Apple Charging $2 to Activate 802.11N-capable Macs

slyseeker · Jan 18, 2007

Most of us know that the wireless cards in more recent Macs are 801.11G, but how many knew that later models contain dormant 802.11N cards?

Now that apple has the Airport Exteme and AppleTV coming out, they're set to offer a $1.99 activation service for our N-capable computers.

Read up on it at CNET (and other places).

D3v1L80Y · Jan 18, 2007

slyseeker said:
how many knew that later models contain dormant 802.11N cards?

Quite a few people did actually. There were quite a few posts and threads here on the forum about it.
Now as far as why Apple is doing this, they have to according to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Fine, I don't see any issue with that. Should they have simply included and acclimated that charge into the cost of the machine? I would think so.
The only reason I can think of as to why they hadn't, and the reason why they are charging it seperately after the fact is because not all users will upgrade to or ever need to use the software. Still, that is a fairly weak reason.
Considering the attention Apple got from the media and their dealings with the SEC as of late, it is a little understandable that Apple would want to dispell rumors and show that they are willing to "play by the rules".
I just think they should have had the foresight to simply include this charge with the purchase price instead of trying to recoup the money later.

boarderjosh10 · Jan 18, 2007

how do you find out if your mac can do this?

trpnmonkey41 · Jan 19, 2007

D3v1L80Y said:
Quite a few people did actually. There were quite a few posts and threads here on the forum about it.
Now as far as why Apple is doing this, they have to according to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Fine, I don't see any issue with that. Should they have simply included and acclimated that charge into the cost of the machine? I would think so.
The only reason I can think of as to why they hadn't, and the reason why they are charging it seperately after the fact is because not all users will upgrade to or ever need to use the software. Still, that is a fairly weak reason.
Considering the attention Apple got from the media and their dealings with the SEC as of late, it is a little understandable that Apple would want to dispell rumors and show that they are willing to "play by the rules".
I just think they should have had the foresight to simply include this charge with the purchase price instead of trying to recoup the money later.

Well they could have said they were N cards but then you would have tons of people hacking around trying to enable it...which there still probably were, but they wanted to keep it quiet until they had out the rest of their N equipment

boarderjosh10 said:
how do you find out if your mac can do this?

It is only the latest revision of iMac, MBP, and MB

macEfan · Jan 19, 2007

I hope apple sells an apple wireless N upgrade.... I want my ibook to be able to have the faster AP card, but unfortunatly, I doubt that will ever happen

yogi · Jan 19, 2007

Hey, it's better than havong to buy a new card.

dan828 · Jan 19, 2007

Nevermind. A Should have RTFA.

D3v1L80Y · Jan 21, 2007

D3v1L80Y said:
Now as far as why Apple is doing this, they have to according to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

I stand corrected.
As it turns out, there really is no reason or rule that they must charge anything:

article said:
The company (Apple) on Thursday confirmed that it will charge users a small fee to enable the new, faster 802.11n wireless technology in its previously shipped Core 2 Duo-based Macs, saying that the charges were required to stay in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles (a.k.a, GAAP). "GAAP doesn't require you to charge squat," says Lynn Turner, managing director of research at Glass Lewis & Co. and a former chief accountant of the Securities and Exchange Commission

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/01/19/apples.80211n.fee.redux/

PowerBookG4 · Jan 21, 2007

How long until apple sells the card as an upgrade for the older model macbook pros

Bonzaisushi · Jan 23, 2007

i cant believe people got upset over a 2 dollar charge to unlock the card... it s 2 dollars.

cad2blender · Jan 23, 2007

So when can I buy the "upgrade", will it be after appple TV ships? Also the new 802.11n is compatible with the previous 801.11G right? preety dumb question, wi-fi noob.

digital john · Jan 23, 2007

Bonzaisushi said:
i cant believe people got upset over a 2 dollar charge to unlock the card... it s 2 dollars.

Those are the same people that would have complained if it wasnt hidden in the computer and had to buy it for $99. They should be thrilled.

dan828 · Jan 23, 2007

digital john said:
Those are the same people that would have complained if it wasnt hidden in the computer and had to buy it for $99. They should be thrilled.

I think it quite understandable. To pay to unlock the function of hardware you already own seems a little much. Apple, of course, was working on the new drivers anyways, so it's not like they spent any extra time or money on the patch then they would have anyways. The $2 fee is just pure profit on their part, and their excuse about needing to do it because of Sarbanes-Oxley has turned out to be just so much BS, as posted above.