Airport Extra Extreme 802.11n


okay this is speculation, I have no sources...

Okay let me first put my cards on the table, everything I am posting here is pure speculation, I have no sources in Apple, I have no inside information and this is based on what I have read, what I know and what I am guessing about.
Airport Base Station
First some facts, things we do know.

Airport Extreme Base Station can not be sold in the EU and is almost impossible to get in the US.

Steve Jobs announced the iTV device last September and indicated that it was based on 802.11 technology, but did not mention 802.11g and also did not mention 802.11n

The newer Intel Macs have 802.11n capability already built in.

I am guessing that we will see a new 802.11n base station (or even base stations) replacing the current Airport Extreme Base Station and potentially a new 802.11n version of the Airport Express.

The iTV will be wireless and will use the 802.11n standard.

I don't think we will see an Airport Express which can stream video. With streaming audio you create a playlist on your Mac and then listen to the audio, with video you generally want to watch a specific video and you want to be able to select which video you want from the comfort of your sofa, this is where the Front Row style capability of the iTV comes into its own.

One potential improvement we may see with the Airport Express is an expansion of the functionality of the USB port. Currently the USB port is for printing only and you can not use scanners or USB drives. I wonder if on a new style Airport Express the USB port may be able to use multiple devices in a similar vein the Keyspan USB server which is already available.

So when will Apple announce a replacement, MacWorld Expo is the obvious choice in a week's time. I am pretty sure that we will see an Airport style announcement then, watch this space.

Posted: Wed - January 3, 2007 at 09:17 AM         | |

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