Macworld: Site slip-up hints at 802.11n Airport Extreme

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
A Macworld San Francisco course website indicates that Apple may use the trade show to introduce its own take on the 802.11n wireless standard.



While describing an Advanced Wireless session to be presented tomorrow by Volcano Wireless' Bill Wieckling, Macworld today may have revealed a plan by the Cupertino-based Mac maker to formally introduce a draft edition of the next-generation Wi-Fi format to its computer and networking lines, potentially splitting its wireless offerings into two models.



"Wireless networking is about to undergo major changes, with 802.11n, or Airport Extreme X2 and X4," the introduction to the session reads.



The session article continues by referring to technologies that are clearly unique to the new networking protocol, including a theoretical maximum 600 Mbps connection speed, MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) antennas, and the increased connection range and reliability inherent to the updated Wi-Fi version.



No explanation is provided for the apparent division between Airport Extreme products, though the X2 and X4 designations may refer to different speed gradations determined by the chipset built into a given Mac or Airport router.



Apple recently drew attention to its potential wireless plans by shifting away from its longstanding 802.11g Airport Extreme hardware. The Mac maker quietly began including draft 802.11n wireless chipsets with its computer line in Fall of last year, starting with September's iMac refresh and coming to light with the advent of similarly upgraded MacBook and MacBook Pro portables.



Many have also noted the conspicuous absence of specific a specific Wi-Fi format in Steve Jobs' preview of the hotly-anticipated iTV media hub, in which the Apple executive only referred to the device as supporting "802.11."



The company also suffered from a suspiciously-timed Airport router shortage that deprived resellers of Airport Express and Airport Extreme base stations as late as December, prompting speculation that the existing line would be phased out in favor of 802.11n-equipped hardware.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    OK, this would make sense. But it still doesn't get the content to the home computer any faster.
  • Reply 2 of 20
    Those mentions of X2 and X4 have been on the Macworld site for weeks.
  • Reply 3 of 20
    solsunsolsun Posts: 763member
    Not much news here, 802.11n is pretty much expected by everyone. Especially for streaming of movies.. Which makes me think... I sure hope iTv is able to bypass the computer and have a direct internet connection to the iTunes store. Otherwise, Apple will have a severly limited audience that can utilize iTV. Basically, it'd only be people who purchased a Mac in the last six months that have 802.11n equipped computers.
  • Reply 4 of 20
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Someone clear this up. If I've my Mac connected with ethernet to the internet, and iv'e my iTV in another room connected to my TV. Can I watch movie trailers through the internet with my Mac on in the other room, but without owning a router? Will the iTV be able to connect to the internet through my Mac?
  • Reply 5 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Someone clear this up. If I've my Mac connected with ethernet to the internet, and iv'e my iTV in another room connected to my TV. Can I watch movie trailers through the internet with my Mac on in the other room, but without owning a router? Will the iTV be able to connect to the internet through my Mac?



    I'll get back to you on this about noon tomorrow. @_@
  • Reply 6 of 20
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ai51240 View Post


    I'll get back to you on this about noon tomorrow. @_@



    funny..
  • Reply 7 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Someone clear this up. If I've my Mac connected with ethernet to the internet, and iv'e my iTV in another room connected to my TV. Can I watch movie trailers through the internet with my Mac on in the other room, but without owning a router? Will the iTV be able to connect to the internet through my Mac?



    I do believe that its called ad-hoc networking and it is possible. If the "iTV" supports it is anyones guess. You might need to have the trailers on your Mac though I dont know if the mac can act as a router.
  • Reply 8 of 20
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solsun View Post


    I sure hope iTv is able to bypass the computer and have a direct internet connection to the iTunes store. Otherwise, Apple will have a severly limited audience that can utilize iTV. Basically, it'd only be people who purchased a Mac in the last six months that have 802.11n equipped computers.



    Or you could connect your Mac using (gasp) wired Ethernet to a 802.11n router. Or you could (double gasp) connect both your Mac and iTV using wired Ethernet.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    Yup 802.11N accross the board as well as in the iTV according to sources...should be a pretty vast improvement, and backwards compatible with 802.11B/G. 802.11N iSight Perhaps? Mmmm...
  • Reply 10 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wmf View Post


    Or you could connect your Mac using (gasp) wired Ethernet to a 802.11n router. Or you could (double gasp) connect both your Mac and iTV using wired Ethernet.



    Actually, you can use your Mac as a router to the Internet Connection. Just share your Internet connection for your wireless clients, and you have a 802.11n wireless router right there. Configuring is simple: Go to System Preferences -> Sharing -> Internet, and there you get to choose where the internet is, and which interfaces will provide shared access to it. Pretty nice.



    Every standard wireless card supports it, so iTV will pretty much support as well.



    I've done this to share an internet connection in a hotel room with my significant other. She runs windows XP, and all worked as if she was accessing our Airport Express at home.
  • Reply 11 of 20
    It'll work fine with g/n Macs. No way would apple kill almost all their sale opportunities.
  • Reply 12 of 20
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    A guest of Leo Laporte's (on TWiT) said Apple will team up with Netflix for the movie downloads. That would make the most sense of any deal thus far.
  • Reply 13 of 20
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solsun View Post


    Not much news here, 802.11n is pretty much expected by everyone. Especially for streaming of movies.. Which makes me think... I sure hope iTv is able to bypass the computer and have a direct internet connection to the iTunes store. Otherwise, Apple will have a severly limited audience that can utilize iTV. Basically, it'd only be people who purchased a Mac in the last six months that have 802.11n equipped computers.



    Regarding bandwidth, the content currently purchased on iTunes will stream fine over 802.11g.
  • Reply 14 of 20
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Regarding bandwidth, the content currently purchased on iTunes will stream fine over 802.11g.



    Even HD footage would work, but that is assuming there's not much interference and the signal is pretty strong. Nuking popcorn might force an intermission. The same might be true of n though it's probably a little more resistant.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    OK, this would make sense. But it still doesn't get the content to the home computer any faster.



    No, but local network speeds will improve without having to lay down wires if you don't want to do wiring. Transferring files over wireless g is dastardly slow, I've even hooked up a cable to my notebook on occasion for large files. My desktops are all wired.
  • Reply 15 of 20
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by podendo View Post


    Actually, you can use your Mac as a router to the Internet Connection. Just share your Internet connection for your wireless clients, and you have a 802.11n wireless router right there. Configuring is simple: Go to System Preferences -> Sharing -> Internet, and there you get to choose where the internet is, and which interfaces will provide shared access to it. Pretty nice.



    Every standard wireless card supports it, so iTV will pretty much support as well.



    I've done this to share an internet connection in a hotel room with my significant other. She runs windows XP, and all worked as if she was accessing our Airport Express at home.



    YES!! So that means the iTV will actually cost me 299, not 299 + 199. woot!!
  • Reply 16 of 20
    Here it is.



    A bombshell.



    I have the name Apple will use to market iTV.



    Are you ready?



    "iPod".



    Think I'm dreaming?



    Look at the pictures of the back of the device and tell me if you don't think

    that Apple could cram all of those (ethernet? WTF?) into a simple dock connector.

    Later (and I'll admit brilliantly), Apple will make a killing in their retail stores selling

    all the cables you will be using to hook up your iPod to your TV. Did you know that

    cables have more if not the most profit margin at your friendly neighborhood Apple store?



    Oh, and One More Thing (he smiles coyly):



    This beauty will sync wirelessly over your 802.11x ("N"?) connection.

    or your "B", "G", whatever-this-is-a-bad-mofo!!!



    There you have it. Clever, Apple.



    with that whole "we will think of another name" ploy.



    I guess the real question(s) are:



    - Will Apple change the form factor?



    - Is this the only reason Steve is so Happy?



    It all falls into place from here.



    im.



    (now discuss) ; )
  • Reply 17 of 20
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    Does wireless N have an advantages for those of us with rav A mbps? Or is the speed increase when using a wireless N router only felt by people with the machines?
  • Reply 18 of 20
    After reading quite some articles and rumors: could the scenario for the keynote look like this?



    A new home-media-center.

    You use the new protocol 802.11n to connect your Mac with iTV as the TV-hub. You can connect this iTV with the new screens, including the 50" for a cinema-experience. For the portable version of the video-experience there is a new video-ipod widescreen. And for a special experience you use the built-in iSight to communicate via your tv with anyone behind a Mac or Mac-tv...



    For your mac there's the new software-version iLife.



    And one more thing: the iPhone...







    (just for the record, that's 12:42 local - GMT+1 if ever...)
  • Reply 19 of 20
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ecking View Post


    Does wireless N have an advantages for those of us with rav A mbps? Or is the speed increase when using a wireless N router only felt by people with the machines?



    No. Yes.
  • Reply 20 of 20
    will have live chat and blog from Mac World



    Come to www.tradersplayground.com for livr chat and blog of todays keynote



    The Day of the MacWorld is upon us. And possibly the most important day for AAPL in many years



    Elo playgrounders today I find myself experiencing a much colder morning here in San Francisco than I am used to back in Miami. This chill of temperature is though in no way diluting the heated speculation and anticipation to todays big Mac World annual Steve Jobs keynote address, witch for the first time will be covered live by yours truly.

    We will today be bloging from the Keynote live as-well as reporting strait into the # theplayground chat room.



    Im proud to sey we are the first financial Community ever to cover this event live, so I will be offering to your the relevance of any new products and how this may affect our investments respectfully.



    This MacWorld in particular is of great importance to investors since it marks many firsts as-well as new markets being entered. I will next go on to outline what these are and also there relevance.



    1) Fact Not Rumor

    First holiday Quarter for Intel Based Macs in all categories and Market Share GROWTH.



    Now that all macs can run windows if a person wants to make the switch they can do so without any sacrifice. This has brought about market share gains but now this will be the first holiday quarter and it seams like we may have a new record in mac sales.

    Fact is that this holiday season the Ipod was the top selling MP3 player on www.amazon.com but ofcorse this is no surprise. But the more interesting thing is that for the first time ever the apple laptops and desktops sold more this holiday season than any other PC maker. This we reported on earlier and its significance is huge.

    Remember in previous mac worlds steve jobs has decided to give computer and ipod results during his MacWorld keynote speech. If this was to happen today at the beginning of the peach we will see a early rally on the stock.





    2) Fact Not Rumor

    A TV Set top Box scheduled for release this quarter, and with it the first New consumer device class introduced by apple since the introduction of the original Ipod during a MacWorld 5 years ago.



    As many of you know I have been involved with the entertainment industry for sometime, since with my brother starting my first Record Company when I was 16 years old. Now in the end U can make a lot of money in Music , but nothing compared to the revenues derived form Movies.

    For the fact is that the itunes music store makes very little of there music download success but instead derives there profits in this segment from sales of the ipod. On the other hand movies will surely be a much more profitable arraignment for AAPL since the margins on each movies sold are sure to be much more lucrative. And here we enter into AAPL becoming not only the dominant distributer of legal music online but also the dominant player in online Movie Sales.

    What would be positive for us today would be for AAPL to announce that it has made partnerships with more movie studios for distribution on itunes.

    And a demonstration as-well as release of the apple TV set top box that streams these movies wirelessly from your computer to your TV.

    We know it will be through 802.11 but we dont know if instead-of using 802.11g they may make the industry shifting move to 802.11n.

    With such a move movie streaming would be a cinch for AAPL, I am expecting to hear a lot about the AAPL TV set top box and there movie strategy today.





    3) Rumor high probability

    A new Ipod Phone under the apple brand.

    now an entry into the cell market would be again another big first and the rumors speculate a simple phone with ipod capabilities as-well as a second smart phone with a keyboard. the second ipod phone may not be ready to be presented i this mac world.

    Either way this is a very likely rumor and if it comes to fruition we will definitely see Wall street respond b providing us with a nice rally.

    In realty many of us have phones with may features but the simplicity factor has never been there, all have calendars few use them, exetera.

    Creative though in cell phone market are all but non existent ad the PDA market is dry with substandard operating systems from Blackberry and Microsoft.

    There is not real art in this segment and one I think AAPl is in a unique position to right from the starting gate make a HUGE entry into. Ofcorse this is true because everyone and there mom wants an ipod and everyone needs a phone, but the very fact that the operating systems are so very dry can give AAPL a unique opportunity to offer into this segment a little of creatively of design with the intent of bringing about true ease of use with power of features.





    4) Rumor high probability

    New Macs, witch I dot know but new computers may be introduced as is often the case. There are even rumors of a Mac Nano hehehe. now this one I would not know how likely it would be to come since the Mac mini is about the smallest desktop on the market today.





    5) Rumor high probability

    Iwork 07 Software release with SpreadSheet.

    now we all saw the demonstrations Microsoft did of its new office suite, and surprise surprise it seams like they revamped it to more or less become a copy of apples very intuitive production suite known as Iwork. Now Iwork was always missing something Office had and thats a good Spreadsheet program. The rumors from good sources are that this will be included in the next Iwork 07 release.



    5) Rumor Other and hard to tell how likely

    Other than that the speculation runs ramped but here it becomes .



    A) My favorite and something I would love to see AAPL do and I have mentioned this in the past. The use of Ichat on a Ipod Phone. Now I think apple if they wanted to they could make a phone that ran on a standard like G3 or edge that was a 100% internet device but also a voice over IP device forgoing the silly idea of minutes to talk. But more importantly than that with Ichat video conferencing AAPL could really change they way we communicate if they brought that into such a device, I mean who cares about calling regular numbers if it only did video ad audio conferencing I would get it. But if the technology is there to bring this out i this mac world I would not know.

    many older macs can not initiate multi-person video conferences as is, so to do video conferencing may take processor intensive device.



    B) Larger Screen

    Remember Apple was the first to introduce a 23 inch computer flat screen with high pixel depth, and ofcorse dell hp and other followed as they always do and come a year or so later introduced there own. Then AAPL Apple computers introduced there 30 inch high pixel depth Screen, and by the way as I type away in the cold of a San Francisco morning I must say I miss my 30 inch sooo much. now ofcorse Dell and HP after some lag of time offer similar screens at 30 inches. so if the computers are upgraded then perhaps we will see this of the screens as-well.



    3) A tablet Mac

    hmm dont know about this rumor maybe the nano mac would fir the bill



    D) flying Mac elfs , hehehehe I dot know there are so many rumors many valid with patents from apple to back them, from new keyboards to keyboards where U can change the face of them , all new revolutionary stuff if U look at AAPL patents but witch are ready for prime time I do not know but what I do know is the first few things that I mentioned are the stock movers.

    So cross your fingers if U have a heavy jan options stake like I do and consider straddle play if U do not for remember this chart is beautiful, It could move 5-10% today intraday. It is as perfect of a technical set u as I have seen in a long time

    Add a Comment

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    Stock Picks Treasure FOR MacWorld Steve Jobs Keynote The Most Important day for AAPL IS TODAY FOR the MacWorld Keynote, If U dont already have options now would be the time to get them, and if U want less risk do Straddle options stake. Stock can Move 5-10% INTRADAY TODAY
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