Apple axes Wi-Fi router division, apparently signaling the end of AirPort

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  • Reply 21 of 225
    sirdir said:
    It may be low margin, but long ago, Apple cared for the 'whole user experience'. If that means you need to sell things with a low margin to give the user a good experience. 
    I have 5 of the devices, 3 express for music & 2 TC for router/alternating backups - the express include a great DAC for less than anything 3rd party, and I echo the wish simply for USB-3.1 to speed up what can be a dauntingly long transfers... I hope they will continue to offer the products, and perhaps just don't need a team for updates?

    My units all still work, including my original express from 2005, and I have dabbled with 3rd party which have been clunky & problematic.

    Industrial Design matched Apple 4K/5K TB Cinema displays are missed here also, and hope something may be in the works, as the LG seem so 'plastic' & have little appeal to me...
    edited November 2016 watto_cobradysamoriaargonautcornchip
  • Reply 22 of 225
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    While I think Apple's products definitely simplified the set up, I can understand why they'd axe it - most internet subscriptions already come with a wireless router. There isn't much point in buying one from Apple.

    Except for the ones that ISP's give you typically suck and are sometimes locked down by the ISP. 
    edited November 2016 hucom2000netmagedysamoriaaylkargonautcornchip
  • Reply 23 of 225
    Bloomberg article said: "to try to sharpen the company’s focus on consumer products that generate the bulk of its revenue". 

    So basically iPhone, Inc. I suspect Mac Pro and Mac mini will be next on the chopping block.
    elijahgdysamoriaIronheadaylk
  • Reply 24 of 225
    sirozha said:
    This particular move to discontinue the Wi-Fi routers I do not particularly disagree with. There are plenty of other players in the market that release decent consumer Wi-Fi routers. Mesh routers are becoming popular, so Apple would either have had to make a serious development effort to stay relevant or to discontinue the line altogether.  

    Usually one needs a PeeCee in order to configure those Base Stations. The beauty of Airport is that they can be configured straight from an iPhone. I support many people with their WiFi problems and if Apple stops making Airports I think I'll reconsider what the incentive there is left for me to keep on using their products. YMWV.


        pscooter63dysamoriaIronheadaylkHabi_tweet
      • Reply 25 of 225

        red oak said:
        This, if true, is a bad move.  3rd party solutions are (still) a mess.  Their software absolutely sucks.  There is no integration with Apple products.  

        This, plus the decision not to make their own monitors, makes Apple very unreliable has I look at my personal tech roadmap.  I increasingly can't count on them 

        I don't get it as why wouldn't Apple want people to buy this stuff from them. Why cede accessories to other companies? The less of this stuff Apple produces the easier it is for people to leave the Apple ecosystem.
        I can't believe nobody here figured this out.

        Apple has no business working on the next version of WiFi because at 10 Gb/s,  802.11ax is not needed for homes and small businesses.
        The next version of your cellular network known as 5G will provide Gigabit per second speed which is more than enough for homes and most businesses.
        People may wish to get a wired gigabit connection to their home in case they have dead spots in the house but it is really not needed.

        Remember at&t's Randall Stephenson and Time Warner's Jeffrey Bewkes talking about it at WSJ.D Live?
        Check out time frame 26:30 in the video below.



        edited November 2016
      • Reply 26 of 225
        jvmbjvmb Posts: 59member

        red oak said:
        This, if true, is a bad move.  3rd party solutions are (still) a mess.  Their software absolutely sucks.  There is no integration with Apple products.  

        This, plus the decision not to make their own monitors, makes Apple very unreliable has I look at my personal tech roadmap.  I increasingly can't count on them 

        I don't get it as why wouldn't Apple want people to buy this stuff from them. Why cede accessories to other companies? The less of this stuff Apple produces the easier it is for people to leave the Apple ecosystem.
        I don't get it either. I mainly use mac not because of the OS, but because of the ecosystem. That ecosystem used to justify the higher margins. I have read through instructions to set up time machine on a NAS and I rather pay $100 more for a router than having to deal with setting that up and troubleshooting that.

        I think the problem is that the Mac is no longer the center of the ecosystem. The iPhone is now the center and the Mac is an accessory used to sell more iPhones. The routers are not as important as iPhones don't use time machine. Apple prefers that you back up to iCloud.

        Even Microsoft seems to be moving away from the PC OS being their main product. After a failed attempt to move to mobile, they are now focusing their attention on cloud applications and enterprise cloud computing. Ironically, Google is now now getting in the router and PC business.
        hucom2000jasenj1lostkiwi
      • Reply 27 of 225
        Apple cares too much about margins now. They sacrifice the smaller things that were actaully good at making better user experiences for the Apple customer.
        hucom2000elijahgwiggindysamorialostkiwitokyojimuaylktipoo
      • Reply 28 of 225
        If this is true, I hope Apple will announce that they are not planning to produce a new Wifi router.  That way those of use with older Airports can properly plan instead of waiting for a refresh that quietly never comes.
        teejay2012goodbyeranchlongpathelijahgwigginlostkiwiLeBart1968macbear01
      • Reply 29 of 225
        jvmb said:

        red oak said:
        This, if true, is a bad move.  3rd party solutions are (still) a mess.  Their software absolutely sucks.  There is no integration with Apple products.  

        This, plus the decision not to make their own monitors, makes Apple very unreliable has I look at my personal tech roadmap.  I increasingly can't count on them 

        I don't get it as why wouldn't Apple want people to buy this stuff from them. Why cede accessories to other companies? The less of this stuff Apple produces the easier it is for people to leave the Apple ecosystem.
        I don't get it either. I mainly use mac not because of the OS, but because of the ecosystem. That ecosystem used to justify the higher margins. I have read through instructions to set up time machine on a NAS and I rather pay $100 more for a router than having to deal with setting that up and troubleshooting that.

        I think the problem is that the Mac is no longer the center of the ecosystem. The iPhone is now the center and the Mac is an accessory used to sell more iPhones. The routers are not as important as iPhones don't use time machine. Apple prefers that you back up to iCloud.

        Even Microsoft seems to be moving away from the PC OS being their main product. After a failed attempt to move to mobile, they are now focusing their attention on cloud applications and enterprise cloud computing. Ironically, Google is now now getting in the router and PC business.

        The next version of WiFi called 802.11ax is too fast for homes and small businesses.  It is meant for interconnecting big corporations and even cities.
        Apple will live that up to companies like Cisco, HP and Juniper Networks amongst others.
      • Reply 30 of 225
        logic2.6 said:

        red oak said:
        This, if true, is a bad move.  3rd party solutions are (still) a mess.  Their software absolutely sucks.  There is no integration with Apple products.  

        This, plus the decision not to make their own monitors, makes Apple very unreliable has I look at my personal tech roadmap.  I increasingly can't count on them 

        I don't get it as why wouldn't Apple want people to buy this stuff from them. Why cede accessories to other companies? The less of this stuff Apple produces the easier it is for people to leave the Apple ecosystem.
        I can't believe nobody here figured this out.

        Apple has no business working on the next version of WiFi because at 10 Gb/s,  802.11ax is not needed for homes and small businesses.
        The next version of your cellular network known as 5G will provide Gigabit per second speed which is more than enough for homes and most businesses.
        People may wish to get a wired gigabit connection to their home in case they have dead spots in the house but it is really not needed.

        Remember at&t's Randall Stephenson and Time Warner's Jeffrey Bewkes talking about it at WSJ.D Live?
        Check out time frame 26:30 in the video below.



        1. Apple has no business releasing wifi devices because 802.11ax will be too fast for homes and small businesses? I'm struggling to understand your logic. 

        2. >70% of aggregate internet data demand is video and this %age is projected to grow over time (as 4K/UHD becomes standard). Cellular networks are not designed to move large amounts of video. Even in a US-centric world, data caps and cost will limit the potential of mobile-only internet service. In emerging and developed markets, wifi offloading is going to be critical for internet infrastructure to keep up with demand. 

        But it's good to know you have it all figured out. From watching AT&T & Time Warner folks no less. 
        1.  Jesus dude, nobody in their right mind will run a 10Gb/s network in their house because no home device will support it.  It is too fast.
        The next version of WiFi will be 10Gb/s.  Do you understand?  That kind of speed is meant for interconnecting large businesses and entire cities.

        2.  The next Cellular network known as 5G will be a gigabit network and will be very well suited for video delivery to mobile devices.
        Very few homes today have gigabit connections.  
        edited November 2016
      • Reply 31 of 225
        For the past year I've hesitate from upgrading my 5th Generation AE in hope of a refresh....That dream is now crushed. But the more I think about it, maybe the joined forces of Apple TV + AE teams might be a good thing? Maybe the Apple TV will eventually be the HUB that has been rumored before - including wifi?

        I always thought that Apple was building up the "wireless" + "cloud" thing for a few years so everything/everyone will need internet --- then they would launch their own internet service...
        edited November 2016 longpathlostkiwi
      • Reply 32 of 225
        I hope this isn't true. Ascetically these are so much better than the cheap junk look put out by other vendors. Time machine works seamlessly, network configuration is a breeze and I can do it all from my iPhone. I can't even remember the last time I had to reset any of my Apple brand networking equipment. This truly would be a significant blow to the ecosystem.   
        dysamoriamacbear01lostkiwi
      • Reply 33 of 225
        Hard to figure Apple's management out isn't it?  Make tons of money and offer less and less.  Wi-Fi is no longer important to Apple.  It still is to us.  Updating there computer hardware seems not to be too important either.  Still is to us.   What does Apple think is important?  Well, phone's definitely, watches, operating systems, music, some car thing, a book, and social comment.  This seems to be the Tim Cook Apple from where we sit.  Total user experience did not make the grade.  I hope something comes out of Apple that make's these types of major change in direction and focus worth whiled.       
        dysamoriaaylk
      • Reply 34 of 225
        "working on other teams, including Apple TV development."

        Hmmmm, right there might be a clue. It's not like they all got their pink slips and Apple isn't using their skills and knowledge, just that their focus isn't on centralised wireless networking any longer, but rather an indication they are looking at embracing new trends in wireless networking. Plus as others have said, the 802.11ac protocol currently supported in their existing products is plenty fast for home use. Just because the team isn't developing new products doesn't mean they aren't going to continue selling the current one.
        lostkiwibrucemcration alyoyo2222iqatedoargonautcornchip
      • Reply 35 of 225
        Perhaps I am working with old information, but I thought that Apple only supported wireless Time Machine to drives attached to Apple routers?  Is this now supported to 3rd party network-attached drives?  


        For the last several years, I've been using Time Machine to back up my iMac and MacBook Pro over Wi-Fi to both an external Western Digital USB drive connected to my AirPort Extreme and to another Western Digital external drive connected to my network via Ethernet.
      • Reply 36 of 225
        sirozha said:

        Obviously, under the bean-counter-in-chief, anything that doesn't rake in cash gets nixed. 

        Wrong.  Steve Jobs nixed a ton of Apple products himself - including the Newton, Apple Laserwriter printers, and many different Mac models including Mac Servers. 

        Apple is about:
        1. Focus
        2. Making the best products it can

        FOCUS:  Apple puts a lot of energy into only a few products.  It always cuts out the fat. 

        FOCUS 2:  The core of Apple is the Mac and its variants:  iPhone, iPad, AppleTV, Apple Watch. Apple is a personal computer company at heart. It has also become a services company - but clearly services are there to enhance the experience with its core computer products.

        MAKING THE BEST PRODUCTS IT CAN:  When  Apple cannot make a product that can compete since other companies make a better product, then Apple exits. 

        Airport is being nixed because:
        1. Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch and AppleTV can adapt to any router.  
        2. Time Machine always worked best with a hard drive directly attached to the Mac - not on Airport
        3. iCloud has taken on much of the remaining functionality of Airport.
        4. Other companies can make cheaper routers that work "good enough" that Apple doesn't have to compete in this area and can focus on their core.

        macxpresspscooter63canukstormlostkiwiai46brucemcwatto_cobracornchip
      • Reply 37 of 225

        wood1208 said:
        We may not know whole story yet but Networking/Routers is not a core competency of Apple. In a changing world of wireless protocol standards and underneath hardware, plenty router focused companies can produce tiered, cost-effective better products. Apple probably seen no future to continue developing networking products.. On contrary, Google is not a hardware company like Apple but keep trying with different approach to routers, first OneHub and now 3-paired Google Wifi routers
        Google always fails in anything that does not serve its core business:  selling ads.
        williamlondonelijahgdysamorialostkiwiwatto_cobracornchip
      • Reply 38 of 225
        macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
        sog35 said:
        I hate beating a dead horse but this is just another example of Tim Cook's Apple.


        Then don't...its pretty simple. We know...you don't have to tell us. We don't even know the actual story and yet you're sitting there bashing someone for something that may not even be true, or is true but maybe for some other reason. Like for example, maybe they're creating something that is more all in one or something like that. 

        When an article starts out as "Stating unnamed sources", I'd take it with a grain of salt. 
        edited November 2016 williamlondonLeBart1968lostkiwiwatto_cobra
      • Reply 39 of 225
        VSzulcVSzulc Posts: 32unconfirmed, member
        slurpy said:
        To me, it's actually exciting that Apple is axing products left and right. It means that they're needing the resources to focus on something that is truly worth killing these products for. Also, goes against the notion that Apple's primary focus is simpy making money, and being money hungry. This is a company that can make an extra few billion by slapping their logo on products like routers and displays, but they chose not to because they don't feel the need to remain in every market if they aren't making a highly differentiated product than everyone else.

        What on earth are you talking about?!? "Needing the resources"? Apples mancount  has exploded in the last 5 years. If anything they're bloated.
        elijahgdysamoriaaylk
      • Reply 40 of 225
        jvmb said:
        I think the problem is that the Mac is no longer the center of the ecosystem. The iPhone is now the center and the Mac is an accessory used to sell more iPhones.

        Regretfully agreed. Apple used to be focused on creative professionals (desktop publishing, graphic artists, video editors, et al). Now their focus is consumers. They still pay some lip service to the creative pros who helped make them who they are, but their heart is not in it. Now it's iPhones, iTunes, iCloud, etc. I understand the economics of it; consumers are a much larger market. But I wish they could keep a division focused on hard core pros - like VW has Lamborghini or Porsche.

        I'm an Apple loyalist dating back to the Apple //e. I've never owned a Windows computer. But as Apple produces less of the whole user experience, it becomes less compelling to stick with them.


        elijahgdysamoriaargonautcornchip
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