit of AAPL was purchased at 18.25
can anyone say AAPL at $300+. If only I had invested what I wanted to but could not afford (at that time).
May be a issue with the latest OS versions, as Snow Leopard users are reporting the same problems with the latest OS X update.
Hi,
I totally agree with you. I have had a MacBook Pro for about 7 years now. First the PPC and then the Intel versions from Panther, through Tiger to Leopard. Never had a WiFi connection issue with Panther and Tiger.
But with the Intel MacBook Pro's with Leopard, I have started having issues with Wifi connectivity, whether using No Authentication/WPA/WPA2 in combination with a Linksys
Home router. The Mac would randomly connect, work for a while and then disconnect randomly.
Any attempt to reconnect would result in a "Connection Timed Out" message. I am not sure if they are using the same drivers/hardware between the Macbook Pro's and iPhone/iPad devices. In any case, after reading the above comments, I sincerely believe that Apple has serious issues with their WiFi implementation and really needs to get its act together and deliver a defect free product that works as expected, consistently.
Just for the record, a PC sitting next to my Mac can detect far more networks in a given area, compared to a Mac. Why ?? Is the Mac's WiFi implementation inferior ? How were they able to pass and retain WiFi certification ????
Apple, please get your act together so that your Apple fans are not driven away towards PCs or competitor devices, which are inferior in other aspects .
32g Ipad. been to several different places home (wireless g) work (wireless n) starbucks and wholefoods. No problems. Did speed test at home and just as fast as my mac mini and dell laptop.
Yesterday I was at a taco bar in L.A. and I saw my first iPad in the field. A happy couple were playing with their new iPad connected to a weak free WiFi hotspot across the street. It was fast and they were happy as clams. I had an iphone and it barely even detected the hotspot. So watch out, reports like this may be very limited (like the proverbial OS update that "hosed my system") and may not reflect any widespread occurrence of the problem.
Just curious, one could look at the tech specs and find an answer but I'd rather have real world input from users and not engineers, designers or tech inventors...
if you are at a wifi hotspot area be it at the establishment or across the street from the establishment with the wifi hotspot... how good is the service usually? I know variables can effect the answer but just curious. If I went to a place that had wifi access and I am visiting business clientele across the street on the fourth floor from that wifi place, will I have any problems? How about a block or two down the street from the wifi hotspot? Or should I just continue to wait for the 3G iPad and pay for 'always on' 3G data service?
If it is something as simple as a loose WiFi Antenna connection that is a hardware problem with an easy fix.
Good point. I was thinking "design" when I said hardware. I should have been more specific. I wasn't thinking about production defects, but rather, design defects.
Do you think that maybe the manufacturer has insufficient QA in place? That never occurred to me as a possibility.
Meh... no one will ever have adequate testing prior to product launch of anything.
It really is asinine for anyone to think there will ever be CE sold without a single fault. The I'm waiting for v2.0 puts you in the sam boat because it's newly redesigned with a custom board and increased demand often requires parts and builds from tier 2 vendors and factories. The solution is the warranties we have to protect us in case we do up with a dud and Apple has already been great about their customer service.
I've been posting about the issues with Wi-Fi for at least 2 years on this forum. WiFi is not all it's cracked up to being. Now i don't yet have an iPad (waiting for the 3G) but my iphone 3G has very spotty problems with WiFi. Way too slow, to many users, diffuclty loggin on when they are web-based and not just account based. Panera has finally shapped up thier WiFi but others are still forcing you to log on through a website that has to remain open for you to use. The ATT free WiFi is worthless. Plus you can't use it in the car (yet). The only GOOD WiFi i've been able to use is my router at home. Now i hope i won't have the problem some have when you use both the iPhone and iPad at the same time, but we'll see. I just hope some of these bugs get fixed by the time i purchase mine. I'm waiting to see what the Chrome OS machines turn out to be (due out in the fall), but i'm affriad they will be a joke compared to the iPad.
Why do you think that reception is so weak? Are you using a good quality access point? Is it g or n?
Do you get weak reception even when physically nearby with the Apple logo pointed at the access point's antenna?
I don't know - but a mac book air is right next to it with all the bars black.. it is just two bars all around the house no matter where i am - and it is three bars (four with dot) with my lap top all around the house..
Just for the record, a PC sitting next to my Mac can detect far more networks in a given area, compared to a Mac. Why ?? Is the Mac's WiFi implementation inferior ? How were they able to pass and retain WiFi certification ????
Yup. I can confirm that my notebook (XP & 7) scored spectacularly. It can even detect network from a hotel across the street (and I liived on 25th floor).
It really is asinine for anyone to think there will ever be CE sold without a single fault.
Why? Is it unreasonable for people to want a company to properly and thoroughly test their products before they release them onto retail stores? I don't think it's unreasonable at all. Is it a common practice among manufacturers now? Unfortunately, no. But SHOULD it be? Yes! And it's certainly not "asinine" for us to want it.
Take digital cameras for a slightly off-topic example: In the late 1990s, so few models were released each year, the makers took more time to test them. You almost never heard of models hitting store shelves with defects. Today, each maker poops out 2 dozen models a year or more - you hear of defective lenses, dust inside the lenses when you get them, feature glitches, sensor glitches, etc etc.. all because they are not properly tested before released. The same goes for every computer maker including Apple - they are so worried about profit and getting stuff out as quick as possible, they're using US to "test" the models for them, instead of doing it themselves... and no, it's not right.
Do many consumer electronics have defects in them these days? Yes. Is it asinine for us to expect better quality? No. We have but two ways however, to make this well known and heard to the manufacturers - don't buy the stuff when it first hits shelves, and when the first sign of any issue comes up, don't bother with waiting for firmware fixes or spending your $$ to ship them back to be repaired - just take it back for a refund and make the manufacturer deal with massive returns. Period.
Just for the record, a PC sitting next to my Mac can detect far more networks in a given area, compared to a Mac. Why ?? Is the Mac's WiFi implementation inferior ? How were they able to pass and retain WiFi certification ????
Well, my experience is very different than yours. With my late '08 MBP sitting 18" from my Dell Latitude (roughly the same age), my MBP shows full Wifi signal strength but my Dell only shows 50%-60%. However, when I run a speed test, I get similar results. The Dell isn't much slower, if at all, compared to what the signal strength readings would suggest.
On a side note. I recently reconfigured my brothers Linksys "G" router from WPA2 Personal to WPA Personal. Since making this change, my MBP will not automatically reconnect after waking from sleep. My iPhone, on the other hand, will. The only thing that has changed was the security settings of the router. It doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with my MBP, as it works perfectly fine everywhere else, but rather that some kind of glitch exists between my MBP and my brother's router with those specific settings.
WiFi can be a finicky thing. There are too many variables to draw any significant conclusions with out having more information. BTW, just because your PC can detect far more WiFi networks in a given area doesn't necessarily mean that it's better than a Mac. It could simply mean that Apple tweaks their Wifi cards to require more signal strength before displaying them as available networks (I'm just speculating though, so there could be an entirely different explanation). My point is, I wouldn't necessarily assume that the Mac's WiFi implementation is inferior.
Comments
I almost fell for it and bought an iPad this weekend at a local Best Buy. But like someone above, I noticed only 1 bar on the wifi signal icon on it and asked the store rep about it. He just said, "Oh, it's probably just a fluke". I chose to wait and observe the "fluke" a while longer before I shell out part of my saving's account.
My advice: If you notice ANY real issues with your wifi - take the thing back to the store for a refund. You can get one later when the bugs are worked out, and the more of them that get returned, the quicker Apple with be to get the fixes out there on models that haven't already shipped yet (translation - money talks).
Good to see they've released yet another product without doing adequate testing...
Meh... no one will ever have adequate testing prior to product launch of anything.
What did Apple have?...
30 testers?...
300 testers?...
3000 testers?...
30,000 testers?...
300,000 testers? They do now!
Apple has only been around producing electronics for over 30 years. Ford Automobile company has been in the car making business for over a hundred years and yet my prior Ford Explorer, which was just a tweaked update from the previous year and not a newly overhauled design had 10... TEN, count 'em 10 recalls.
I guess Ford released yet another product without doing adequate testing...
If this is a hardware issue, it is a major blunder. If it is a software issue, it is a major blunder, but fixable.
This is a problem for me also. I am connecting using wireless via my Time Capsule (NOT a dual band) and have connection was not allowed even when it actually indicated plenty of signal. This with my iPhone sitting side by side and not having any problems connecting at all.
There is a lot to be said for testing in a real world environment and unfortunately trying to enforce privacy/security for a new product at the same really complicates the matter. Steve was not working there most of the time I was there and even though security was not as tight it was still tight.
I know that when I worked at Apple in 'Network Integration' a few years back we had this very problem (that was with primarily with hard wired solutions). Mix in all the wireless solutions and third party stuff and even a sparse matrix of testing becomes huge. No excuses for Apple here - but it is very difficult to not have issues when connecting to the outside world (networking, printers, et al). It takes a large set of users with disparate hardware to test simple connectivity issues much less deal with all the edge conditions.
On the positive side I think Apple has probably got the 3G radios taken care of so that those folks connecting that way should have little problem. (This is assuming that the connection issues are hardware issues near the radio end and not in the software stack in session/connection mgmt.)
I suspect Apple will have this all sorted out in fairly short order.
BTW: My little bit of AAPL was purchased at 18.25
can anyone say AAPL at $300+. If only I had invested what I wanted to but could not afford (at that time).
Also, the google maps application wouldn't load map data; I just got to smoothly zoom in and out on a grid of gray squares.
Same here. I gave up with the demo unit I was playing with. I didn't realize it was a WiFi issue, but in retrospect, that seems likely.
May be a issue with the latest OS versions, as Snow Leopard users are reporting the same problems with the latest OS X update.
Hi,
I totally agree with you. I have had a MacBook Pro for about 7 years now. First the PPC and then the Intel versions from Panther, through Tiger to Leopard. Never had a WiFi connection issue with Panther and Tiger.
But with the Intel MacBook Pro's with Leopard, I have started having issues with Wifi connectivity, whether using No Authentication/WPA/WPA2 in combination with a Linksys
Home router. The Mac would randomly connect, work for a while and then disconnect randomly.
Any attempt to reconnect would result in a "Connection Timed Out" message. I am not sure if they are using the same drivers/hardware between the Macbook Pro's and iPhone/iPad devices. In any case, after reading the above comments, I sincerely believe that Apple has serious issues with their WiFi implementation and really needs to get its act together and deliver a defect free product that works as expected, consistently.
Just for the record, a PC sitting next to my Mac can detect far more networks in a given area, compared to a Mac. Why ?? Is the Mac's WiFi implementation inferior ? How were they able to pass and retain WiFi certification ????
Apple, please get your act together so that your Apple fans are not driven away towards PCs or competitor devices, which are inferior in other aspects
Thanks
Regards,
Nishi
Yesterday I was at a taco bar in L.A. and I saw my first iPad in the field. A happy couple were playing with their new iPad connected to a weak free WiFi hotspot across the street. It was fast and they were happy as clams. I had an iphone and it barely even detected the hotspot. So watch out, reports like this may be very limited (like the proverbial OS update that "hosed my system") and may not reflect any widespread occurrence of the problem.
Just curious, one could look at the tech specs and find an answer but I'd rather have real world input from users and not engineers, designers or tech inventors...
if you are at a wifi hotspot area be it at the establishment or across the street from the establishment with the wifi hotspot... how good is the service usually? I know variables can effect the answer but just curious. If I went to a place that had wifi access and I am visiting business clientele across the street on the fourth floor from that wifi place, will I have any problems? How about a block or two down the street from the wifi hotspot? Or should I just continue to wait for the 3G iPad and pay for 'always on' 3G data service?
Thanks
If it is something as simple as a loose WiFi Antenna connection that is a hardware problem with an easy fix.
Good point. I was thinking "design" when I said hardware. I should have been more specific. I wasn't thinking about production defects, but rather, design defects.
Do you think that maybe the manufacturer has insufficient QA in place? That never occurred to me as a possibility.
Meh... no one will ever have adequate testing prior to product launch of anything.
It really is asinine for anyone to think there will ever be CE sold without a single fault. The I'm waiting for v2.0 puts you in the sam boat because it's newly redesigned with a custom board and increased demand often requires parts and builds from tier 2 vendors and factories. The solution is the warranties we have to protect us in case we do up with a dud and Apple has already been great about their customer service.
I have a 32 and my signal never goes over 2 bars
Why do you think that reception is so weak? Are you using a good quality access point? Is it g or n?
Do you get weak reception even when physically nearby with the Apple logo pointed at the access point's antenna?
May be a issue with the latest OS versions, as Snow Leopard users are reporting the same problems with the latest OS X update.
I have a MBP that is 6 months old. I upgraded 2 months ago to Snow Leopard and have no issues with WiFi (nor did I before the upgrade).
Why do you think that reception is so weak? Are you using a good quality access point? Is it g or n?
Do you get weak reception even when physically nearby with the Apple logo pointed at the access point's antenna?
I don't know - but a mac book air is right next to it with all the bars black.. it is just two bars all around the house no matter where i am - and it is three bars (four with dot) with my lap top all around the house..
Hi,
Just for the record, a PC sitting next to my Mac can detect far more networks in a given area, compared to a Mac. Why ?? Is the Mac's WiFi implementation inferior ? How were they able to pass and retain WiFi certification ????
Yup. I can confirm that my notebook (XP & 7) scored spectacularly. It can even detect network from a hotel across the street (and I liived on 25th floor).
It really is asinine for anyone to think there will ever be CE sold without a single fault.
Why? Is it unreasonable for people to want a company to properly and thoroughly test their products before they release them onto retail stores? I don't think it's unreasonable at all. Is it a common practice among manufacturers now? Unfortunately, no. But SHOULD it be? Yes! And it's certainly not "asinine" for us to want it.
Take digital cameras for a slightly off-topic example: In the late 1990s, so few models were released each year, the makers took more time to test them. You almost never heard of models hitting store shelves with defects. Today, each maker poops out 2 dozen models a year or more - you hear of defective lenses, dust inside the lenses when you get them, feature glitches, sensor glitches, etc etc.. all because they are not properly tested before released. The same goes for every computer maker including Apple - they are so worried about profit and getting stuff out as quick as possible, they're using US to "test" the models for them, instead of doing it themselves... and no, it's not right.
Do many consumer electronics have defects in them these days? Yes. Is it asinine for us to expect better quality? No. We have but two ways however, to make this well known and heard to the manufacturers - don't buy the stuff when it first hits shelves, and when the first sign of any issue comes up, don't bother with waiting for firmware fixes or spending your $$ to ship them back to be repaired - just take it back for a refund and make the manufacturer deal with massive returns. Period.
agreed... i hope they release an updated iPad within 6 months with a hardware update just to screw with their early adopters.
What a fine specimen of a human being you are.
How I envy those close to you.
And you registered just to share that. Charming.
Just for the record, a PC sitting next to my Mac can detect far more networks in a given area, compared to a Mac. Why ?? Is the Mac's WiFi implementation inferior ? How were they able to pass and retain WiFi certification ????
Well, my experience is very different than yours. With my late '08 MBP sitting 18" from my Dell Latitude (roughly the same age), my MBP shows full Wifi signal strength but my Dell only shows 50%-60%. However, when I run a speed test, I get similar results. The Dell isn't much slower, if at all, compared to what the signal strength readings would suggest.
On a side note. I recently reconfigured my brothers Linksys "G" router from WPA2 Personal to WPA Personal. Since making this change, my MBP will not automatically reconnect after waking from sleep. My iPhone, on the other hand, will. The only thing that has changed was the security settings of the router. It doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with my MBP, as it works perfectly fine everywhere else, but rather that some kind of glitch exists between my MBP and my brother's router with those specific settings.
WiFi can be a finicky thing. There are too many variables to draw any significant conclusions with out having more information. BTW, just because your PC can detect far more WiFi networks in a given area doesn't necessarily mean that it's better than a Mac. It could simply mean that Apple tweaks their Wifi cards to require more signal strength before displaying them as available networks (I'm just speculating though, so there could be an entirely different explanation). My point is, I wouldn't necessarily assume that the Mac's WiFi implementation is inferior.