Mac User's Guide to Living Wirelessly

Download or read book Mac User's Guide to Living Wirelessly written by Brad Miser and published by Course Technology. This book was released on 2005 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The major force driving people to embrace wireless computing is Wi-Fi. Once dismissed as a fad, Wi-Fi is rapidly becoming ubiquitous in the US and around the world. In 2004, more than half of all laptops sold in the US shipped with Wi-Fi installed. By 2007, most analysts predict that nearly every laptop sold in the US will include Wi-Fi. Nearly 20 million Wi-Fi access points will be sold this year, up 20% from last year. As these numbers grow, prices will continue to fall, making Wi-Fi more attractive to more and more people. By the end of this year, there will be more than 40,000 hotspots (public Wi-Fi access points) available across the US, in hotels, fast-food restaurants, cafés, airports - even parks. By 2007, that number will surpass 100,000. From McDonald's to Kinko's to Holiday Inn, Wi-Fi is becoming a "killer amenity." Once Wi-Fi networks are in place, they can be used for much more than just Internet access. For example, the AirPort Express allows users to stream iTunes throughout their homes, wirelessly. Wi-Fi is being used to network printers, cameras and, ultimately, home entertainment devices.