The MacBook Air is “truly” wireless — aside from the fact that you need to be near something wired (i.e., a WiFi base station) to access the Internet. Most modern mini-notebooks have some sort of cellular tech that enables ‘net browsing anywhere you can get a cellular signal.
The Air is an exception…‘till now. Intrepid (and brave) modder Jordan Bunnell ripped apart his AirBook and, using some extra unused USB controllers on the logic board, installed an internal EV-DO card for full location-indepedent Internet goodness.
I consistently get about 1,400-1,700Kbps vs. 1,800-2,000 when it was external, The hardest hit was the upload, I would get around 500Kbps, now I’m closer to 380Kbps.I upgraded the firmware and activated the USB727 whilst still in USB form, and after I set-up and activated it I simply use the network controls under System preferences to “connect automatically when needed” which works like a charm when I close the lid to sleep, open to resume, and as soon as I make an internet request, a few seconds later I’m online!
Bunnell details the mod step-by-step, illustrated with photos, if you’re crazy enough to try it yourself. It seems he had to sacrifice the Air’s WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities — two steps forward, one step back, if you’re looking for “truly” wireless…but it’s all about priorities.
Check out this page for the steps, and this InsanelyMac forum thread for a discussion about the mod. Or, if you want EV-DO but don’t feel like voiding your warranty, you can check out a few external options as well.
[via Engadget]
Very nice mod. Good job. And the documentation was excellent!
Sounds more like one step forward, two steps back to me.