Skip to Content

Apple to charge $1.99 for 802.11n enabler

by Erica Sadun Jan 18th 2007 at 8:00PM

CNet reports that Apple has confirmed reports that it will charge to distribute the 802.11n enabler software but that it will charge $1.99 for this enabler rather than the $5.00 previously reported on TUAW. There's a big emotional distance between $5 ("Those bastards[1]! They're messing with us by making us pay again!") and $1.99 (The phrase "nominal" actually does come to mind). Affected products include Intel Core 2 Duo iMacs (except 17-inch, 1.83GHz iMac), Intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks, Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros with the AirPort Extreme card option.

The lower cost point may truly be a victory over the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act", which readers suggest may protect Apple's accounting department against charges of improper finances (as if Apple really needed that charge being thrown around) due to delivery of incomplete purchases[2].

[1] "They killed Kenny."

[2] Blame Enron. (I know. South Park blames Canada, not Enron.)

Thanks Mitch Greenfield



View Tags

Related Stories

Categories

Wireless Apple Financial

CNet reports that Apple has confirmed reports that it will charge to distribute the 802.11n enabler software but that it will charge $1.99...
 

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

20 Comments

Filter by:
How-to-Tie-a-Tie

The Wall Street Journal had an article about how Apple's trying to make this an accounting issue is bunk.

January 20 2007 at 4:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Matthew Moss

so are they going to charge for the firmware update that brings the draft-n spec to compliance when its made official?

January 20 2007 at 11:03 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brady J. Frey

$2 is no big woop indeed - but I have a client that's all mac, over 100+ strong, and a good half of them are intel now for virtual needs... this is going to annoy them to no end, might as well wait for Leopard to roll out and see if it enables this for free. I really don't understand why they would ever charge for this service.

January 19 2007 at 12:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
moulles

Yes this is partly about SOX, but it's also partly down to Apple's overly obsessive secrecy. If they weren't such freaks about tipping their hat that an 802.11n Airport was coming...a product they didn't seem to care enough about to mention in the Macworld Keynote...they could have just shipped the damn machines with 802.11n enabled.

We're not being charged because of SOX. It's down to Apple's paranoia making SOX an issue.

$2 is no big whoop, but maybe they should get a bit of a grip. It's not like an Airport rev wasn't an obvious eventuality.

January 19 2007 at 10:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cyberwhore

I will send everyone $2.00 each to stop you all complaining about it.

January 19 2007 at 9:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MILE

I don't really mind them charging 2 bucks for the enabler although they could have lowered it even more...what I do find annoying is the fact that they don't seem to allow and ad.hoc connection between Mac and AppleTV so that you are actually forced to buy a new APE base if you really want to use the Apple TV device...!? That seems totally unnecessary to me...

Oh, and concerning the charge for the enabler -- since they seem to be doing this due to US laws, does that mean that over here in Europe we don't have to pay for the enabler...?!?

January 19 2007 at 8:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Andrew Brough

Ok so a US law makes Apple charge US customers $2? How can Apple apply that to the rest of the world. I want this in the UK for free. I don't live under that US law here. And if they make it available free here, whats stopping US customers grabbing a UK version. I will not pay a tax on this. Apple release it for free outside of the states.

January 19 2007 at 7:48 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cosmicmonkey

Take your card out and see what the chipset is. The chipset that supports 802.11{n|g|b|a} is Atheros. The airport extremes should be a Broadcom chipset.

January 19 2007 at 2:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cosmicmonkey

Take your card out and see what the chipset is. The chipset that supports 802.11{n|g|b|a} is Atheros. The airport extremes should be a Broadcom chipset.

January 19 2007 at 2:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joseph

Are the MacBook Core Duos have the 802.11g. I bought it 3 months ago :( Is there a way of finding out what card is built in my MacBook?

January 19 2007 at 12:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.