TMO Daily Observations 2016-11-21: Farewell AirPort Extreme, MacBook Pro Touch Bar First Impressions
Apple’s wireless routers look like they’re headed down the same path as the now defunct Thunderbolt Display. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at the state of Apple’s WiFi router lineup, and explain why they think it’s fine the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule are heading out to pasture. They also offer up their thoughts on the new Retina MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.
Show Notes
- Apple Quietly Kills AirPort Extreme by Breaking Up Wireless Router Team
- Retina MacBook Pro Touch Bar first impressions
- TMO Daily Observations Twitter feed
I’ll give another possible take on this report.
Apple used MacOS to create iOS and then iOS to make WatchOS and TVOS. About the only thing still running on an OS that does not have roots in MacOS/iOS is the OS of Apple routers. As Dave mentioned, Mesh is where routers are going and Apple added Mesh to iOS 7 and have been refining it for the past 3+ years. Also, it makes little sense that it is easier to authenticate with an AppleTV than an Apple router.
So the report I read stated that these engineers are being reassigned to other teams. What if those teams are the AppleTV team that will be come the next generation mesh router linking all iOS devices in the house to a new HomeKit hub/router.
You trash talked the Airport routers, but it took me minutes to setup 2 time capsules and 4 airport expresses as a seamless wireless network covering every corner of my home and allowing for wireless streaming in multiple rooms. Forget AirPort, what does this do to the future of airplay.
Here is one user hopping this is simply a transition to a unifying OS strategy.
Airport Extreme, along with the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro are not the big money makers for Apple. THat’s why they are abandoning them. You would think that a company that is the most profitable in the world would have some loyalty to its customers. What’s next ? License the iMac ? I preferred the Think Different era of Apple, but with all success stories, things change. Not always for the better. It’s all about the bottom line now. As for innovation, I don’t believe Apple is up to its old standards there either. Yes, they have the best products, but all they are doing is taking others’ ideas and improving on them. That gets us Apple users better products, but that is not innovation.