Apple will ship AirPort Extreme with Draft N in February: The former-computer company--renamed from Apple Computer to just Apple today--has gone Draft N happy. Their version will have no new, special name, and support both 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) and 5 GHz (802.11a/n). Computers shipped to date with Intel Core 2 Duo chips (with the exception of a single iMac model) can be upgraded to add Draft N capability through a firmware patch due in February along with the updated base station. The new AirPort Extreme will cost $179. It looks like Apple will not refresh its Extreme Card as all new Macs and other Apple gear, like today's iPhone due in June, will include 802.11n built in. The device has a new form factor, with similar width and height to a Mac mini and Apple TV.
The iPhone will support EDGE and Wi-Fi: The iPhone is months from shipping, and will run $499 or $599 (4 GB or 8 GB) at introduction. The subscription plan cost from Cingular Wireless, its exclusive reseller, wasn't mentioned. The iPhone will automatically switch between Wi-Fi and EDGE for retrieving data as networks are available. With a fully enabled Web browser built in, iPhone users will be able to access hotspots that other phone users can only reach with an effort or not at all. There was no mention of converged calling over Wi-Fi and cell, or even VoIP applications--which makes sense given Cingular's voice focus. Apple said you cannot make calls (at this point) over Wi-Fi. That may change by introduction, or may be a future plan as AT&T plots Cingular's converged future.
Finally, the Apple TV, the release name for the codenamed iTV, will stream and store content: The $299 device, shipping in February, has Ethernet, 802.11n, HDMI (high-def audio/video), and composite video, as well as analog and optical digital audio outputs. It can synchronize content with one networked computer, Mac or Windows, and stream content from five networked machines. It sports a 40 GB hard drive.
I'm here at Macworld Expo, and will file more Wi-Fi-related news if it comes up.
Any word on whether the draft-n upgrade for existing MacBooks will be available as a download separately from the new Airport Extreme?
Apple wouldn't say. They kept talking about an N enabler that will be on the software CD-ROM that ships with an Extreme N base station, but I would guess (and I'll see if I can find out) that it would be part of a general AirPort update that will be downloadable by all Macs running Tiger. Apple has done this with previous firmware updates.
But as you look at the site, they do really seem to be making a point about it only be available with an Extreme N base station. Strange.
Glen I was waiting for apple to come out with mimo technolgy.
I have a 1.83 17 inch imacG5. Will I be able to use the new AESB if I buy a extreme card?
[There doesn't appear to be a plan to offer an Extreme Card that is updated for N. Apple's expectation is most likely that because all new machines already have N built in (with the coming update to enable it), that users of older computers will find other ways to get N -- a USB adapter, a PCI card, an ExpressCard, or a PC Card. Belkin just released an N ExpressCard for $99, for instance.
All the N products are backwards compatible with their band -- if the N device does 2.4 GHz, then it's b + g + n; if 5 GHz, then a + n. Apple's N flavor handles 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, so is a + b + g + n.--gf]