Lois Larson
Apple's AirPort Extreme is a line of residential gateways that combine the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point, NAS, and other features. The AirPort Extreme was first announced at the MacWorld expo in San Francisco on January 7, 2003, and has since gone through several generations of updates and improvements. However, in 2016, Apple disbanded the team that developed the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule, and in 2018, Apple formally discontinued the product line, exiting the wireless router market. While Apple's AirPort routers offered unique and superior features, they never became best-sellers, and the company decided to focus on more popular devices.
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What You'll Learn
Apple discontinued the Airport Extreme in 2018
Apple's AirPort Extreme is a line of residential gateways that combine the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point, NAS, and other functions. The AirPort Extreme was Apple's mid-level base station, offering dual-band higher-speed 802.11ac Wi-Fi, printer and hard drive sharing, and a stronger signal due to its high-rise design and six antennas.
The AirPort Extreme was first introduced in 2003 and has gone through several generations and updates since then. The first generation was released in 2003, followed by the second generation in 2007, the third and fourth generations in 2009, and the fifth generation in 2011. In 2013, the sixth generation of the AirPort Extreme was released, which was a major upgrade that changed the physical structure of the device, added 802.11ac support, and added more antennas.
Despite the updates and improvements made to the AirPort Extreme over the years, Apple decided to discontinue the product line in 2018. The decision to discontinue the AirPort Extreme was not surprising, as Apple had disbanded the team responsible for developing its wireless routers in 2016, and sales of the AirPort Extreme had been lackluster compared to other Apple products.
After discontinuing the AirPort Extreme, Apple began pointing customers towards alternative Wi-Fi routers, such as the Linksys Velop, which was available for purchase from Apple stores. Apple also continued to provide support and parts for current-generation AirPort Base Stations for a few years after discontinuing the product line.
While the discontinuation of the AirPort Extreme may have been disappointing for some fans of Apple's routers, it is important to note that the company is constantly evolving and making decisions based on the changing market and technological advancements.
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The Airport Extreme was first released in 2003
The original Airport Extreme Base Station in 2003 was so named because of its support for the 802.11g standard of the day, as well as its ability to serve up to 50 Macs or PCs at the same time. One notable feature found in most models of this generation was an internal 56K dial-up modem, allowing homes without a broadband connection to still access wireless connectivity, albeit at dial-up speeds. The 2003 model, considered the "original", kept "Base Station" as part of its name.
The Airport Extreme has gone through three distinct physical forms. The earliest models had a similar plastic housing to the original Airport Base Station, in a round "flying saucer" shape. This was the only generation to use the "flying saucer" form factor. The 2003 model was the first generation of the Airport Extreme, with the second generation released in 2007, introducing Gigabit Ethernet to the device. The third and fourth generations were released in 2009, and the fifth generation came out in 2011.
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The Airport Extreme was redesigned in 2013
The 2013 redesign was the last hardware update ever made to the Airport Extreme. The device had first been introduced by Steve Jobs in 1999, and the first model was released in 2003. The Airport Extreme Base Station of 2003 featured 802.11g wireless technology, and could serve up to 50 Macs or PCs simultaneously. The second generation was released in 2007, and the third and fourth generations in 2009. The fifth generation came out in 2011.
The 2013 redesign also added speed and USB ports. The device was priced at $199 and offered dual-band higher-speed 802.11ac Wi-Fi, printer and hard drive sharing, and a stronger signal due to its high-rise design and six antennas. The Airport Extreme was discontinued in 2018, along with the Airport Express and Airport Time Capsule.
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The Airport Extreme was a Wi-Fi router
The Airport Extreme underwent several design iterations over the years, starting with the iconic ""flying saucer" shape of the original model, which was replaced by a flat rounded rectangle shape in 2007, and eventually a taller, vertical form in 2013. The 2013 update also added support for the 802.11ac Wi-Fi protocol, improving data rates and performance.
As a Wi-Fi router, the Airport Extreme offered dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, printer and hard drive sharing capabilities, and a stronger signal due to its high-rise design and multiple antennas. It also featured Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a USB port for disk and printer sharing, and support for AirPlay. One unique feature of the Airport Extreme was its ability to allow Wi-Fi-G and Wi-Fi-N devices to be on the same network, with all devices operating at top speed, known as Simultaneous Dual Band.
Despite its features and performance, the Airport Extreme and other AirPort routers never achieved high sales numbers compared to other Apple products. In 2016, Apple disbanded the team responsible for developing its wireless routers, and in 2018, the company officially discontinued the Airport Extreme, exiting the router market. Apple cited a growing number of alternative options and its focus on devices with higher sales as reasons for discontinuing the product.
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The Airport Extreme was not a commercial success
Apple's AirPort Extreme was a line of residential gateways that combined the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point, NAS, and other functions. However, despite its technical capabilities, the product was not a commercial success.
The AirPort Extreme was first introduced in 2003, with the original AirPort Extreme Base Station supporting the 802.11g standard and serving up to 50 Macs or PCs simultaneously. However, sales figures from that year indicate that Apple sold only 150,000 Airport Extreme products in one quarter, which, while considered high for the product at the time, paled in comparison to sales of other Apple products.
Over the years, Apple released various generations of the AirPort Extreme, with improvements including Gigabit Ethernet, antenna enhancements, and the ability to use Time Machine for backing up Apple computers to external devices. The sixth-generation model, released in 2013, featured a new tall, cubic shape and supported the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi protocol. However, despite these updates and improvements, the AirPort Extreme never achieved significant commercial success.
In 2016, Apple disbanded the team responsible for developing the AirPort Extreme and other AirPort routers, and in 2018, the company officially discontinued the product line. While Apple's routers were known for their design, security, and privacy features, they faced increasing competition from third-party mesh Wi-Fi routers, which offered better range and coverage options.
Ultimately, the AirPort Extreme failed to stand out in a market with many alternative options, leading to Apple's decision to exit the wireless router business and focus on devices with stronger sales performance.
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Frequently asked questions
Airport Extreme is a line of residential gateways made by Apple Inc. that combines the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point and NAS, as well as other functions.
Apple discontinued the Airport Extreme because it was not a bestseller. The company decided to get out of the router game and focus on devices that sell better.
Apple discontinued the Airport Extreme in 2018.
