Apple Exiting Wi-Fi Router Biz

[sfx2000]

Seeing your enthusiasm and recommendations regarding AirPort Extreme made me buy one while I stayed at the Radium Hospital in Oslo for my first therapy.
It was delivered last Friday and I'm planning to spend some quality time with my younger son next time I'm back home between chemo therapies.
We'll probably need some guidance from the better qualified experts on the forum though, like yourself

Plug it in - configure it, and let it work...

Focus on getting healthy my friend - that is much more important than anything else...

 

[sfx2000]

I guess @sfx2000 is gonna spend the night out drinking.

hehe - getting a good start here

 

[oletuv]

Plug it in - configure it, and let it work...

Focus on getting healthy my friend - that is much more important than anything else...

Of course it is. And spending some father-son time with one of my loved ones adds positively to my own contribution to the treatment process as well

Btw, currently waiting to be picked up for transport to the hospital...

 

[remixedcat]

Apple has recently put bros before pros

 

[sfx2000]

Apple has recently put bros before pros

That is a very apt way of putting things - mind if I borrow that?

 

[RamGuy]

This doesn't surprise me. Seems like Apple is "doubling down" on iOS for whatever it's worth. The new Mac's, though nice have some rather awkward choices behind them. Apple seems to drop the Mac Pro, Mac mini, now the AirPort line-up etc.. If it doesn't have anything directly to do with iOS (iPad/iPhone), then drop it.

I'm sad to see the AirPort devices go. They are not my preferred choice, but the AirPort Extreme and especially the Time Capsule offers something unique with it's built-in hard drive with full Apple Time Machine Backup support. It's a no-brainer to recommend for families and users that are mostly using Mac's. And the AirPort Express is a really nice way to add AirPlay to existing speaker solutions that does not come with it built-in.

But the writing has been on the wall for a long time. The non-existent updates for the new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, and the fact that Apple has yet to update the AirPort Express with a 802.11ac 2x2 design/hardware like the new Apple TV pretty much says it all. The Time Capsule has so much unfulfilled potential.. They could have updated it's software so it could have cached iOS updates, MacOS updates, app updates, cached iCloud Backups locally before uploading it to speed things up for users that have slow upload speeds etc.. But they have done nothing with it.

It's rather awkward to watch Apple "grow" into a bigger and bigger, richer and richer company. Yet they seem to have a really hard time juggling several balls at the same time. So instead of growing and increasing their focus and efforts on their extended ecosystem of products, they seem to start just dropping them.

 

[sfx2000]

It's rather awkward to watch Apple "grow" into a bigger and bigger, richer and richer company. Yet they seem to have a really hard time juggling several balls at the same time. So instead of growing and increasing their focus and efforts on their extended ecosystem of products, they seem to start just dropping them.

And that's why we get stuff like this...

http://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/...rnia-chronicles-20-years-of-apple-design.html

My guess - yes, Apple has a lot of balls in the air perhaps, but they're losing some focus...

 

[sfx2000]

Seems like Apple is "doubling down" on iOS for whatever it's worth. The new Mac's, though nice have some rather awkward choices behind them. Apple seems to drop the Mac Pro, Mac mini, now the AirPort line-up etc.. If it doesn't have anything directly to do with iOS (iPad/iPhone), then drop it.

Maybe this is just how it is -- keep in mind that Apple (pre-Jobs) kept the Apple ][ alive well beyond it's best by used date, thru the //c and //gs (Woz Edition yo!) while the Mac was getting a slow start...

If one looks at the numbers - Mac is a side biz for them these days - just like the Apple ][ was years ago... iPhone carries the money, pays the bills, and iPad comes close behind - so that's where the investment is...

iOS is the present and future intent... MacOS, less so...

Jobs at the D8 conference pretty much telegraphed this a few years back - PC's are trucks, and not everyone needs a truck...

http://allthingsd.com/20130109/steve-jobs-was-right-tablets-are-cars-pcs-are-trucks/

I suspect that the Mac Pro is dead - they'll sell it as long as folks buy it... same with the Mini... one can see the lack of investment on those two products, and between the Airport situation at the moment, and the killing off of the Thunderbolt display...

MacBooks are safe for now, and I would say that perhaps the iMacs are...

 

[Hydro]

I'm really vexed by this exit from Apple, especially when Google seems to be going balls-to-the-wall lately in the hardware arena, especially with respect to smart-home automation (routers and Google Home).

Admittedly, Google's notorious fear of commitment is a bit of a concern when considering whether or not to buy into their hardware ecosystem, but I think they will continue charging forward hard & fast in this direction with integrated routers and Google Home, since that "doorway" into the consumer's life is really a big Holy Grail of opening for them, and it really represents an awesome culmination of what they'll be able to for us with all that data they have on us

And that's where they will very quickly pull way far ahead of Apple in the home automation & virtual assistant realm, since Google already knows so much about us (for better or worse!!).

I admire Apple's commitment to privacy and all that jazz, but that's turning into a bigger & bigger boat anchor around their neck in terms of providing their customers "smart" services like good virtual assistants, flexible HA solutions, etc.

I've long been an Apple hardware fanboi, but between their maddening cloud-service ineptitude and overly-walled gardens, I've always been frustrated with the capabilities of their software.

I sold my (data) soul to Google many many years ago, and have no regrets - I'm quite excited about the future potential of Google Home in particular, as they continue to enhance & open up what that thing can do.

Perhaps Apple has a shocking game-changer device/plan in secret development now, but I somehow doubt it. In the meantime, they are losing ground to Google every passing day in the battle to win over consumers with "smart" stuff.

Cheers, Chris

 

[sfx2000]

I sold my (data) soul to Google many many years ago, and have no regrets - I'm quite excited about the future potential of Google Home in particular, as they continue to enhance & open up what that thing can do.

Yeah - just remember that a lot of things that Google does can come to a frightening end...

To whit - Google Reader...

Ask On-Hub folks how they feel these days...

Sad thing here with the Airports - they were doing the "Mesh" thing that some vendors are now saying is the hot stuff...

That was years ago...

I realize for many, Airports are the wireless equivalent of orthopedic shoes... but they did some really neat stuff under the hood...

 

[Hydro]

I agree with your thoughts on Airports being an early innovator... It seems like Apple - at one point - was incredibly well-positioned to totally dominate and run away with this "whole-home infiltration" market, and then they've just stalled these last couple years rather inexplicably with further innovating that segment.

It's a head-scratcher... But who knows, maybe they have something big under their hat. Unfortunately for them, the clock is tickin'...

 

[Marinemaster]

I'm a bit surprised to see them get out of the wifi market personally, because people are getting used to paying 200-400$ for a router these days. That would have meant people getting more willing to pay Apple's usual high prices for a router. And the "ease of use" that Google is starting to apply to their new wifi products would have been quite at home with Apple's usual minimalist designs. Devices like the OnHub are something I would have expected to see from Apple.

My personal feeling is that Apple gradually returning to their 90s era, where they are searching themselves. They are trying to refocus and to expand, but don't seem to be finding anything that's sticking to the wall so far (look at their TV/car plans that aren't going anywhere, the flop of the iWatch, etc...) The 90s had a few good ideas, but they failed to make them stick, like the Newton.

(and let's not talk about the 299$ USD book they are launching.)

"Apple usual high prices for a Router" ??? what exactly you taking about ??? The Extreme is one of the most stable consumer. Did you see other routers prices ? in the $300 to $500 ? Extreme never went over $200.

 

[RMerlin]

My guess - yes, Apple has a lot of balls in the air perhaps

Do they?

For a company of that size, I would argue that they do not have so many balls in the air. Every other major tech company that has a similar size are able to deal with far more product lines than Apple.

It's kinda surprising really, since their current CEO is mostly known for his ability to manage and organize things. He was the perfect complement to Jobs' skills.

 

[RMerlin]

"Apple usual high prices for a Router"

That's not what I meant. I'm talking about Apple's usual high prices for any of their products (computers, phones, etc...), which could have been applied in turn to routers, BECAUSE of those 300-400$ routers that are appearing on the market from everyone else. Meaning IF Apple had come out with a 300$ router, the market would have been willing to pay for it, because the rest of the world already was.

 

[Makaveli]

"Apple usual high prices for a Router" ??? what exactly you taking about ??? The Extreme is one of the most stable consumer. Did you see other routers prices ? in the $300 to $500 ? Extreme never went over $200.

Everything that apple sells is over priced.

Those $300-$500 routers you are seeing offer more features and performance than the Extreme hence the price difference.

 

[sfx2000]

That's not what I meant. I'm talking about Apple's usual high prices for any of their products (computers, phones, etc...), which could have been applied in turn to routers, BECAUSE of those 300-400$ routers that are appearing on the market from everyone else. Meaning IF Apple had come out with a 300$ router, the market would have been willing to pay for it, because the rest of the world already was.

The AP Extreme is $200USD, and has been for years it seems - they pop up in the Refurb store for $129USD..

They're not really any more expensive that other AC1900 class Router/AP's out there...

The express has always been a bit spendy at $99, which is a bit for what is essentially an N600 router with fast ethernet.

 

[dunkin]

Every Mac that has 802.11ac has a BCM4360 chip in it... so while Airport's were not as popular as other 11ac Routers and AP's using that chip, Apple definitely has an impact to Broadcom's bottom line...

Wondering if Apple is moving towards Intel for the client chips?

not anymore.

According to https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Touch+Bar+Teardown/73480, the touch bar version of MacBook Pro 13" uses Murata/Apple 339S00056. And according to https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Function+Keys+Late+2016+Teardown/72415, the non touch bar version uses Universal Scientific Industrial 339S025 Wi-Fi Module that is a cheap 2x2 module.

 

[RamGuy]

Hasn't Apple been using Murata in the MacBook's, iPad's and iPhone's for some time now? From what I can gather they all are Broadcom spec/SoC's/chips? Isn't Murata simply a manufacturer of NIC's that Apple uses, they don't actually do / offer their own chips themselves? They get everything supplied directly from Broadcom?

 

[sfx2000]

Murata is a packager - they do a great job of packaging everything up...

I've used them in the past on projects...

 

[kvic]

...the world's first packager of wireless modules was a French company called Wavecom S.A. Was an innovative idea. Unfortunately they couldn't stay competitive when the business was copied by more players.

I have doubt in Apple really exiting the "wireless router" market. This gives up control of a key component in their ecosystem that connects home (and iDevices) to the cloud. That doesn't make sense. I won't be surprised if Apple is baking up something new which contains the router functionality.

When the first rumor came out about Apple transforming a iPod into a smartphone. Very few people can grasp the idea. Perhaps Apple marketing begins playing similar stunt on "wireless router". Two to three years are enough for a new category of double down product that contains a "wireless router".