
By Mikey Campbell In a likely response to reports of 802.11ac Wi-Fi issues with its latest MacBook Air refresh, Apple late Friday began sending out invitations to select users, offering inclusion in the AppleSeed Program to test an upcoming Wi-Fi centric software update for the thin-and-light laptop.People who received the email told AppleInsider that Apple will provide selected customers with a pre-release version of the “MacBook Air WiFi Update 1.0” to install and use on their new machines, asking that they give feedback on any bugs found during the testing process.
While not explicitly stated in the AppleSeed invite, it is thought that the update relates to recent Wi-Fi connectivity issues some customers have experienced with Apple’s implementation of the fairly new 802.11ac wireless standard.
The recently-released 11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs are the first Macs to implement the fast wireless protocol which, when combined with the new AirPort Extreme or AirPort Time Capsule, can reach theoretical speeds of up to 1300Mbps.
Although the technology has promise, a growing number of owners have complained of throughput limitations related to 11ac, with some reports speculating the wireless stack in OS X is at least partially to blame.
Read also:
Apple Seeds 'MacBook Air WiFi Update 1.0' for Testing (iClarified)
WiFi Woes? Apple Testing 2013 MacBook Air WiFi Fix (Tapscape)
Apple Reportedley Testing “MacBook Air WiFi Update 1.0 to fix Wifi Problems … (The Droid Guy)
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