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wireless range on powerbook ?

  • 23-09-2006 8:00pm
    #1
    trout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,957 ✭✭✭


    recent mac convert ... hope this isn't a stupid question

    i've noticed that my airport / powerbook seems to lose wireless signal in various parts of the house, where my work laptop (bog standard dell latitude) picks up the signal at full strength

    i mentioned this to a mac hating pal ... he tells me "it's a well known fact" that powerbooks often drop wireless signals, due to the metal casing .... is this horsesh1t ?:(

    g4 powerbook, running 10.4.7 with built in Airport, versus dell latitude d610 with built in intel wireless card

    powerbook drops signal within 20 feet of the wireless router, dell laptop picks up the signal even in the back yard

    any thoughts/comments/advice ?


Comments

  • #2
    Urban Weigl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,784 ✭✭✭Urban Weigl


    Let me preface this by saying that I used to have a PowerBook G4, and I could use it all around the house and yard without ever dropping the signal.

    All that being said, due to its metal enclosure, it's a well-known fact that the PowerBook G4 doesn't have optimal reception, especially some of the older PowerBook G4's didn't have great reception. This doesn't have anything to do with Mac-hating, it's a fact.

    The iBook, on the other hand, was a legend. I owned one maybe 2 years ago, and I was able to often pick up (and connect without any problems!) to wireless access points that I know for a fact were quite a bit over 1 mile away! Couldn't do that with the PowerBook G4.

    You might consider getting a better access point for around the house, or adding a second one to the other side of your house? If you're looking for a really good access point, consider the Linksys WRT54G, GS or GL. They're legends. My favourite is the GL, which it's possible to install Linux on.


  • #3
    trout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,957 ✭✭✭trout


    Urban Weigl wrote:
    ... especially some of the older PowerBook G4's didn't have great reception. This doesn't have anything to do with Mac-hating, it's a fact.

    thanks ... regardless of facts my pal really hates macs ... he works for microsoft!

    access point is in the garage ... so long as i stay in and around kitchen/dining/sitting room areas, the signal is pretty good ... that'll do me ... it is an older powerbook, so guess this makes sense

    do the new macbooks share this .. eh.. feature ?


  • #4
    Urban Weigl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,784 ✭✭✭Urban Weigl


    trout wrote:
    do the new macbooks share this .. eh.. feature ?

    The MacBook is not made of aluminium, so it doesn't have this limitation and offers excellent reception, some of the best I've seen. The MacBook Pro, which is still aluminium, now has a rubberised inset at the hinge where the antenna sits, so it has good reception (not the best I've seen, but significantly better than the old PowerBook G4 had).

    Just my personal experience having used all of these computers.


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