I’m fine with it. BUT they need to integrate Time Machine with iCloud. Wireless backups on MacBooks using Time Machine and Time Capsule is/was a super cool and convenient Apple feature!
Technically they were into mesh. If you had multiple airports you could link them together under one SSID and roam around a larger space. That’s what I do, and the latest gen AE does it without flaw.
Technical point: The Airport Express has an audio output not input as you stated in the vid (to be pedantic.) Important to this though, is that the output is not only analogue but it's also Optical. This makes it possible to output to a separate DA converter. I'm still surprised that so many audiophiles let alone the general Apple buyer aren't aware of this. Outputting music like this through the right DAC (even some 20 year old ones that can be found for $200) gives a sound that beats $20,000 cd players I've had. That's a market that Apple ignored even after making the higher quality audio files available on iTunes.
Exactly right. This feature is what convinced me to dive into the airport products. I do have a 20 year old Pioneer system with an optical input that outperforms reasonably priced Bose systems. And I don't have to power up my whole home theater just to get HDMI return audio to do the same work.
I never upgraded to the ac router because they didn't make the ac WDS devices. I count on these devices to provide wired to wireless and audio port to my speakers over airplay. Seems the Linksys modules not only fail to full deliver on this, but they seem to think they can charge insane apple prices while not being one of the top competitors in the mesh market. My infrastructure at home is slowly creeping away from Apple products. I swallowed a tough pill paying $2700 for an apple laptop that has everything soldered in so I can't even replace the battery. This may be my last hurrah with apple products. I've been invested since my 1984 mac. As I sit on my iPhone 6 looking at a $1200 price point for an apple X, that horrible android interface seems a little more palatable each day passing.
I'm sad that they're dumping that whole AirPort TimeCapsule thing - as I have a 3Tb TimeCapsule and I've been very happy with it. I've recommended it to other people, too. I'm gonna miss this. I was actually hoping to get a future updated AirPort TimeCapsule with a SSD on it. But, no go. I don't know which one to upgrade to in the future, but it would have to have USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and a harddrive inside of it - and the form factor of the TimeCapsule was to die for. Really fit into our closet, right next to a non-AirPrint printer too.
I still rock my last generation Airport and honestly after trying a few other ones, Airport remained the best with its long range durability and stability.
💚 I think its sad. I use the airport extreme, and it is the only router I've used thats worked 100% from the first time I powered it. No rebots, or lags. No connectivity issues. Hope to use it for many years to come.
Agree 100%. In fact recently experimented with VPN and using a Linksys router and it was just awful - extremely slow and not stable. Airport Extreme Time Capsule is a great product.
I think the biggest problem with the product category is that they are infrastructure. Up here in Canada, I don’t think you can get decent broadband without also getting a decent Wi-Fi router. As to whether this is disappointing, I want to hear what Apple’s wireless back up story is. How am I supposed to do Time Machine back ups? If there’s a good answer to that, I’ll be content.
It's a bit of a shame, my two Airport Extremes are the bits of networking gear I've had to fuss with the least. But the bigger thing to me is, if they keep culling off these products at their periphery, what is that added focus even getting us? Hardware can go years without refreshes, software ships overly buggy...If they were culling their niche products and the focus was getting us quality software and timely updates, I'd be more than fine though I'd miss the AE...But as it is?
Thanos A. there are working alternatives. I'm backing up my MacBook to a Synology Nas - with the added benefit of redundancy. It's still sad to see the Airport products go away
December 2022. I am watching this video while my 3 Tb Apple Airport bought many, many years ago is being formatted, after also formatting my late 2013 iMac and re-using it. You know what the biggest bummer was? That Microsoft Office 365 requires Mac Os 11 or later and my good old iMac runs Mac Os 10. Solution? Switched to Libre Office. Free and nice and fully compatible with all my xlsx and pptx files. Sure it doesn't fetch stock and FX data in-cell like Excel - yet - but I can figure a solution...
There is a project called DD-WRT which is an open-source operating system that can be installed on various WIFI routers. Apple could create a custom shell on top of DD-WRT, inexpensively turning many routers into an Airport. Of course, Apple wouldn't do something like this, because they hate supporting anything outside of Apple, Inc., but it would work, and would be cheap to develop.
they nuked it to sell iCloud subscriptions, and it’s certainly paid off for them. I still prefer the hardware though, getting stuff off iCloud is a huge pain
Very sad to hear this, there’s still a lot Apple could have done in the home network business. Between HomeKit, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, there’s a lot they could have done to bring these devices together through networking.
I have two time machines and one airport express on a one story four bedroom mansion house and I wanted to extend around my 6500 m garden. I can't even use the three airport devices to reach the two furthest bedrooms in the house. They claim to have a range of 50 m, and they did used to have about 20 or 30. But now I'm sat right next to an airport express in my room and he can't even pick up the signal from the time machine that is 20 m away. I think the real reason they are discontinuing the time machine and the airport extreme, and airport express, is, because their wireless technology cannot reach the speed and range of many of their Chinese competitors who sell at a fifth of the price. Apple made a big mistake moving their manufacturing to China. Because any manufacturing done in China gets leaked to the copycats. that's why the Chinese fake iPhone exists and it works at least as well as a real iPhone. except it costs a fifth of the price. this is not just Apple, this is the whole world. China the great Dragon is doing what Nostradamus said. Not that I believe in Nostradamus. But China is taking over the world because nobody can compete with it's cheap high-quality products and they are building motorways across Asia, south east Asia, the Middle East and all the way to Europe so they can transport their goods to us. They import one thing for every hundred things they export. The trade war is lost, because Donald Trump at the United Nations don't understand how Chyna is Consolidating all the main trade routes and logistic advantages
Well done video. Really appreciate your time in this. I believe that Steve was a stronger technical person, especially understanding corporate enterprise use of Unix, and integrate it into everyone's home. Bringing the security of UNIX to everyone's desktop. It was not just a matter or making product. It was something he felt was 'class'. Making classy products. Here is another thing why Steve did release these products - and WHY it should do this for the future and NOT cancel it. This will also significantly reduce the calls to support about functionality with non-standards based networking equipment out there. He KNEW that standards are not always followed by vendors, and he wanted to make sure he could prove to the world that all products were able to work properly on the latest greatest standards. If it worked on Apple Airport, then it will work with any other standards based networking equipment. It allowed Quality Assurance (QA) to test against something without having to test with ALL routers. Remember quality assurance? Anyway - Apple has lost its way to a degree in the technical world. They don't have a technical corporate navigator driving the business. They have a social justice WORRIER. This is NOT why Tim was picked by Steve. He didn't want ANYONE to mix personal desires with corporate mission he rebuilt. Yet Tim is about HIS prerogative. And this is NOT his role. If Tim wants to be more responsible with the way the world works, and break all de facto sociological statistics just to say "Apple is better!" He should open his own foundation and do this on the side. NO ONE on the board, nor who invests wants gives a CRAP about a CEO who is second guessing other peoples feelings and experiences and motives. Apple customers and investors expect TIM to be the CEO who maintains the mantras of what returned it to its excellence. Yet Tim does not listen. It is his show, and that show weakens what Steve built. KNOW YOUR MARKETS - honor why you are CEO of Apple. Don't try to personally change the world through your opinion in social justice, Tim! This is about markets Steve created, not about your Army of justice seekers.
I have never had a better, more reliable router than my AirPort Express. The fact that it's tiny, has no antennas, looks good on my desk, and never needs to be restarted makes it extremely good. It's not that expensive either.
As long as my 2013 Airport Extreme (that I bought refurbished from Apple, by the way) still works, I see no reason to upgrade. It's easily the most reliable router I have owned, and it covers my 1100sqft condo very well. Airport Utility is probably the reason that I want to keep it around most of all, as it's just such a clean, reliable, and easy-to-use management utility, compared to some of the web interfaces I've seen. It would be nice to see Apple work with router manufacturers to create routers that are compatible with the Airport Utility.
"It would be nice to see Apple work with router manufacturers to create routers that are compatible with the Airport Utility".Quoting you because that would be awesome, they should do it for us, they apple customers, we spend a lot of money on there products it is the least they could do.
I have been using Airport extreme 3 units, my network is entirely set with these devices, easy to manage, easy to setup, clean and no issues ever, I think Apple should be able to continue offering this line of products for all of us who loves the environment and how it work, it-s simpy amazing
2022 and Apple just now released a replacement to the Thunderbolt Display. I really wish they still made wireless routers though. I've had a Time Capsule, the one that looks like a 1st gen Apple TV for a while now, and just got a 4th gen Apple Extreme to expand my network. I'll be getting another Apple Extreme to expand my network once more and have complete coverage at home from my front yard, to the house, to the backyard. I love how easy it is to set up with Apple devices.
Golive+Dreamweaver+Muse+Flash+MS Frontpage was too complicated in web hosting industry. The "1984 Apple Police" had to kill the web design and entire service industry to make web design affordable for everyone. Even iWeb was too complicated for the normal citizen to understand how web design works. The entire economy is "booming" now. "Wix" or "Jimdo"?
I was a Network Admin for 10 years, so setting up third party gear is not an issue. But, when I come home I’d rather just use Apple branded stuff. At least the Apple TV can take over some of the AirPlay functions of the Airport Express. And yeah, the Airport utility was the best!
Could someone from the outside "regulate" the distance? Can another WLAN router send "Störfunk" signals to reduce the stability of an Aiport network? I have a Fritzbox WLAN and an Airport WLAN.
I've finally retired my Airport extreme (2013 model.) While the unit still works without issues, it was more from a security prospective I've made the choice. I replaced it with a NetGear NightHawk R7000. So far it's been a great replacement for a 1 bedroom apartment. It also feels quicker then the Airport when loading content and streaming. Overall performance seems to have gotten a nice boost. Also seems to be a rock solid router.
I love my Apple Extreme Tower, over any pc maker anytime. It works well with Airport Utility which allow to check my network, don't take up a lot of space on desktop.
Current user of 7 Airport Express units, one time capsule and an Airport Extreme running it all... AExt, TC, and 1 AExp make up primary WiFi Network each hardwired to switch. I know that HomePod and small wireless speakers are all the rage right now, but they will never come close to competing with an amazing hardwired system for those who can install it. The backbone to my system is the sometimes overlooked aspect of having the audio port on the Airport Express. I’m upset about the fact that Airplay 2 will probably never come to my Airport Express. I have a Crestron home amplifier with 6 zones and have an Airport Express connected to each zone; 6 Expresses dedicated to audio only, hardwired to my switch. I hate the fact that the only way to send audio to all zones at once was from my iTunes on the MacBook. I was looking forward to a firmware update to stream to all my zones from my phone or iPad. I doubt that will happen now! :(. Bluetooth is not an option because the equipment closet is too far away and you can only stream to one Bluetooth device at a time. If anyone knows if Apple will release a firmware update with Airplay 2 or if there are Airplay 2 compatible dongles coming in the future, I’d appreciate hearing about them!
We started using wireless networking at home in 1999, thanks to Apple. I too am disappointed that they dropped out. The Apple Airport Express was an amazing product. We use Time Machine at home and I love how seamless it is. I was hoping Apple would make a true iTunes Server out of their wireless product line.
Every WiFi router I tried lasted between 1 year and 18 mos, even those in the $200 price range. Then I got an Airport Extreme about 6 years ago. It still gives perfect connectivity for all my household devices, iPhones, iPads, TVs, Roku, Apple TV, MacBook, 3 PCs, and several smart home items. I've never had to restart it, but do that anyway about every 6 months, just because. I hope there is a replacement as reliable when this one finally dies.
Apple should NOT discontinue the iPod touch. For one, it does not require a cellular plan, and thus, makes it ideal for kids. Also, I really believe SOMETHING should carry the iPod's legacy for years and years to come.
Yeah but the iPhone 6 is pretty close to obsolete and spec for spec, devices with cellular radios STILL cost more. Yes, maybe it makes more sense in the current market for parents to just hand their old phones down to their kids to use as "iPods", but that doesn't change the fact that the iPod touch is the last iPod around that is still carrying the legacy. And it should continue to.
If you buy a new iPod Touch it has the same processor as the iPhone 6. It's just as out of date. Apple should either update it or kill it at this point. (I'd rather they update it)
I don't know about the touch, but I can store as much music on the Apple Watch series 3 as I had on the iPod mini from 2010-11. Just have to switch to Bluetooth headphones (a good thing, in my opinion). And my entire entire music library fits on the iPhone X with plenty of room to spare.
Apple overall kind of has simplified everything. I don't use photos really but they've allowed some professional style extensions that do work pretty well, still lacks from Aperture. I ended up switching to an application called Polarr though. It's cross platform. iOS, web browser, and MacOS app. Probably the most advanced capabilities besides jumping to Adobe. Sadly though Polarr just switched to a subscription service in May for anyone getting into it new. They were a one time payment with some IAPs before this. So if you invested prior they gave everyone a 250 year subscription.
I've used an Apple Airport Time Capsule for 10 years, and it's served us well. In-fact, I liked the product so much, I purchased one for my home. Coming from an 'died in the wool' IBM/PC user, the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and AirPort Time Capsule product line have proven themselves, as well-designed &
What do we do now if we want to stream using Airplay to an older stereo system without Airplay capability? The Airport express seems like the perfect solution, but I'm nervous about getting one at the end of the product's life cycle.
im still obsessed with Apple Airport TimeCapsule, because of the seamless integration, ive got them 6, 9 and 9 years old still running no issues, when apple abandoned ship i bought a bunch brand new, ive still got new ones in unopened boxes, just incase and for future spares. i just bought a MacBook Pro M1 Max, i will be setting up another new TimeCapsule designated just for it. I am all apple, MacBooks, iPhones, Apple TV, TimeCapsule, no iPad or apple watch, i do do watches or tablets. im still devastated about Apple stopping The Airport line. I hope they support it for years to come.
6 weeks ago i just bought the 16" MBPro M1 Max with 32 Ram and 2 TB storage, hope to have it 10+ years without worrying about upgrade and space, as in 2012 i bought my 2012 MBPro 8GB ram was biggest at the time and 1TB was huge. still have under 700GB storage used up, the new one for me should be plenty big. Apple batteries and cords have always sucked they got to keep us buying buying buying. All about the benjamins with Apple. However the new cords are braided finally. I'm still on a 15" 2012 MBPro, the 2021 MBPro M1 Max is actually lighter, slightly smaller with a larger screen. Excited for my new 2021 MBPro to arrive next week supposedly, i ordered it 6 weeks ago it is due to arrive the 4/ 22 to 4/29 just got delayed until 6/6/ to 6/21. what i bought is a 16" MBPro M1 Max with 32 Ram and 2 TB storage, hope to have it 10+ years like my 2012 MBPro without worrying about software and app upgrades or storage space. In 2012 i bought my 2012 MBPro 8GB Ram was biggest & i got it with 1TB Storage which was huge back then, I still only have used 592.92GB storage since 2012, The new one for me should be plenty big, im almost thinking i should have got 4TB as i want to move that 600GB from the 2012 to the new 2021. As mentioned above, I'm still on a 15" 2012 MBPro, the 2021 MBPro M1 Max is actually lighter, slightly smaller with a larger screen. THE 2021 is 19/64 inch thinner, 11/32 inch narrower, 3/64 inch less depth and 13/16th of a pound lighter with a 13/16" inch larger screen. The new 2021 compared to my old 2012 is basically slightly more than a 1/4 inch thinner, slightly less than 3/8 inch narrower, slightly less than a 1/16 inch front to back, slightly more than a 3/4 pound lighter with slightly more than a 3/4 inch larger screen. And they brought back the ports that i like and mag safe that i love. It is a win win for me. With all he improvements and bring backs it could not have been a better model, year and time to upgrade!! Absolutely Psyched!!!
Sorry, but this comes across as an Apple apologist giving Apple a free pass on failing to devote the engineering resources to maintain the AirPort product line, as well as failing to devote the engineering resources to come out with a new Apple-branded pro display in a timely manner. I was looking for a real explanation for why Apple doesn't want to make routers anymore, but there's nothing here of substance. Face it, the Apple Time Capsule devices are the only true plug-and-play options that were easy for the typical Mac user to set up, and the rest of the AirPort line was the same way, easily managed with Apple's AirPort Utility software. Other 3rd-party networking hardware and NAS devices can be made to work with Macs and Time Machine, but the process of setting most of them up and managing them is much more awkward and alien compared to what Apple's customers experienced during the time when Apple was keeping up with all this hardware. What this means is that Apple no longer cares about the overall experience of owning a Mac or their customers feeling like they are part of a complete Apple "ecosystem". These are just more symptoms that Apple no longer cares about the Mac platform. They want all their customers using iPad Pros, running iOS apps and keeping all their data in the cloud. That's what they think the future holds for all of us. That's where their revenue is coming from. They don't care that you want an easy way to back up your computer locally, because they don't care about people who still insist on using real computers. There's no other explanation for why they are hawking an LG display to pro users (while making vague promises about a new pro Apple display at some point in the future) and are abandoning the Time Capsule and AirPort devices. I think you're still wearing rose colored glasses when interpreting Apple's actions. Apple is becoming the new HP/Xerox/IBM/Packard Bell, and it's time to admit it. Their current decision making processes are based on short-sighted profit seeking and technical incompetence.
can't agree more. Apple now a day is moving away from pro users and only cater to general consumer devices like iPad and iPhone. It has been hard to upgrade for me with their new offerings.
For my iMac, I use a Raid type system called Drobo for large video/image files and for the Time Machine. For my other devices ... iPhone X, iPad mini 4, and MacBook Pro ... I use iCloud. I think the biggest driver away from Airport technology is the current speed of communications and bandwidth that makes sharing the same desktop, the same documents files, the same pictures, the same videos, and the same e-mail across all Apple devices. With the new iMac operating system where the same apps and icons can be shared across all devices, the cloud will be even in more demand. So ... the iCloud with a local Drobo backup for the most critical files will continue to displace the need for an Airport. The next round of significant upgrades for communications speed and bandwidth will accelerate movement from local storage even faster.
Hi Rene, you should try the Ubiquiti Unifi system. Setting is a little bit more complex than a consumer router, but once installed it is really stable and works reliably over a long period of time.
I'm sad to see Apple leaving this market. but that's fine. There's others in the market well qualified to manufacture them. I just ask, what are they going to do with Time Capsule.
The AirPort Extreme is still the best wireless router I have ever owned. I can get WiFi coverage across my 1 acre property and all through the house. I just haven’t seen one better yet and that weird since it’s kind of old.
One of the many reasons why I wanted an apple environment was the wireless capabilities of those products. First came the problem of available parts for my Mac Pro. Now they've thrown us under the bus with their discontinued network equipment. I don't know what is happening to apple but I have to tell You I'm seriously disgusted and even considering to abandon Apple entirely. Their latest policy doesn't make any sense to me and I can see it's going to be even worse.....
As a 40 years Windows user from Windows day one I stepped over to Apple and have almost everything from the brand. Really must say it’s not cheap but it just works without forced updated and it’s always connected, and ready to work. I was fetup with the Windows problems, update after update and then the printer would stopped communicated as a example. No, apple is by far the best decision concerning computers
New to Apple... but when I picked up one of the Time Capsules, I found that the really nice Back to My Mac is now not available. When they blatantly tell you to use iCloud Drive instead, its obvious that the reason for discontinuation was to grab cash every month for larger storage plans.
The AirPort routers may be hidden away, but I keep them within view to see the status light color, and for me it's 100% about AirPort Utility, the ease of access and configuration, and being able to update every device on my network through a native application from ANY device, whether it's iOS or macOS. I will continue to use these while 802.11ac is the latest standard, but as soon as we have something more capable I will have no choice but to switch so I can take advantage of higher speeds. I will be upset about being forced into using products which manage all of my personal data from companies that may not care as much about privacy and security as Apple does.
The problem with a lot of the non-Apple wifi vendors is that they just don't have Apple's exacting standards where everything just works, all the time, without fault. Most wi-fi mesh systems out there are buggy or unstable to some degree, have poorly designed apps, and if they update firmware at all, the updates sometimes make things worse instead of better. Eero 2nd gen. is the one notable exception I have seen to that trend, from my experience - it's been very Apple-like for me with a terrific app and an extremely stable, reliable user experience. I am a bit disappointed Apple chose to align with the Velop.
I bought 3 Apple Routers-Extreme, and 2 Express devices. They are doing fine.What a waste of money to now switch to other routers! Apple has let me down.
What a shame to have them discontinued! Have had Tc 2Tb for years, it's still flawless. To extend the range I got AP Extreme. 3 floors down, and 100 yards away I still get a great signal and good speed on iPad. I'll keep using until they kick the bucket.
I have several Airport Extremes latest models, 1 2nd gen and 1 4th gen. They have extended my wifi network like a dream. Before I was having issues with my wifi dropping or being spotty through the house. I am disappointed that Apple has quit making this reliable product!I had 6 adults, 2 teenagers using wifi over the holidays... no issues!
AirPort Extreme has been the best Robert I've ever had. The ease of set up is legendary. I can't imagine going to another router but I guess we will have to. Oh and I just bought an iPad mini for my daughter so the form factor still works for some of us
My Extreme is about 10 years old. She's been good to me so far, but when any firmware or security updates stop being supported, I'm out! Very informative.
You said it all. Support for 5 years when they are then deemed obsolete. Why pay premium prices when Apple treats their products as disposable in 5 years?
I’ve been using an old AirPort Extreme for like 10 years. Best router I’ve ever owned, but I’ll definitely be going mesh next. I wish Apple did a mesh router.
@Rene Ritchie, I've used AirPort for a couple generations now. The first one I used was the 2nd Generation that was the first incorporate 80211N. Thing worked great for about 7-8 years until the power supply gave out. Now I have a 2013 model. Because for the longest time they just work, and it's not such a crap shoot like third party stuff has always been. Especially with the following areas, long term use, and reliability. Also for specific services like Bonjour, Airport Just works, third party had a history of randomly breaking things. At this point though, I'm ready to move on if I have to, there seem to be much more and better choices today.
My AirPort Extreme is a BEAST... ridiculously fast with no connection lags, even with a few devices running video over it, and produces a very stable signal that reaches all corners of my house, all the way up to the edge of my property. I hope it lasts, because I don’t want anything else.
I agree with you completely about Apple maintain a focus on lines of business that works for them (and their clientbase). My Apple routers were pretty much flawless for 7 years until they were no longer. Connections became flaky or dropped. Streaming my Netflix account that once worked perfectly now timed out daily. So I too moved to mesh networking with the Google pucks. They setup fairly smoothly with the initial 3 puck set, then I added fourth puck and a full reset of the system was necessary to be able to adda fourth unit. Then it refused to access the credentials/network name I wanted to reuse and forced me to reattach my security cams, doorbell, doorbell speaker, Echos and even thermostats which was a full day. When Netflix started to drop connections a 5th puck was added to enforce a better signal in the TV room. At least the auto updating software allowed this action this time and all seems well so far. Until my separate garage puck refused to reattach my iPad I used to FaceTime my trainer weekly flawlessly before with the Apple units, as the very weak signal the iPad was attached to was not enough to maintain a FT video and audio stream. So my solution is to turn off wifi on my iPad before I leave the house, walk 60 feet to my small garage gym, turn wifi back on and hope the iPad attached to the closer puck which connects to the main puck 60+ feet away. So much for flawless. But I was under the impression the devices that attach to the mesh pucks will always look for the strongest signal at "bounce" to the best one. I guess not. Now wishing Apple would create a mesh system, more reliable than the completion, a better setup like Airport software and heck why not integrate a speaker so my FT session come with booming clear sound. Or have other companies make hardware/software that's well design and better tested before launching. We can only dream.
"The display is the face of the product, and if people stop seeing apple logos there, if makes you wonder if they really need to see Apple logos anywhere" - Now we have a M1 iMac without logos :(
This is truly sad news. I used to have to buy a new wireless router every year or two because they would always inevitably fail. I eventually plucked down the extra cash to get an Apple router and never had another router issue again. When it’s time to upgrade what will I get now? Another Linksys, Netgear, Belkin or TP Link that’s bound to fail after just about a year of use. Ugh! I hate garbage technology from untrustworthy companies. I recently had an issue with a Netgear product. It’s a software problem but Netgear support claims that the firmware needs to be downgraded by them as it’s not something we can do from home. Even though it’s a software problem, Netgear sees it as a hardware problem because of the fact that it needs to be sent in in order to address the issue. Anyone getting the idea that they intentionally corrupt your software so that they can sell you a new device? They make it impossible to downgrade the firmware which is necessary to fix things and then they make sure you’re on the latest firmware before it will operate properly. No matter what, you’re going to be dealing with a non functional product just as soon as the warranty expires. It’s not a coincidence but these smaller companies get away with it everyday. Only big companies like Apple get enough negative media attention to force them into supporting their products.
This sucks. I went through a lot of routers before I got my 3rd Gen AirPort Extreme and it has been flawless. I have an external 2TB drive attached partitioned for time machine and for a shared storage drive. I can access it from anywhere and it all just works. I plan to hang with it so long as it lasts...
I tried the Orbi & all it does is DROP, I sent it back. How did the Linsky V work out for you? I’m considering just grabbing a second extreme and connecting them via Ethernet?? Any advice?
Apple didn't help push the standard of anything with their routers, they couldn't even keep up with the latest wifi standard. They tried to join the already rising wifi market, stayed in for a bit and then realized they couldn't complete and dropped out
That's very bad for Timemachine.... Most NAS vendors kinda support it but it always fails after a while so you have to delete the backup and start over again. Maybe they will alter Timemachine to backup to normal network shares?
I'm sad to see AirPort go. I've been using Apple's Time Capsule routers for years and they did a pretty good job of backing up my data. That said, their routing left much to be desired. And the interface was too dumbed down. I'm happy to be moving on to Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD. My new router never has hiccups like my TCs did. I still use my TC as a backup device though. I hope I can continue to do so.
I love My Airport Express for streaming to my Stereo,and i have a Time Capsule, strange how it developed a fault after the latest update.🤔And couldn't get the parts anywhere.
Dropping entire lines of stable and working devices is of course a smart strategy to focus its resources and I agree. I propose, though, a nicer and welcome alternative in the vein of this strategy: drop Apple Watch next. A totally useless and luxury "device". Drop MacBook and throw the allocated resources to the new MacBookAir. Drop iPod Air to have only 2 devices: Pro and non-Pro.
Really disagree with what you’re saying, the iPod Touch and iPad mini are still great products that have a market and are dominant in their market. It’s something that tech reporters, with their iPhone Xs, MacBook Pros, HomePods, etc. seem to not understand and be genuinely confused by. Apple never planned to get out of the monitor business, but this seems like something they’ve decided to do for the foreseeable future. Hopefully that changes and they can bring a single new AirPort product.
It's not just about product sales! You have to support the product via In store and Phone support. iOS devises and apple watches are taking up so much space and time its hard to support all things Apple. Long time Senior advisor that seen it all come in and grow us out of the office and into our homes to do phone support.
The iPod Touch more and more is becoming an obsolete device. Most people don't see the point. If they have a phone, literally any phone anymore has music services available. Whether it's syncing your phone a microSD or streaming. That's why they haven't updated them in years now. I've seen more iPod Shuffles, nanos, and original iPods than I've seen Touches still. Plus they keep them at a rather steep price of $200-$300. The iPad Mini is a different niche though. I see it definitely is a great products still and has it's niche even with the phablet smartphone becoming the norm in phones. It's a great midrange tablet as it's super portable compared to the 9.7, 10.5, and 12.9 iPads. Probably the one device I deeply regret passing on and might even get rid of one of my iPads for one again.
Dylan It’s really not but the target market isn’t people that have an iPhone. It’s people that want an extra iOS device, developers that want a low cost dedicated testing device, parents that want their children to have a handheld device but one that is affordable and doesn’t have cellular connectivity, etc. Apple themselves use it for a multitude of applications within the company. The price is not very steep compared to what you’re getting, the last update was in 2015, the same year as the iPad mini and they share the same specs. They are very similar devices, with the difference in perception being that iPhone (or generally smartphone) users cannot comprehend why the iPod Touch still exists and it seems to be iPad Pro users that question the existence of the iPad mini. The reason the iPod touch is becoming more niche is also due to the lowering costs of iPhones, as well as the second hand market/hand downs. Similarly the iPad mini is becoming more niche due to the lower price of the iPad as well as the decreased interest in smaller tablets. When the iPhone SE price points are closer to the iPod touch, there may be an argument to drop it from the line.
Sad to see it end. I have a extreme 6th gen as my main router and a 4th gen as my extender. Bought both off eBay dirt cheap and they work flawlessly. When they die I will find another until they make the tech obsolete.
Still works ... trying it out with the latest security update ... let's see how it works with iPhone WLAN + CELLULAR activated net work. CELLULAR can be sometimes a bit "Snowden tricky"
The "industry" didn't need non-standard proprietary networking. There 802.11 compliant devices before Apple stepped in, and there will be 802.11 compliant devices after they're gone. Apple should just make their devices meet established IEEE standards.
Seriously, the iPad Mini, Mac Mini & iPod Touch need to be next... They've been languishing away for YEARS without any hardware updates. It's time for Apple to be upfront like they just were with the Airports & admit they are EOL/discounted already.
I have been using Airport Routers ever since I bought my 1sr MAC Book Pro when OS X came out. I’m trying to stream movies one room away from my AirPort Extreme and they buffer all the time. I just bought a WiFi booster and that helped a ton but it still buffers every 15-20 minutes instead of every 5 minutes. I need a USB port and at least 3 ethernet ports What do I buy? Please help
Wi-Fi isn't a service with a monthly fee they can take a percentage of, cellular data is. It's a push to move more customers to cellular data plans. You will know this is true when every computer they announce from now on has a cellular data chip inside, including the upcoming Mac Pro.Say goodbye to privacy.
It's 10/2022 and now there are rumors that Apple is getting back into the router segment with a router that backups your whole computer to iCloud, time will tell. I still use two AirPort Extreme’s to extend my WIFI in the house and will only update them for another Apple solution and nothing else.
I have every router Apple has released and everyone of them still work, good. However, they are aging as nothing last forever. I recently picked up a Velop and my iDevices “smarthome” wouldn’t connect. I’m assuming the auto bands of 2.4 or 5ghz isn’t switching as its supposedly designed. You can’t manually setup a 2.4 band, so I returned it. Glad I never deleted my airports. Never felt comfortable leaving 🍎 for reasons like this. Glad there still getting the job done years down the road, while the new people still catch up. Been very disappointed with Apple with iOS 11, but who do you go to for near perfect performance.
I am going to miss the backup ease-of-use in the Airport Time Capsule. I hope other manufacturers will consider making this capability available in their products. Thanks to you for your terrific work, Rene.
In 2019 I bought a Toshiba external hard disk drive, that came with a software that works similar to how Time machine works, for the PC. Before that, backing up the PC was always a headache. And no, I refuse to use the cloud. I have to be able to continue working totally offline. I don't trust never-down promises for internet access or what have you. I grew up in a place and time when electricity outages were common and frequent.
I'm just not sold on Mesh products especially with their cloud-only management. Once my ABS renders it's last wave, Synology's RT2600 may be an option for me.
I just replaced the fan in my airport time capsule and got a nice steady green light back after a year of a flashing yellow light and suddenly having time to investigate the issue.
I have two Airport Extreme ACs linked together. One on each floor of my house. However just recently I’ve been getting extremely slow speeds. I’m paying for a 400 tier speed on Comcast and only getting 25 Mbps down on my XS Max! That’s ridiculously slow! I’m not experiencing lag or stutter on any of my other iDevices, however not getting the speed I’m paying for is bothering me a lot. I’m considering upgrading the routers sadly. I really don’t want to give up my Extremes though. They’ve been great since Day One! I’ve come to a crossroads.
I was disappointed to learn about this. I find them to be very reliable and do not need constant rebooting like a lot of routers. I use one as a wireless extender in my living room. Does a great job. Mesh routers are still pretty expensive.
AirPort and TimeMachine could be central to any home-based system. The reliability and security of both these Apple system components made them more desirable than those of the competition. Why is Apple acting so retrogressively?
After steve jobs passed apple effort to create nice and ahead tech products decreased so drastically that now they only focus on release new iphones in rainbow colors and macs with iphone processors... we miss so much steve. RIP.
I’m fine with it. BUT they need to integrate Time Machine with iCloud. Wireless backups on MacBooks using Time Machine and Time Capsule is/was a super cool and convenient Apple feature!
YES fellow joker
Technically they were into mesh. If you had multiple airports you could link them together under one SSID and roam around a larger space. That’s what I do, and the latest gen AE does it without flaw.
My favorite thing about Apple routers was just having the airport utility. Best router app ever.
I used to feel that way, but since I finally replaced my old AirPort stuff with Ubiquiti AmpliFi I find the AmpliFi app far superior.
90% of the setup I tried in 15 years of several devices failed in software in 15 years.
Me too. I still use the first generation of AirPort Extreme as an extender 😅🙈
Still own all of mine from 2004 🤓 #ImANerd 😉
Technical point: The Airport Express has an audio output not input as you stated in the vid (to be pedantic.) Important to this though, is that the output is not only analogue but it's also Optical. This makes it possible to output to a separate DA converter. I'm still surprised that so many audiophiles let alone the general Apple buyer aren't aware of this. Outputting music like this through the right DAC (even some 20 year old ones that can be found for $200) gives a sound that beats $20,000 cd players I've had. That's a market that Apple ignored even after making the higher quality audio files available on iTunes.
Cassette Walkman Apple has been abandoning audio for years now.
Exactly right. This feature is what convinced me to dive into the airport products. I do have a 20 year old Pioneer system with an optical input that outperforms reasonably priced Bose systems. And I don't have to power up my whole home theater just to get HDMI return audio to do the same work.
That is some very interesting info you shared. Thank youverymuch.
I never upgraded to the ac router because they didn't make the ac WDS devices. I count on these devices to provide wired to wireless and audio port to my speakers over airplay. Seems the Linksys modules not only fail to full deliver on this, but they seem to think they can charge insane apple prices while not being one of the top competitors in the mesh market. My infrastructure at home is slowly creeping away from Apple products. I swallowed a tough pill paying $2700 for an apple laptop that has everything soldered in so I can't even replace the battery. This may be my last hurrah with apple products. I've been invested since my 1984 mac. As I sit on my iPhone 6 looking at a $1200 price point for an apple X, that horrible android interface seems a little more palatable each day passing.
I'm sad that they're dumping that whole AirPort TimeCapsule thing - as I have a 3Tb TimeCapsule and I've been very happy with it. I've recommended it to other people, too. I'm gonna miss this. I was actually hoping to get a future updated AirPort TimeCapsule with a SSD on it. But, no go.
I don't know which one to upgrade to in the future, but it would have to have USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and a harddrive inside of it - and the form factor of the TimeCapsule was to die for. Really fit into our closet, right next to a non-AirPrint printer too.
Apple making the wrong choice by dropping the systems. They also made the wrong choice with apple macbook pro symbol light not on anymore too.
I still rock my last generation Airport and honestly after trying a few other ones, Airport remained the best with its long range durability and stability.
💚 I think its sad. I use the airport extreme, and it is the only router I've used thats worked 100% from the first time I powered it. No rebots, or lags. No connectivity issues. Hope to use it for many years to come.
VinGin AirPort (Time Capsule) is the only kind of router I’ve ever had issues with interestingly enough.
Agree 100%. In fact recently experimented with VPN and using a Linksys router and it was just awful - extremely slow and not stable.
Airport Extreme Time Capsule is a great product.
Lolz there many reliable wifi routers
Fritz!Box by AVM rules
Get google wifi, it's so much better.
I think the biggest problem with the product category is that they are infrastructure. Up here in Canada, I don’t think you can get decent broadband without also getting a decent Wi-Fi router. As to whether this is disappointing, I want to hear what Apple’s wireless back up story is. How am I supposed to do Time Machine back ups? If there’s a good answer to that, I’ll be content.
Steven, nowadays Time Machine is present in many NAS brands.
Any especially good or to avoid?
It's a bit of a shame, my two Airport Extremes are the bits of networking gear I've had to fuss with the least.
But the bigger thing to me is, if they keep culling off these products at their periphery, what is that added focus even getting us? Hardware can go years without refreshes, software ships overly buggy...If they were culling their niche products and the focus was getting us quality software and timely updates, I'd be more than fine though I'd miss the AE...But as it is?
I love my Time Capsule and the automated backup. These are reliable machines.
Are no 3rd party routers compatible with Time Capsule and/or AirPrint?
Depends on the hot sauce
I sell about 5 Time Capsules a month at my shop. I don't know why Apple would cancel them
Thanos A. there are working alternatives. I'm backing up my MacBook to a Synology Nas - with the added benefit of redundancy. It's still sad to see the Airport products go away
I have a airport time capsule and extreme, had them since 2014.
December 2022. I am watching this video while my 3 Tb Apple Airport bought many, many years ago is being formatted, after also formatting my late 2013 iMac and re-using it. You know what the biggest bummer was? That Microsoft Office 365 requires Mac Os 11 or later and my good old iMac runs Mac Os 10. Solution? Switched to Libre Office. Free and nice and fully compatible with all my xlsx and pptx files. Sure it doesn't fetch stock and FX data in-cell like Excel - yet - but I can figure a solution...
There is a project called DD-WRT which is an open-source operating system that can be installed on various WIFI routers. Apple could create a custom shell on top of DD-WRT, inexpensively turning many routers into an Airport. Of course, Apple wouldn't do something like this, because they hate supporting anything outside of Apple, Inc., but it would work, and would be cheap to develop.
An keep us apple freaks overly happy, never ending happy.
they nuked it to sell iCloud subscriptions, and it’s certainly paid off for them. I still prefer the hardware though, getting stuff off iCloud is a huge pain
Very sad to hear this, there’s still a lot Apple could have done in the home network business. Between HomeKit, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, there’s a lot they could have done to bring these devices together through networking.
I have two time machines and one airport express on a one story four bedroom mansion house and I wanted to extend around my 6500 m garden. I can't even use the three airport devices to reach the two furthest bedrooms in the house. They claim to have a range of 50 m, and they did used to have about 20 or 30. But now I'm sat right next to an airport express in my room and he can't even pick up the signal from the time machine that is 20 m away. I think the real reason they are discontinuing the time machine and the airport extreme, and airport express, is, because their wireless technology cannot reach the speed and range of many of their Chinese competitors who sell at a fifth of the price. Apple made a big mistake moving their manufacturing to China. Because any manufacturing done in China gets leaked to the copycats. that's why the Chinese fake iPhone exists and it works at least as well as a real iPhone. except it costs a fifth of the price. this is not just Apple, this is the whole world. China the great Dragon is doing what Nostradamus said. Not that I believe in Nostradamus. But China is taking over the world because nobody can compete with it's cheap high-quality products and they are building motorways across Asia, south east Asia, the Middle East and all the way to Europe so they can transport their goods to us. They import one thing for every hundred things they export. The trade war is lost, because Donald Trump at the United Nations don't understand how Chyna is Consolidating all the main trade routes and logistic advantages
I'm still rocking a 2nd gen Airport 802.11n base station, it will be a sad day when it decides to die, though.
dito here.
and after a drop, hdd died, i changed it with 8tb and the whole family backups on it for years without a thought!
I'm still rocking that CAT5 Ethernet cable
hey, still running a 1st Gen Time Capsule that I upgraded the HDD in 2011!!!!! Unbelievable :-)
Well done video. Really appreciate your time in this.
I believe that Steve was a stronger technical person, especially understanding corporate enterprise use of Unix, and integrate it into everyone's home. Bringing the security of UNIX to everyone's desktop. It was not just a matter or making product. It was something he felt was 'class'. Making classy products.
Here is another thing why Steve did release these products - and WHY it should do this for the future and NOT cancel it. This will also significantly reduce the calls to support about functionality with non-standards based networking equipment out there. He KNEW that standards are not always followed by vendors, and he wanted to make sure he could prove to the world that all products were able to work properly on the latest greatest standards. If it worked on Apple Airport, then it will work with any other standards based networking equipment.
It allowed Quality Assurance (QA) to test against something without having to test with ALL routers. Remember quality assurance?
Anyway - Apple has lost its way to a degree in the technical world. They don't have a technical corporate navigator driving the business. They have a social justice WORRIER. This is NOT why Tim was picked by Steve. He didn't want ANYONE to mix personal desires with corporate mission he rebuilt. Yet Tim is about HIS prerogative. And this is NOT his role. If Tim wants to be more responsible with the way the world works, and break all de facto sociological statistics just to say "Apple is better!" He should open his own foundation and do this on the side.
NO ONE on the board, nor who invests wants gives a CRAP about a CEO who is second guessing other peoples feelings and experiences and motives. Apple customers and investors expect TIM to be the CEO who maintains the mantras of what returned it to its excellence. Yet Tim does not listen. It is his show, and that show weakens what Steve built.
KNOW YOUR MARKETS - honor why you are CEO of Apple. Don't try to personally change the world through your opinion in social justice, Tim!
This is about markets Steve created, not about your Army of justice seekers.
I have never had a better, more reliable router than my AirPort Express. The fact that it's tiny, has no antennas, looks good on my desk, and never needs to be restarted makes it extremely good. It's not that expensive either.
As long as my 2013 Airport Extreme (that I bought refurbished from Apple, by the way) still works, I see no reason to upgrade. It's easily the most reliable router I have owned, and it covers my 1100sqft condo very well. Airport Utility is probably the reason that I want to keep it around most of all, as it's just such a clean, reliable, and easy-to-use management utility, compared to some of the web interfaces I've seen. It would be nice to see Apple work with router manufacturers to create routers that are compatible with the Airport Utility.
"It would be nice to see Apple work with router manufacturers to create routers that are compatible with the Airport Utility".Quoting you because that would be awesome, they should do it for us, they apple customers, we spend a lot of money on there products it is the least they could do.
I have been using Airport extreme 3 units, my network is entirely set with these devices, easy to manage, easy to setup, clean and no issues ever, I think Apple should be able to continue offering this line of products for all of us who loves the environment and how it work, it-s simpy amazing
i agree 100% we made them so much money it is a small price to pay for them
2022 and Apple just now released a replacement to the Thunderbolt Display. I really wish they still made wireless routers though. I've had a Time Capsule, the one that looks like a 1st gen Apple TV for a while now, and just got a 4th gen Apple Extreme to expand my network. I'll be getting another Apple Extreme to expand my network once more and have complete coverage at home from my front yard, to the house, to the backyard. I love how easy it is to set up with Apple devices.
Great video until you started talking about wix
That's where i stopped.
Golive+Dreamweaver+Muse+Flash+MS Frontpage was too complicated in web hosting industry. The "1984 Apple Police" had to kill the web design and entire service industry to make web design affordable for everyone. Even iWeb was too complicated for the normal citizen to understand how web design works. The entire economy is "booming" now. "Wix" or "Jimdo"?
I was a Network Admin for 10 years, so setting up third party gear is not an issue. But, when I come home I’d rather just use Apple branded stuff. At least the Apple TV can take over some of the AirPlay functions of the Airport Express. And yeah, the Airport utility was the best!
when I got my airport years ago it was great for distance
Could someone from the outside "regulate" the distance? Can another WLAN router send "Störfunk" signals to reduce the stability of an Aiport network? I have a Fritzbox WLAN and an Airport WLAN.
The Seats are comfortable to
@@Roxleton is this supposed to be a stupid joke? Because ur not even funny
@@SlavicUnionGaming wait what
@@SlavicUnionGaming yeah you tell him, big man.
This sucks! I dealt with janky routers for years until I got my Airports. Bulletproof
I've finally retired my Airport extreme (2013 model.) While the unit still works without issues, it was more from a security prospective I've made the choice. I replaced it with a NetGear NightHawk R7000. So far it's been a great replacement for a 1 bedroom apartment. It also feels quicker then the Airport when loading content and streaming. Overall performance seems to have gotten a nice boost. Also seems to be a rock solid router.
Got one today, plugged it in - works fine, looks great. Im happy :)
I love my Apple Extreme Tower, over any pc maker anytime. It works well with Airport Utility which allow to check my network, don't take up a lot of space on desktop.
Current user of 7 Airport Express units, one time capsule and an Airport Extreme running it all... AExt, TC, and 1 AExp make up primary WiFi Network each hardwired to switch. I know that HomePod and small wireless speakers are all the rage right now, but they will never come close to competing with an amazing hardwired system for those who can install it. The backbone to my system is the sometimes overlooked aspect of having the audio port on the Airport Express. I’m upset about the fact that Airplay 2 will probably never come to my Airport Express. I have a Crestron home amplifier with 6 zones and have an Airport Express connected to each zone; 6 Expresses dedicated to audio only, hardwired to my switch. I hate the fact that the only way to send audio to all zones at once was from my iTunes on the MacBook. I was looking forward to a firmware update to stream to all my zones from my phone or iPad. I doubt that will happen now! :(. Bluetooth is not an option because the equipment closet is too far away and you can only stream to one Bluetooth device at a time. If anyone knows if Apple will release a firmware update with Airplay 2 or if there are Airplay 2 compatible dongles coming in the future, I’d appreciate hearing about them!
AIRPLAY 2 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AIRPORTS
Airport’s UI has and still is the best....why, why, why???
We started using wireless networking at home in 1999, thanks to Apple. I too am disappointed that they dropped out. The Apple Airport Express was an amazing product. We use Time Machine at home and I love how seamless it is.
I was hoping Apple would make a true iTunes Server out of their wireless product line.
Every WiFi router I tried lasted between 1 year and 18 mos, even those in the $200 price range. Then I got an Airport Extreme about 6 years ago. It still gives perfect connectivity for all my household devices, iPhones, iPads, TVs, Roku, Apple TV, MacBook, 3 PCs, and several smart home items. I've never had to restart it, but do that anyway about every 6 months, just because. I hope there is a replacement as reliable when this one finally dies.
Apple should NOT discontinue the iPod touch.
For one, it does not require a cellular plan, and thus, makes it ideal for kids. Also, I really believe SOMETHING should carry the iPod's legacy for years and years to come.
Tyler Cameron one, phones can be used with out cellular data, it's called wifi. And you buy an iPhone 6 cheaper than a new ipod touch...
Yeah but the iPhone 6 is pretty close to obsolete and spec for spec, devices with cellular radios STILL cost more. Yes, maybe it makes more sense in the current market for parents to just hand their old phones down to their kids to use as "iPods", but that doesn't change the fact that the iPod touch is the last iPod around that is still carrying the legacy. And it should continue to.
If you buy a new iPod Touch it has the same processor as the iPhone 6. It's just as out of date. Apple should either update it or kill it at this point. (I'd rather they update it)
I don't know about the touch, but I can store as much music on the Apple Watch series 3 as I had on the iPod mini from 2010-11. Just have to switch to Bluetooth headphones (a good thing, in my opinion). And my entire entire music library fits on the iPhone X with plenty of room to spare.
BRING BACK APERTURE.
(I know that this isn't the point, but you got talking about the stuff Apple left behind and sigh. yeah. Bring back aperture.)
Photos suck! Adobe Lightroom is too expensive and overkill for me. Aperture was great.
Apple overall kind of has simplified everything. I don't use photos really but they've allowed some professional style extensions that do work pretty well, still lacks from Aperture. I ended up switching to an application called Polarr though. It's cross platform. iOS, web browser, and MacOS app. Probably the most advanced capabilities besides jumping to Adobe. Sadly though Polarr just switched to a subscription service in May for anyone getting into it new. They were a one time payment with some IAPs before this. So if you invested prior they gave everyone a 250 year subscription.
I've used an Apple Airport Time Capsule for 10 years, and it's served us well. In-fact, I liked the product so much, I purchased one for my home. Coming from an 'died in the wool' IBM/PC user, the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and AirPort Time Capsule product line have proven themselves, as well-designed &
Reliable and no fuss install. I love airport
What do we do now if we want to stream using Airplay to an older stereo system without Airplay capability? The Airport express seems like the perfect solution, but I'm nervous about getting one at the end of the product's life cycle.
im still obsessed with Apple Airport TimeCapsule, because of the seamless integration, ive got them 6, 9 and 9 years old still running no issues, when apple abandoned ship i bought a bunch brand new, ive still got new ones in unopened boxes, just incase and for future spares. i just bought a MacBook Pro M1 Max, i will be setting up another new TimeCapsule designated just for it. I am all apple, MacBooks, iPhones, Apple TV, TimeCapsule, no iPad or apple watch, i do do watches or tablets. im still devastated about Apple stopping The Airport line. I hope they support it for years to come.
6 weeks ago i just bought the 16" MBPro M1 Max with 32 Ram and 2 TB storage, hope to have it 10+ years without worrying about upgrade and space, as in 2012 i bought my 2012 MBPro 8GB ram was biggest at the time and 1TB was huge. still have under 700GB storage used up, the new one for me should be plenty big. Apple batteries and cords have always sucked they got to keep us buying buying buying. All about the benjamins with Apple. However the new cords are braided finally. I'm still on a 15" 2012 MBPro, the 2021 MBPro M1 Max is actually lighter, slightly smaller with a larger screen. Excited for my new 2021 MBPro to arrive next week supposedly, i ordered it 6 weeks ago it is due to arrive the 4/ 22 to 4/29 just got delayed until 6/6/ to 6/21. what i bought is a 16" MBPro M1 Max with 32 Ram and 2 TB storage, hope to have it 10+ years like my 2012 MBPro without worrying about software and app upgrades or storage space. In 2012 i bought my 2012 MBPro 8GB Ram was biggest & i got it with 1TB Storage which was huge back then, I still only have used 592.92GB storage since 2012, The new one for me should be plenty big, im almost thinking i should have got 4TB as i want to move that 600GB from the 2012 to the new 2021. As mentioned above, I'm still on a 15" 2012 MBPro, the 2021 MBPro M1 Max is actually lighter, slightly smaller with a larger screen. THE 2021 is 19/64 inch thinner, 11/32 inch narrower, 3/64 inch less depth and 13/16th of a pound lighter with a 13/16" inch larger screen.
The new 2021 compared to my old 2012 is basically slightly more than a 1/4 inch thinner, slightly less than 3/8 inch narrower, slightly less than a 1/16 inch front to back, slightly more than a 3/4 pound lighter with slightly more than a 3/4 inch larger screen. And they brought back the ports that i like and mag safe that i love. It is a win win for me. With all he improvements and bring backs it could not have been a better model, year and time to upgrade!! Absolutely Psyched!!!
Sorry, but this comes across as an Apple apologist giving Apple a free pass on failing to devote the engineering resources to maintain the AirPort product line, as well as failing to devote the engineering resources to come out with a new Apple-branded pro display in a timely manner. I was looking for a real explanation for why Apple doesn't want to make routers anymore, but there's nothing here of substance.
Face it, the Apple Time Capsule devices are the only true plug-and-play options that were easy for the typical Mac user to set up, and the rest of the AirPort line was the same way, easily managed with Apple's AirPort Utility software. Other 3rd-party networking hardware and NAS devices can be made to work with Macs and Time Machine, but the process of setting most of them up and managing them is much more awkward and alien compared to what Apple's customers experienced during the time when Apple was keeping up with all this hardware. What this means is that Apple no longer cares about the overall experience of owning a Mac or their customers feeling like they are part of a complete Apple "ecosystem".
These are just more symptoms that Apple no longer cares about the Mac platform. They want all their customers using iPad Pros, running iOS apps and keeping all their data in the cloud. That's what they think the future holds for all of us. That's where their revenue is coming from. They don't care that you want an easy way to back up your computer locally, because they don't care about people who still insist on using real computers. There's no other explanation for why they are hawking an LG display to pro users (while making vague promises about a new pro Apple display at some point in the future) and are abandoning the Time Capsule and AirPort devices. I think you're still wearing rose colored glasses when interpreting Apple's actions. Apple is becoming the new HP/Xerox/IBM/Packard Bell, and it's time to admit it. Their current decision making processes are based on short-sighted profit seeking and technical incompetence.
RedBearAK well said
can't agree more. Apple now a day is moving away from pro users and only cater to general consumer devices like iPad and iPhone. It has been hard to upgrade for me with their new offerings.
For my iMac, I use a Raid type system called Drobo for large video/image files and for the Time Machine. For my other devices ... iPhone X, iPad mini 4, and MacBook Pro ... I use iCloud. I think the biggest driver away from Airport technology is the current speed of communications and bandwidth that makes sharing the same desktop, the same documents files, the same pictures, the same videos, and the same e-mail across all Apple devices. With the new iMac operating system where the same apps and icons can be shared across all devices, the cloud will be even in more demand. So ... the iCloud with a local Drobo backup for the most critical files will continue to displace the need for an Airport. The next round of significant upgrades for communications speed and bandwidth will accelerate movement from local storage even faster.
Hi Rene, you should try the Ubiquiti Unifi system. Setting is a little bit more complex than a consumer router, but once installed it is really stable and works reliably over a long period of time.
I'm sad to see Apple leaving this market. but that's fine. There's others in the market well qualified to manufacture them. I just ask, what are they going to do with Time Capsule.
TimeCapsule or TimeMachine? not sure what you are asking
I wish that Apple will bring back AirPorts in the new way
The AirPort Extreme is still the best wireless router I have ever owned. I can get WiFi coverage across my 1 acre property and all through the house. I just haven’t seen one better yet and that weird since it’s kind of old.
One of the many reasons why I wanted an apple environment was the wireless capabilities of those products. First came the problem of available parts for my Mac Pro. Now they've thrown us under the bus with their discontinued network equipment. I don't know what is happening to apple but I have to tell You I'm seriously disgusted and even considering to abandon Apple entirely. Their latest policy doesn't make any sense to me and I can see it's going to be even worse.....
As a 40 years Windows user from Windows day one I stepped over to Apple and have almost everything from the brand. Really must say it’s not cheap but it just works without forced updated and it’s always connected, and ready to work. I was fetup with the Windows problems, update after update and then the printer would stopped communicated as a example. No, apple is by far the best decision concerning computers
Hey great video! What teleprompter are you using? I'm interested in using one!
New to Apple... but when I picked up one of the Time Capsules, I found that the really nice Back to My Mac is now not available. When they blatantly tell you to use iCloud Drive instead, its obvious that the reason for discontinuation was to grab cash every month for larger storage plans.
The AirPort routers may be hidden away, but I keep them within view to see the status light color, and for me it's 100% about AirPort Utility, the ease of access and configuration, and being able to update every device on my network through a native application from ANY device, whether it's iOS or macOS. I will continue to use these while 802.11ac is the latest standard, but as soon as we have something more capable I will have no choice but to switch so I can take advantage of higher speeds. I will be upset about being forced into using products which manage all of my personal data from companies that may not care as much about privacy and security as Apple does.
The problem with a lot of the non-Apple wifi vendors is that they just don't have Apple's exacting standards where everything just works, all the time, without fault. Most wi-fi mesh systems out there are buggy or unstable to some degree, have poorly designed apps, and if they update firmware at all, the updates sometimes make things worse instead of better. Eero 2nd gen. is the one notable exception I have seen to that trend, from my experience - it's been very Apple-like for me with a terrific app and an extremely stable, reliable user experience. I am a bit disappointed Apple chose to align with the Velop.
I bought 3 Apple Routers-Extreme, and 2 Express devices. They are doing fine.What a waste of money to now switch to other routers! Apple has let me down.
What a shame to have them discontinued!
Have had Tc 2Tb for years, it's still flawless. To extend the range I got AP Extreme.
3 floors down, and 100 yards away I still get a great signal and good speed on iPad.
I'll keep using until they kick the bucket.
I have several Airport Extremes latest models, 1 2nd gen and 1 4th gen. They have extended my wifi network like a dream. Before I was having issues with my wifi dropping or being spotty through the house. I am disappointed that Apple has quit making this reliable product!I had 6 adults, 2 teenagers using wifi over the holidays... no issues!
AirPort Extreme has been the best Robert I've ever had. The ease of set up is legendary. I can't imagine going to another router but I guess we will have to. Oh and I just bought an iPad mini for my daughter so the form factor still works for some of us
My Extreme is about 10 years old. She's been good to me so far, but when any firmware or security updates stop being supported, I'm out! Very informative.
They're bailing on the Airport Time Capsule to push users to use iCloud, at a monthly fee.
That dream would be amazing. My 3 apple tvs being a mesh network. Anyway, time to check if I can find some Eeros in Europe
1:19 Airport Express has an audio output, not input. I've got a couple of them solely for playing music in different rooms.
You said it all. Support for 5 years when they are then deemed obsolete. Why pay premium prices when Apple treats their products as disposable in 5 years?
I’ve been using an old AirPort Extreme for like 10 years. Best router I’ve ever owned, but I’ll definitely be going mesh next. I wish Apple did a mesh router.
@Rene Ritchie, I've used AirPort for a couple generations now. The first one I used was the 2nd Generation that was the first incorporate 80211N. Thing worked great for about 7-8 years until the power supply gave out. Now I have a 2013 model. Because for the longest time they just work, and it's not such a crap shoot like third party stuff has always been. Especially with the following areas, long term use, and reliability. Also for specific services like Bonjour, Airport Just works, third party had a history of randomly breaking things. At this point though, I'm ready to move on if I have to, there seem to be much more and better choices today.
My AirPort Extreme is a BEAST... ridiculously fast with no connection lags, even with a few devices running video over it, and produces a very stable signal that reaches all corners of my house, all the way up to the edge of my property. I hope it lasts, because I don’t want anything else.
Vector is filled with passion. Nice delivery.
I agree with you completely about Apple maintain a focus on lines of business that works for them (and their clientbase). My Apple routers were pretty much flawless for 7 years until they were no longer. Connections became flaky or dropped. Streaming my Netflix account that once worked perfectly now timed out daily. So I too moved to mesh networking with the Google pucks. They setup fairly smoothly with the initial 3 puck set, then I added fourth puck and a full reset of the system was necessary to be able to adda fourth unit. Then it refused to access the credentials/network name I wanted to reuse and forced me to reattach my security cams, doorbell, doorbell speaker, Echos and even thermostats which was a full day. When Netflix started to drop connections a 5th puck was added to enforce a better signal in the TV room. At least the auto updating software allowed this action this time and all seems well so far. Until my separate garage puck refused to reattach my iPad I used to FaceTime my trainer weekly flawlessly before with the Apple units, as the very weak signal the iPad was attached to was not enough to maintain a FT video and audio stream. So my solution is to turn off wifi on my iPad before I leave the house, walk 60 feet to my small garage gym, turn wifi back on and hope the iPad attached to the closer puck which connects to the main puck 60+ feet away. So much for flawless. But I was under the impression the devices that attach to the mesh pucks will always look for the strongest signal at "bounce" to the best one. I guess not. Now wishing Apple would create a mesh system, more reliable than the completion, a better setup like Airport software and heck why not integrate a speaker so my FT session come with booming clear sound. Or have other companies make hardware/software that's well design and better tested before launching. We can only dream.
Literally the only apple product I genuinely like and still use to this day and they decide to kill it. Great.
I use the iPad Mini for work. Perfect size.
"The display is the face of the product, and if people stop seeing apple logos there, if makes you wonder if they really need to see Apple logos anywhere" - Now we have a M1 iMac without logos :(
This is truly sad news. I used to have to buy a new wireless router every year or two because they would always inevitably fail. I eventually plucked down the extra cash to get an Apple router and never had another router issue again. When it’s time to upgrade what will I get now? Another Linksys, Netgear, Belkin or TP Link that’s bound to fail after just about a year of use. Ugh! I hate garbage technology from untrustworthy companies.
I recently had an issue with a Netgear product. It’s a software problem but Netgear support claims that the firmware needs to be downgraded by them as it’s not something we can do from home. Even though it’s a software problem, Netgear sees it as a hardware problem because of the fact that it needs to be sent in in order to address the issue. Anyone getting the idea that they intentionally corrupt your software so that they can sell you a new device? They make it impossible to downgrade the firmware which is necessary to fix things and then they make sure you’re on the latest firmware before it will operate properly. No matter what, you’re going to be dealing with a non functional product just as soon as the warranty expires. It’s not a coincidence but these smaller companies get away with it everyday. Only big companies like Apple get enough negative media attention to force them into supporting their products.
This sucks. I went through a lot of routers before I got my 3rd Gen AirPort Extreme and it has been flawless. I have an external 2TB drive attached partitioned for time machine and for a shared storage drive. I can access it from anywhere and it all just works. I plan to hang with it so long as it lasts...
I am upset :(
I have like 5 AirPort Products, but I have faith they will continue working into the future.
What should I replace my Airport Extreme with? thank you
I tried the Orbi & all it does is DROP, I sent it back. How did the Linsky V work out for you? I’m considering just grabbing a second extreme and connecting them via Ethernet?? Any advice?
Apple didn't help push the standard of anything with their routers, they couldn't even keep up with the latest wifi standard. They tried to join the already rising wifi market, stayed in for a bit and then realized they couldn't complete and dropped out
That's very bad for Timemachine.... Most NAS vendors kinda support it but it always fails after a while so you have to delete the backup and start over again. Maybe they will alter Timemachine to backup to normal network shares?
So how are the new routers holding up Rene ? I know I will have to upgrade my TC before long as much as I would hate too. Are the new ones worth it ?
Never worked with gateway routers, always a double NAT situation
I'm sad to see AirPort go. I've been using Apple's Time Capsule routers for years and they did a pretty good job of backing up my data. That said, their routing left much to be desired. And the interface was too dumbed down. I'm happy to be moving on to Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD. My new router never has hiccups like my TCs did. I still use my TC as a backup device though. I hope I can continue to do so.
I love My Airport Express for streaming to my Stereo,and i have a Time Capsule, strange how it developed a fault after the latest update.🤔And couldn't get the parts anywhere.
Ohh I liked the airport. I still have one which I use a lot to backup my mac
Dropping entire lines of stable and working devices is of course a smart strategy to focus its resources and I agree. I propose, though, a nicer and welcome alternative in the vein of this strategy: drop Apple Watch next. A totally useless and luxury "device". Drop MacBook and throw the allocated resources to the new MacBookAir. Drop iPod Air to have only 2 devices: Pro and non-Pro.
Really disagree with what you’re saying, the iPod Touch and iPad mini are still great products that have a market and are dominant in their market. It’s something that tech reporters, with their iPhone Xs, MacBook Pros, HomePods, etc. seem to not understand and be genuinely confused by.
Apple never planned to get out of the monitor business, but this seems like something they’ve decided to do for the foreseeable future. Hopefully that changes and they can bring a single new AirPort product.
It's not just about product sales! You have to support the product via In store and Phone support. iOS devises and apple watches are taking up so much space and time its hard to support all things Apple. Long time Senior advisor that seen it all come in and grow us out of the office and into our homes to do phone support.
The iPod Touch more and more is becoming an obsolete device. Most people don't see the point. If they have a phone, literally any phone anymore has music services available. Whether it's syncing your phone a microSD or streaming. That's why they haven't updated them in years now. I've seen more iPod Shuffles, nanos, and original iPods than I've seen Touches still. Plus they keep them at a rather steep price of $200-$300. The iPad Mini is a different niche though. I see it definitely is a great products still and has it's niche even with the phablet smartphone becoming the norm in phones. It's a great midrange tablet as it's super portable compared to the 9.7, 10.5, and 12.9 iPads. Probably the one device I deeply regret passing on and might even get rid of one of my iPads for one again.
Dylan It’s really not but the target market isn’t people that have an iPhone. It’s people that want an extra iOS device, developers that want a low cost dedicated testing device, parents that want their children to have a handheld device but one that is affordable and doesn’t have cellular connectivity, etc. Apple themselves use it for a multitude of applications within the company.
The price is not very steep compared to what you’re getting, the last update was in 2015, the same year as the iPad mini and they share the same specs. They are very similar devices, with the difference in perception being that iPhone (or generally smartphone) users cannot comprehend why the iPod Touch still exists and it seems to be iPad Pro users that question the existence of the iPad mini.
The reason the iPod touch is becoming more niche is also due to the lowering costs of iPhones, as well as the second hand market/hand downs. Similarly the iPad mini is becoming more niche due to the lower price of the iPad as well as the decreased interest in smaller tablets. When the iPhone SE price points are closer to the iPod touch, there may be an argument to drop it from the line.
Sad to see it end. I have a extreme 6th gen as my main router and a 4th gen as my extender. Bought both off eBay dirt cheap and they work flawlessly. When they die I will find another until they make the tech obsolete.
What about airplay? That’s effectively dead. Apple products are an ecosystem. Not so much without the hub.
Still works ... trying it out with the latest security update ... let's see how it works with iPhone WLAN + CELLULAR activated net work. CELLULAR can be sometimes a bit "Snowden tricky"
The "industry" didn't need non-standard proprietary networking. There 802.11 compliant devices before Apple stepped in, and there will be 802.11 compliant devices after they're gone. Apple should just make their devices meet established IEEE standards.
Seriously, the iPad Mini, Mac Mini & iPod Touch need to be next... They've been languishing away for YEARS without any hardware updates. It's time for Apple to be upfront like they just were with the Airports & admit they are EOL/discounted already.
I have been using Airport Routers ever since I bought my 1sr MAC Book Pro when OS X came out. I’m trying to stream movies one room away from my AirPort Extreme and they buffer all the time. I just bought a WiFi booster and that helped a ton but it still buffers every 15-20 minutes instead of every 5 minutes. I need a USB port and at least 3 ethernet ports What do I buy? Please help
Wi-Fi isn't a service with a monthly fee they can take a percentage of, cellular data is. It's a push to move more customers to cellular data plans. You will know this is true when every computer they announce from now on has a cellular data chip inside, including the upcoming Mac Pro.Say goodbye to privacy.
It's 10/2022 and now there are rumors that Apple is getting back into the router segment with a router that backups your whole computer to iCloud, time will tell. I still use two AirPort Extreme’s to extend my WIFI in the house and will only update them for another Apple solution and nothing else.
I have every router Apple has released and everyone of them still work, good. However, they are aging as nothing last forever. I recently picked up a Velop and my iDevices “smarthome” wouldn’t connect. I’m assuming the auto bands of 2.4 or 5ghz isn’t switching as its supposedly designed. You can’t manually setup a 2.4 band, so I returned it. Glad I never deleted my airports. Never felt comfortable leaving 🍎 for reasons like this. Glad there still getting the job done years down the road, while the new people still catch up. Been very disappointed with Apple with iOS 11, but who do you go to for near perfect performance.
I am going to miss the backup ease-of-use in the Airport Time Capsule. I hope other manufacturers will consider making this capability available in their products. Thanks to you for your terrific work, Rene.
In 2019 I bought a Toshiba external hard disk drive, that came with a software that works similar to how Time machine works, for the PC. Before that, backing up the PC was always a headache. And no, I refuse to use the cloud. I have to be able to continue working totally offline. I don't trust never-down promises for internet access or what have you. I grew up in a place and time when electricity outages were common and frequent.
I'm just not sold on Mesh products especially with their cloud-only management. Once my ABS renders it's last wave, Synology's RT2600 may be an option for me.
I just replaced the fan in my airport time capsule and got a nice steady green light back after a year of a flashing yellow light and suddenly having time to investigate the issue.
I have two Airport Extreme ACs linked together. One on each floor of my house. However just recently I’ve been getting extremely slow speeds. I’m paying for a 400 tier speed on Comcast and only getting 25 Mbps down on my XS Max! That’s ridiculously slow! I’m not experiencing lag or stutter on any of my other iDevices, however not getting the speed I’m paying for is bothering me a lot. I’m considering upgrading the routers sadly. I really don’t want to give up my Extremes though. They’ve been great since Day One! I’ve come to a crossroads.
I was disappointed to learn about this. I find them to be very reliable and do not need constant rebooting like a lot of routers. I use one as a wireless extender in my living room. Does a great job. Mesh routers are still pretty expensive.
Well Apple is languishing on innovation lately And I predict with in the next 10 years if the trend continues they will just be a cell phone company.
I wouldnt mind time capsule being discontinued but it lacks a software update to enable useful features like smb 2.0 and DLNA.
AirPort and TimeMachine could be central to any home-based system. The reliability and security of both these Apple system components made them more desirable than those of the competition. Why is Apple acting so retrogressively?
Did you mean Time Capsule, dude?
After steve jobs passed apple effort to create nice and ahead tech products decreased so drastically that now they only focus on release new iphones in rainbow colors and macs with iphone processors... we miss so much steve. RIP.