Airport+Bluetooth a user installable device?

Hey all...

Long time lurker, unlurking

I'm looking at getting a G5 as soon as this weekend, but I have a question. I will be buying it retail, in Oregon (no sales tax) as I will be there to spend time with family.

I was told by the Apple retail stores that they dont have the kits to install the airport+bluetooth device at this time, and wont for another few weeks.

I can order online, and have the airport+bluetooth card put in, however will take longer and will overall, be paying more.

In the past, I have read that this device is a user installable device. That even the directions for doing so have been in the previous G5 manuals.

Anyone know about the dual cores? I'm getting conflicted info, saying it's a serviceable item only, etc. Is this true?

thanks for the help!

im not sure about the newer model because in alot of the machines that are coming standard with it, its built right on...when i was last working retail at and apple retail store i had on the shelf for customers wifi and bluetooth upgrade kits for the Powermac G5, now should we have had them on the shelf...probably not...but we did.

just to let you know if it helps i worked at a compusmart store, they all get from the same warehouse so you should be able to pick it up

PowerbookG417 said:

im not sure about the newer model because in alot of the machines that are coming standard with it, its built right on...when i was last working retail at and apple retail store i had on the shelf for customers wifi and bluetooth upgrade kits for the Powermac G5, now should we have had them on the shelf...probably not...but we did.

just to let you know if it helps i worked at a compusmart store, they all get from the same warehouse so you should be able to pick it up

Click to expand...

Hmm so you are saying that the new Dual Core G5's are coming with bluetooth built in already? I know right now that the retail stores dont have the airport cards yet, and wont know if it is a servicable item or not...but I doubt it isnt...I dont seem them changing the entire architecture for airport cards.

The single-core G5 had the Airport Extreme card as Customer installable part, while the Bluetooth module had to be installed by an Apple certified technician.

The new dual-core G5 use a Bluetooth2.0+EDR/Airport combo card, just like the iMac G5 since Rev. B, the latest iBooks and Powerbooks and the Mac mini.

This unfortunately means it is not anymore installable by the customer, but needs to be done by an Apple certified technician, otherwise you'll loose your warranty. And you can't have Bluetooth without Airport, or vice versa.
For the PowerMac, this module sits on an adapter card. The kit is only available through Apple, and at the moment they seem to have some delivery issues.