Revised Apple iSights, Extreme base stations due soon

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Apple Computer in a few weeks is expected to bring its AirPort Extreme base station and iSight video-cam products up to compliance with an environmental directive that has for the last three months barred their sale overseas.



The Cupertino, Calif.-based Mac maker was forced to discontinue the sale of both offerings in Europe earlier this summer because they failed to comply with the RoHS directive adopted by the European Union in 2003.



The directive, which went into effect on July 1, prohibits the sale of electronics that contain hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame retardants.



While Apple halted new orders for the two products in Europe on June 23, it continued to sell existing inventory in the United States and other parts of the world during the weeks that followed. However, the company has long since exhausted its supply of AirPort Extreme base stations and most recently began pulling remaining inventory of iSights from its stores ahead of revised models.



"Apple corporate directed its stores to pull all iSights from the selling floor and had them shipped back to corporate," a person familiar with the matter told AppleInsider this week.



According to Apple's online store, the company will resume shipments of the iSight in "October." Meanwhile, its AirPort Extreme base station will begin shipping to customers in about "3-5 weeks."



Apple's eMac all-in-one desktop computer and iPod shuffle External Battery Pack also fell victim to the RoHS directive earlier this summer and were removed from sale in Europe. Within a week, the eMac's slot in Apple's product line was replaced by a $899 version of the 17-inch all-in-one iMac.



It's unclear if the iPod shuffle External Battery Pack will see a revision.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    Perhaps they can rename the Airport Extreme at the same time. It sounds like you need a surf board and a can of Mountain Dew and a voice like Keanu to actually want the thing.



    Besides, if this is the "Extreme", what are they going to call the 802.11n version? The Airport OMG? This is where version numbers are a GOOD thing. "Airport 2" would have been a good name for it.



    On a separate note, if they're updating the model, perhaps they can support 802.11a now that most of their current lines of computers also support 802.11a.
  • Reply 2 of 29
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    "Leopard will provide the complete package" Steve said. He said Front Row 2.0 will be bundled. Well you know what that means? It means the new iSight will not only have a camera and the usual speakers built-in, it will also have an IR built-in.

    So all you have to do is buy an Apple remote and you're on your way.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by peharri


    Besides, if this is the "Extreme", what are they going to call the 802.11n version? The Airport OMG? This is where version numbers are a GOOD thing. "Airport 2" would have been a good name for it.



    Airport 2? Nah, that's very un-Apple like. Besides, the Airport Extreme is already the 2nd gen base-station... The first one was simply called "Aiport."
  • Reply 4 of 29
    The Airport Extreme has to be in 3 weeks I'd guess. You cannot buy one anywhere, and the online store is at 3-5 weeks for delivery.



    Its times like these that Apple needs to be more forthcoming about delays. I need to buy a base station for my new setup. It appears that Apple is not going to have a product to meet this need in the near future. If I didnt check this site, I'd probably have bought a third party product by now.
  • Reply 5 of 29
    an $899 imac?????
  • Reply 6 of 29
    Question: What do people use to re-stick the iSight cameras when making a monitor swap? What is that funky glue material?
  • Reply 7 of 29
    19841984 Posts: 955member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider


    Apple Computer in a few weeks is expected to bring its AirPort Extreme base station and iSight video-cam products up to compliance with an environmental directive that has for the last three months barred their sale overseas.



    So will these new Airport Unleaded base stations have any new features?
  • Reply 8 of 29
    I hope the Extreme has the audio jack that the Express currently has. Allowing you at least one room of wireless audio seems like a reasonable request.
  • Reply 9 of 29
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 1984


    So will these new Airport Unleaded base stations have any new features?





    Oooooo! Aiorport Unleaded!



    Now THERE'S a good name for the new Airport!
  • Reply 10 of 29
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 1984


    So will these new Airport Unleaded base stations have any new features?



    LMAO I'd buy one if it had that name
  • Reply 11 of 29
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647


    LMAO I'd buy one if it had that name





    Just to prove that marketing, not features, is everything!
  • Reply 12 of 29
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland


    "Leopard will provide the complete package" Steve said. He said Front Row 2.0 will be bundled. Well you know what that means? It means the new iSight will not only have a camera and the usual speakers built-in, it will also have an IR built-in.

    So all you have to do is buy an Apple remote and you're on your way.



    Well, I hope so, but I won't be surprised if it doesn't. I've been holding out on buying an iSight to see what the next revision brings, but other than people saying that they hope it includes IR remote support, I haven't seen any rumors that make me feel confident it will.
  • Reply 13 of 29
    Is this even post worthy? Who cares?
  • Reply 14 of 29
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nufase


    an $899 imac?????



    The low end iMac is $899 for edu/student buyers...
  • Reply 15 of 29
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pmjoe


    Well, I hope so, but I won't be surprised if it doesn't. I've been holding out on buying an iSight to see what the next revision brings, but other than people saying that they hope it includes IR remote support, I haven't seen any rumors that make me feel confident it will.



    Since when have rumors reflected reality



    You do think it's a good idea though?
  • Reply 16 of 29
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    I think it's a really good idea - of course, given that the iSight is IR sensitive, you could use the iSight itself as the IR receiver. Initially, I was certain this was how they were doing Front Row's remote, since it came out on iSight-enabled units.



    Except, of course, that means that you can't use it for video at the same time as using the remote, unless, you're willing to put up with bright flashes in the video stream... :}
  • Reply 17 of 29
    They should call it Apple International Airport.....



    before it was just domestic...... maybe it get's it's own three letters too.... APL



    maybe we go beyond Airport to Spaceport or Space Station
  • Reply 18 of 29
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider


    It's unclear if the iPod shuffle External Battery Pack will see a revision.



    Why would they revise the last gen shuffle's battery pack, when the model is retired?
  • Reply 19 of 29
    The very first version of 802.11, just called "802.11" (no letters after it) actually was available in two flavours, one of which was infrared. Maybe what Apple means is they're going to create the ultimate Airport, one that supports every version of 802.11 ever made...
  • Reply 20 of 29
    I think that the new name will have Mac in its title. Perhaps something like Macport.
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