These people report that the new version of the System Profiler application provided in Snow Leopard developer builds includes WWAN reporting under its network information section, shown in the artist's conception below. System Profiler is used to compile hardware information; if Apple were only reporting information on third party USB 3G WWAN peripherals, something that Mac OS X already supports, those reports would continue to be included with other USB devices.
Instead, Snow Leopard's System Profiler breaks out WWAN support on the same level as other technologies that are available from Apple, directly built into Mac hardware models, including the ubiquitous Bluetooth and AirPort as well as hardware interfaces that are only available on specific Mac models, such as the Fibre Channel and SAS of the Xserve and Mac Pro.
Last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told USA Today that Apple explored the idea of building a 3G chip into the 13-inch MacBook Air, but said he ultimately decided against the move because he doesn't want MacBooks to be tied to a specific wireless carrier for enhanced internet services.
In the year since, global economic troubles have forced new pressures on PC retail prices and have helped make netbooks popular, albeit not necessarily profitable for hardware manufacturers. Netbooks are low cost mini-notebooks that are often subsidized by mobile service contracts.
Apple has shown no interest in entering the netbook hardware category, but has been wildly successful in marketing the iPhone with a mandatory voice and data contract that enables the company to offer the ~ $600 device for just $200 with a contract.
The likelihood of Apple following the same strategy to offer Macs to consumers at a subsidized entry prices surfaced earlier this year when it was reported that Orange's UK division was wrapping up talks with Apple to offer subsidized MacBooks to customers who sign up for its top-rated 3G service. At the time, Orange was said to be testing its USB dongle modems with the current line of MacBooks, suggesting the deal had little to do with any plan on Apple's part to build wireless broadband chips directly into its notebooks.
Speculation that Apple may separately be planning to tie 3G chips into its future notebook designs received a shot in the arm this week when it was discovered that the company's Mac Hardware Group was actively seeking to hire a position responsible for "testing and reporting hardware, software, and device driver bugs for Communications technologies including AirPort (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth v2.0, gigabit Ethernet, and/or 3G Wireless WAN in a detailed, timely manner."
For whatever reason, Apple plucked the job listing from its website following media reports on the matter, which could be seen as a sign that the listing was a bit too revealing of some actual plans by the company to move towards embedded 3G hardware in its Mac line. However, the Mac maker has been actively seeking someone to fill the position for more than 3 months and made no effort to remove at least 4 similar copies (1, 2, 3, 4) of the same job listing, which could still apply to evaluation of dongle devices rather than native hardware.
Still, the fact that WWAN support is being included in System Profiler of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard may provide the most concrete evidence yet that the 3G Wireless WAN support Apple is reportedly testing could arrive as early as Snow Leopard, which is expected to publicly debut at WWDC and become available to users shortly afterward. That said, all of the evidence pointing to native 3G hardware turning up in versions of Mac notebooks this year remains fairly anecdotal.
37 Comments
I don't expect to see WWAN cards in Macbooks but a
Mac Touch Tablet...that's the ticket.
A 8" tablet Mac..
I defintely don't need a laptop but I need something I can lug around, bigger than my iPhone and I can use to sync my iPhone.
If they put 3G into their future tablet or computers, would you be required to use at&t or any other phone company to get internet or would i be able to use wifi from my house or a hotspot? i wouldn't want to pay for my iphone and another device.
A 8" tablet Mac..
I defintely don't need a laptop but I need something I can lug around, bigger than my iPhone and I can use to sync my iPhone.
A tablet Mac is certain to use the iPhone OS-X instead of the desktop OS-X. It will sync with the "main" desktop computer just like your current iPhone does, not sync with your iPhone.
Both devices will likely sync with MobileMe and other cloud junk so they will both be in sync with each other, but if you are expecting the tablet to be your main computer and sync the iPhone to it in that sense, I think this is really, really, really, unlikely.
Maybe it's just a cleaning up of their networking options. Right now, 3G cards are kinda funky. It'll work with Leopard natively but it comes up as a PPP device and has a phone icon listed like it's old school dial-up. The software install from Sierra Wireless has a much better Menu Bar option that shows you the bars of signal and if your on GPRS, EDGE or 3G at the moment. It also can handle changes in network types while moving better than Apple's software.
I don't expect to see WWAN cards in Macbooks...
I hope you aren't right. I'd get a new Mac if they included this card, even if it meant going to a 15" MBP over the nice and tiny 13" MB. My current USB 3G card finally broke at the USB port after so much abuse but they cost a couple hudrend to replace so I soldered the wires to an old USB cord. They were only about 1/2" long and about 4 strands of wire so the procedure was quite difficult. Especually when you consider that I was on the road, bought a soldering kit at a Walmart and use a socket on the outside of the building near their automative service center on the pavement while laying down so I could be more stable and closer. Surprisingly it works.