Macworld Expo: Next Generation AirPort for wireless technology

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 8 Jan 2003 at 13:04

Apple builds on its commitment to wireless networking with a new version of AirPort, dubbed AirPort Extreme. This is another of the technologies unveiled at Macworld Expo in San Francisco by Steve Jobs last night.

Airport Extreme enables wireless networking for tasks as browsing the Net, quickly connecting to other computers and sharing peripherals such as printers. It also enables iChat among networked Macs and is safeguarded by 128-bit encryption.

Note that OS X version 10.2 - aka 'Jaguar' - has built-in support for 802.11g.

'Apple was the first computer company to ship products based on 802.11b when it launched AirPort in 1999, kick-starting the entire Wi-Fi wireless revolution,' said Jobs. 'Today we're doing it again by launching AirPort Extreme, the next generation of wireless products based on 802.11g that runs at 54Mbits/sec, yet is fully compatible with the millions of 802.11b Wi-Fi devices and Hot Spots around the world.'

Take that claim for 54Mb/sec communications with a pinch of salt, however. This is a theoretical maximum. Away from the labs and out in the field, real-world speeds of 6Mbits/sec have been reported by vendors of early 11g chipsets. Similarly, 802.11b's theoretical speed of 11Mbits/sec is often 4Mb/sec in practice.

Pricing for the AirPort Extreme Base Stations starts from $199. Supporting up to 50 users, the base stations provide wireless bridging to extend their range and support USB-based printer sharing among multiple users. With a built-in V.90 modem and an additional port for a range-extending antenna, the Base Station will cost $249.

The RRP for an AirPort Extreme Card is $99.

Check out apple.com/airport for more info.