According to reports from Apple employees and the assorted hordes of the internet, we’re not the only ones having trouble with the Wi-Fi on the new MacBook Air. So, are we just holding it wrong, or have Ives and Co made a little whoopsie?
A couple of thousand disenfranchised Apple customers seem to have descended on the Apple Support Forums, all with problems with its shiny new MacBook Air. The problems sound eerily similar to those we’re experiencing with our machines: Wi-Fi will initially connect, but the connection will stop working after a minute or two, and a total reboot is needed to be able to connect again. The problem is made worse when the MacBook Air is on a desk, quite possibly something to do with the Wi-Fi antenna possibly being in the black plastic strip along the bottom of the screen.
An anonymous source at one of Apple’s retail stores in London has also told me it had “well above average” complaints and returns (in a few cases) of MacBook Air units owing to Wi-Fi issues. While it’s impossible to be sure of the accuracy of that, if true, it’s indicative of a major problem.
Given that people are having these problems with every creed and colour of Wi-Fi router (and that we’ve been seeing the same problem on a bunch of different Wi-Fi networks) it certainly seems like there’s a problem with the new MacBook Air’s Wi-Fi. Whether it’s just a software bug, hardware problem or idiot users holding it wrong remains to be seen, however. Are you having trouble?
Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix. [clear]