Tag: Wireless

Hasta la vista, Vista!

Most of these Vista notebooks cost more than my MacBook and only the more expensive ones (over $2000) have a digital video interface (DVI) ( to connect to that hi-def LCD or plasma TV in your living room or den ). They ALL lack a built in digital camera (for video conferencing), a wireless remote control, bluetooth wireless (wireless mice, keyboard, and headsets), digital audio input/output (surround sound from a laptop), video editing software, music creation and editing, DVD editing and burning, and web publishing software. Every Apple laptop ships with these features.

Aren't applications the things we buy our computers to run so that we can do something creative or productive? So out of the box shouldn't the computer be able to do something?

So please, explain to me why Macs are considered more expensive? Hasta La Vista, Vista!

Airport Extreme

Something that was not announced during the keynote at MacWorld yesterday is that Apple release an update Airport Extreme Base Station. The update wireless route/gateway supports several 802.11 wireless standards (b,g) including the yet to be finalised "n". Of course being a mac compatible Apple product all of the current WiFi security features are supported as well including the very crackable WEP. Interestingly Apple chose to limit the router to 802.3u (100BASE-T). With more media whizzing around home networks Apple should have provided support for faster networks.

Feature list:

  • Wireless protocols
    • 802.11a/b/g
    • Draft 802.11n
  • Security
    • Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2)3
    • Wireless security (WEP) configurable for 40-bit and 128-bit encryption
    • MAC address filtering
    • NAT firewall
    • Support for RADIUS authentication
    • 802.1X, PEAP, LEAP, TTLS, TLS, FAST
  • Interfaces
    • RJ-45 10/100BASE-T Ethernet WAN port for connecting a DSL or cable modem
    • Three RJ-45 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN ports for connecting computers or network devices
    • USB port for connecting a USB printer or USB external hard drive
    • 802.11 wireless

What distinguishes Apple's product from similar offerings from Cisco/LinkSys and Netgear is the inclusion of a USB port on the back of the device. You can plug in a USB printer of external hardrive and make this devices network aware. You can even plug in a USB hub thus making any supported USB device available via the network. Apple has not release any details on what USB device are compatible with the AirPort Extreme.

I noticed that the new AirPort Extreme has the same size form factor as the mac mini. I can imagine the AirPort Extreme stacked under a mac mini connected to a Belkin Hub and one of mac mini form factor external hard drives.