Apple spring event April 20 (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

Aaaah!

Just looked that up:

IEEE 802.11ax-2021 or 802.11ax is an IEEE standard for wireless local-area networks (WLANs) and the successor of 802.11ac. It is marketed as Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) by the Wi-Fi Alliance.


Why can't those f-ers just put WiFi 6E in the technical specs so idiots like me can understand what the F they are talking about.

I stand corrected. Cool! These devices are all future-proof

I was not previously aware of 6E either, but from that description, it would be good to have both -- 6E more for futureproofing to be used at a likely much less cluttered/noise-filled freq band due to all the other tech stuff that use or interfere w/ 2.4 and 5Ghz.

I might buy a new router sometime this year, and guess I better make sure it does 6E, not just plain 6. Don't know if plain 6 helps an ATV4K all that much over the old 5/802.11ac though -- not like even (current) 4K/DV/Atmos streaming (via the higher bitrate services) pushes the limits of 802.11ac at all... unless you're running more than 1/2 a dozen of them simultaneously over the same wifi network fed by a true gigabit broadband access perhaps...

_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I was not previously aware of 6E either, but from that description, it would be good to have both -- 6E more for futureproofing to be used at a likely much less cluttered/noise-filled freq band due to all the other tech stuff that use or interfere w/ 2.4 and 5Ghz.

I might buy a new router sometime this year, and guess I better make sure it does 6E, not just plain 6. Don't know if plain 6 helps an ATV4K all that much over the old 5/802.11ac though -- not like even 4K/DV/Atmos streaming pushes the limits of 802.11ac at all... unless you're running more than 1/2 a dozen of them simultaneously over the same wifi network fed by a true gigabit broadband access perhaps...

_Man_

I could have upgraded my Eero mesh system this past year to WiFi 6, but knowing 6E was another few months away, I waited.

I suspect that we will see mesh systems from Eero, Google, Amplifi, Linksys (and others) going into Q4.

As for routers, there are already a few currently available.

I am just happy that Apple saw the writing on the wall and future-proofed their new devices. I was pretty pissed off until Sam told me what 802.11ax was.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I could have upgraded my Eero mesh system this past year to WiFi 6, but knowing 6E was another few months away, I waited.

I suspect that we will see mesh systems from Eero, Google, Amplifi, Linksys (and others) going into Q4.

As for routers, there are already a few currently available.

I am just happy that Apple saw the writing on the wall and future-proofed their new devices. I was pretty pissed off until Sam told me what 802.11ax was.

Think only my current, year-plus-old, DIY Windoze PC build is even wifi-6 capable so far -- I chose the more expensive ASRock mobo (for AMD Ryzen cpu) partly for that reason even though I wasn't expecting to upgrade my router anytime soon back then. It's not 6E though -- don't recall 6E being expected at the time back around Dec 2019...

I guess the new ATV4K will be my next wifi-6 device/machine... possibly followed by a new router...

Correction: Since I don't currently have access to a wifi-6 network, forgot my iPhone 11 is apparently also wifi-6 capable, so there's that as well...

_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Think only my current, year-plus-old, DIY Windoze PC build is even wifi-6 capable -- I chose the more expensive ASRock mobo (for AMD Ryzen cpu) partly for that reason even though I wasn't expecting to upgrade my router anytime soon back then. It's not 6E though -- don't recall 6E being expected at the time back around Dec 2019...

_Man_

No, I only started hearing about 6E last Summer right before Eero made their product release. I wrote an email to their support team inquiring why they didn't include the spec in their newly announced mesh units. They never answered.

I suspect these products go into production months in advance and 6E was just becoming a "buzz word" by the time their mesh units were announced.

The good news is that we should see lots of 6E products by year's end and there's currently no "buzz word" on emerging technology that is going to replace that in another year (or none that I have heard of).

 

[DaveF]

Quickly went over Apple’s product pages; no time to watch the event. Quick thoughts:

1. AppleTV 4k: will buy two later this year.
2. Airtags: if I were traveling I’d buy the 4-pack to toss in luggage and carry-on. But I’m not so these are not things I need
3. iPad Pro: nice update, amazed by lower pricing than I expected. No regrets over buying Air last Fall.
4. iMac 24”. As expected, no 30” yet. Hoping those are this Summer and not this Winter.

 

[DaveF]

DaveF will not be happy. He was expecting something larger.

I was *hoping* for the 30” iMac.

I was expecting this, the 24” iMac. All the rumors indicated 24” only. Last year’s announcements of mini and entry MBP presaged entry iMac only.

 

[Nelson Au]

Speaking of WiFi 6, too bad Apple stopped making the Airport. Would have been cool if they’d have done a MESH system.

 

[DaveF]

My wife tells me we’re buying a buncha airtags before our next international trip. So that’s settled.

 

[DaveF]

Notes on the M1 iMac

The original iMac was all about colors. The first one was blindingly Bondi blue, and the follow-ups all came in various shades and designs. It was a computer you didn’t just buy to use, but t…

sixcolors.com

 

[DaveF]

The Chin

Since the introduction of the iMac G5 way back in August of 2004, the basic building blocks of what makes an iMac an iMac have been the same: From the front, it's rather remarkable how little the iMac has changed in nearly two decades. The screen is front and center, surrounded by a bezel with [...]

512pixels.net

 

[Sam Posten]

You can BTO the iMac with 16gb.

M1 iMac Configurations and Pricing Breakdown

The redesigned iMac with the M1 chip is available in three different base configurations that users can upgrade with Build-to-Order options for their...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Ronald Epstein]

You can BTO the iMac with 16gb.

M1 iMac Configurations and Pricing Breakdown

The redesigned iMac with the M1 chip is available in three different base configurations that users can upgrade with Build-to-Order options for their...

www.macrumors.com

This is good news.

 

[Sam Posten]

New iMac Tidbits: Headphone Jack on Side, Ethernet Port on Power Adapter, Spatial Audio and WiFi 6 Support, No SD Card Slot

Apple yesterday announced a completely redesigned 24-inch iMac with the M1 Apple silicon chip. The new iMac, the first major redesign of the Mac...

www.macrumors.com

 

[DaveF]

Odds and ends

Here are the updates that didn’t make it in Apple’s April 20 livestream

The true Apple TV 4K refresh rate, new accessories, new configurations, and more.

arstechnica.com

 

[DaveF]

More more details

Apple’s April 2021 Event: All the Little Things

Apple events are always packed with little details that don’t make it into the main presentation or are easy to miss in the flurry of announcements. Some tidbits are buried in footnotes, while others are tucked into word clouds on Keynote slides or in release notes. Today’s event was no...

www.macstories.net