Apple pushes out several wireless-related product updates and additions today: Apple announced that its entire PowerBook G4 line will have both Bluetooth (already standard) and AirPort Extreme (802.11g) built in. Previously, several models cost $99 more to have the internal and proprietary Wi-Fi card added.

By including these wireless options even in the entry-level $1,600 12-inch PowerBook G4 model, Apple is competing more directly and simply against the Centrino concept. From now on, Apple hopes that buyers think PowerBook and wireless the way that Intel has branded Centrino and Wi-Fi.

With integrated Bluetooth 1.2 and 802.11g connected to its own built-in antennas providing frequency avoidance that allows both to work without stepping on each other, Apple wants to score with this combination especially with their cell phone/Bluetooth synchronization and cell data networking support. Intel and Microsoft have done actually quite well with it, but Apple's trying to raise the ante in the laptop market in which they are still a competitive force.

Apple also released a new AirPort Extreme Base Station (model M9397LL/A) which has Power over Ethernet support and is Plenum rated for building code conformance. They'll sell this version for $250 retail or in packages of five to the education market for $999. The three base station models are no modem, no antenna jack ($200); modem, antenna jack ($250); Plenum, PoE, antenna jack, but no modem ($250).

Along with the new base station, Apple released AirPort Software 3.4, which updates the firmware on cards and base stations for improved and faster WPA support, and adds syslog daemon-based logging to the base station, which is probably a highly requested feature in institutions and enterprises.

The software works alongside the new, free AirPort Management Tools 1.0, which allows mass configuration of AirPort Extreme Base Stations through a single simple interface.

The AirPort Management Utility handles base station configuration as well as storing stock configuration files. The AirPort Client Monitor offers signal, noise, and bandwidth monitor in time slices for troubleshooting or designing networks.

Finally, Apple also released Bluetooth Firmware Updater 1.1, which improves its wireless keyboard and mouse features and compatibility.