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Apple M8881LL/A AirPort Extreme Card

Apple M8881LL/A AirPort Extreme Card

List Price: $109.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Thank you for the great service
Review: Thanks to J&R Music and Computer for good response and followup on a rush order. I would shop here again and plan to soon. This is an unsolicited review.

TjM

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Thank you for the great service
Review: Thanks to J&R Music and Computer for good response and followup on a rush order. I would shop here again and plan to soon. This is an unsolicited review.

TjM

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great thing, not that easy to install
Review: The Airport extreme card is just one word-- great!. It is nearly 5 times faster than the original AirPort card and it requires NO installation at all (w/ 10.3 panther and up). But it has one problem. To install it, you must first remove the Keyboard and put the card under it. Inserting it to the slot and securing it with the lock is not that easy. But once you use it, you WON'T REGRET IT!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Apple quality comes through again!
Review: The whole Apple Sytem is so easy to use, the Extreme Airport card is so Easy to install and there is No headache like I used to have with my PC's (I switched 3 years ago). Very hard to crash an Apple system. Apple was first with the Airport system. No need for the big "C" wireless.
Works perfect in "hot spot" areas! Can't ask for a better system. Give Apple a try and you will see what I mean.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Apple is Simply Better!
Review: The whole Apple Sytem is so easy to use, the Extreme Airport card is so Easy to install and there is No headache like I used to have with my PC's (I switched 3 years ago). Very hard to crash an Apple system. Apple was first with the Airport system. No need for the big "C" wireless.
Works perfect in "hot spot" areas! Can't ask for a better system. Give Apple a try and you will see what I mean.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Worth it
Review: The wireless revolution has seriously altered the way I work. It didn't seem like it was that big of a deal, to be able to work anywhere in the house on a laptop. And then I was home over Thanksgiving and tried my father's - it was incredible. So, soon after I had my own and I love it - I even ended up getting another one for my wife's laptop.

Whether it's browsing amazon.com late at night in bed, checking morning email in the kitchen while the kids run around, or being able to set up a writing desk anywhere in the house without worrying about an accessible internet port - the airport system is awesome. Even if you only have a desktop computer it's worth it - you can to put the computer in a place where there's no internet plug, without the 40 foot cord draping your wall to connect it. All in all, a wireless system may seem extravagant, but once you have one you'll wonder how you got by without it.

The airport card, along with the base station, allows you to connect several computers, even ones that don't have wireless cards in them (i.e., we have two laptops on the wireless system, and then one iMac that doesn't have an airport card is plugged directly into the base station). You can print, scan - anything - wirelessly, as long as those extra components are connected to the base station.

If you have a big house and the base station won't be centrally located, you may want to look into the antenna. I have a 2500 square foot house and the base station is at one end of it. I can get access from anywhere in the house without the extra antenna, though in one or two places it's a weak signal. My father's house, on the other hand, is over 5000 square feet and the base station is at a far end - you can't even get a signal on the other side of the house. However, he purchased the antenna and the signal is now very strong wherever you are. A warning - you should make sure your airport network is password protected, especially if you get the antenna. The signal will be broadcast through half your neighborhood and if not protected, people can get on and use your airtime, clogging up your bandwidth.

Make sure you get the right card! There's the airport extreme card and the regular airport card (I believe they are both compatible with either base station). Check Apple's website for direct compatibility between your computer and the two different cards. They are different sizes and will only fit in the right kind of slot.

One final word - I've heard from others that certain products from Net Gear or other wireless manufacturers accomplish the same thing as the airport card and base station for much cheaper. I can't attest to the validity of this, but it might be worth looking into. I'd exercise extreme caution, since if you go with Apple products it will be covered with tech support, even if it's more expensive. And putting third party hardware in your computer will likely void the warranty on your computer.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: You don't notice it -- which is the whole point
Review: There's not a heck of a lot of point to writing a review for the AirPort, since it's the only option you have if you want to go wireless with a late model Mac (such as the 1 Ghz 12-inch G4 PowerBook that I use). But for what it's worth, here's my "two bits":

Installation on the PowerBook is relatively simple and takes only a few minutes. No, it's not as simple as, say, plugging in an external USB device, but then, you only have to do this once. Turn the Mac on, go to the System Preferences and be sure the AirPort card is detected and powered up, and you're good to go. Once it's configured properly, you don't even notice that it's there -- which is, after all, the whole point: an AirPort card is the kind of thing that should simply vanish from your awareness by working properly.

The AirPort Extreme in my PowerBook receives four stars, rather than five, for two reasons. First, the range is somewhat weaker than it was with the regular AirPort card in my old iBook (I'm told that this is due to the PowerBook's aluminum case). Second, if I put the PowerBook to sleep and I'm some distance away from my access point when I wake it, it occasionally has some trouble reestablishing the WiFi connection. Other than that, it's a great card and works well with my D-Link 614+. Being able to move around my apartment without trailing a Cat 5 cable with me everywhere I go has been a real relief, and a joy. The AirPort Extreme would make a great addition to your Mac.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The only game in town...
Review: This card is the only game in town if you own a late model Mac. I've been delighted with the AirPort cards I have in my Apple laptops and Apple is good about updating drivers for this product.


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