Apple to offer installation of Airport/BT to current Mac Pro builds?

[Renovatio]

Okay ... maybe this is public knowledge ... but I didn't know about it and found it very interesting so I thought to post it here.

I just got off a 45+ minute conversation with Apple regarding my order that was messed up by an ill-informed rep. I got transferred several times early in the call and ended up speaking with a senior administrator at the support place. During the process of re-ordering and configuring my Mac Pro the rep told me the following:

In the first week or two of September you will apparently be able to take in your Mac Pro to any Apple Store and get Airport Extreme / Bluetooth capabilities installed in it. But according to the person I spoke with it may be hard to get an appointment because they are expecting high demand and furthermore the computers are heavy and it may not be convenient to lug it around ... so I should just get it installed as a BTO option.

So there ya go. If this is already public knowledge than please forgive me. I thought it very interesting and maybe it will be helpful for someone to shave a day or two off their ship date

Chris

 

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

Okay ... maybe this is public knowledge ... but I didn't know about it and found it very interesting so I thought to post it here.

I just got off a 45+ minute conversation with Apple regarding my order that was messed up by an ill-informed rep. I got transferred several times early in the call and ended up speaking with a senior administrator at the support place. During the process of re-ordering and configuring my Mac Pro the rep told me the following:

In the first week or two of September you will apparently be able to take in your Mac Pro to any Apple Store and get Airport Extreme / Bluetooth capabilities installed in it. But according to the person I spoke with it may be hard to get an appointment because they are expecting high demand and furthermore the computers are heavy and it may not be convenient to lug it around ... so I should just get it installed as a BTO option.

So there ya go. If this is already public knowledge than please forgive me. I thought it very interesting and maybe it will be helpful for someone to shave a day or two off their ship date

Chris

Unrelated - but I really like your website!!!

 

[mrgreen4242]

News to me, thanks for sharing! I wonder if they will make a DIY kit at some point...

 

[Renovatio]

News to me, thanks for sharing! I wonder if they will make a DIY kit at some point...

That would be nice. I never did find out exactly why you can't just buy an Aiport Extreme card and install it yourself. Is it that the Mac Pros use different cards or just that they are hard to get to?

Unrelated - but I really like your website!!!

Why, thank you!

 

[freakonguitar]

too late I already ordered my macpro with bluetooth 2.0+ because so many peripherals are coming out with bluetooth and i plan to keep this desktop (yet to be shipped) for 6+ years. So i ordered it with bluetooth oh well.... i hope it ships on sept 1 like it says!

 

[Renovatio]

too late I already ordered my macpro with bluetooth 2.0+ because so many peripherals are coming out with bluetooth and i plan to keep this desktop (yet to be shipped) for 6+ years. So i ordered it with bluetooth oh well.... i hope it ships on sept 1 like it says!

Yeah, I ordered mine with Airport/BT since it only adds an extra day to the estimated ship time frame and I think it would be more of a hassle to take it to Indianapolis or Chicago (both two to three hours drive) to get it installed at the Apple Store after I get it

 

[Sun Baked]

That would be nice. I never did find out exactly why you can't just buy an Aiport Extreme card and install it yourself. Is it that the Mac Pros use different cards or just that they are hard to get to?

Why, thank you!

Yes the new mini PCI Express Broadcom AE card needs to be installed -- and requires a phillips screwdriver.

They may also need to install the antenna. A little more than DIY.

Bluetooth is basically the same, whether it comes built in or stuck in a USB port.

 

[Renovatio]

Yes the new mini PCI Express Broadcom AE card needs to be installed -- and requires a phillips screwdriver.

They may also need to install the antenna. A little more than DIY.

Bluetooth is basically the same, whether it comes built in or stuck in a USB port.

Ahh ... okay ... thanks for the info!

 

[Sun Baked]

Ahh ... okay ... thanks for the info!

Think secret show that the BT and AE are both past the DIY stage

However BT isn't that big a deal to add later since a USB dongle isn't that big a deal.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Think secret show that the BT and AE are both past the DIY stage

However BT isn't that big a deal to add later since a USB dongle isn't that big a deal.

Are you being sarcastic? Looks like it'd be pretty simple to do - about as hard as a new HDD, which Apple will ship to you as a replacement part if yours fails. So hard to tell on the internet without using little smiley guys... Anyways, they could always release a PCI card with both AE and BT on it if the regular kit was really not DIY-able.

 

[Renovatio]

Think secret show that the BT and AE are both past the DIY stage.

Why does Think Secret keep calling the wireless option in the Mac Pro "Airport Express"? Airport Express is the scaled down base station that you use for audio/print/internet sharing. Airport Extreme, as far as I know and what Apple says, is the wireless card that you have installed in the Mac Pro.

 

[simonthewolf]

Seems to be pretty much the same procedure I followed when adding the bluetooth module to my Power Mac G5. Although, I guess this is less of an issue with the Mac Pro as it has so many more USB ports, unlike the stingy G5

 

[orangezorki]

Why does Think Secret keep calling the wireless option in the Mac Pro "Airport Express"? Airport Express is the scaled down base station that you use for audio/print/internet sharing. Airport Extreme, as far as I know and what Apple says, is the wireless card that you have installed in the Mac Pro.

Apparently, that is want Apple are also calling this new WiFi card.