Hands-On Report--Mac mini Core Duo AirPort Reception

2004–09March 13, 2006Bill FoxReviews
We have read a number of complaints on the web about poor AirPort reception with the new Mac mini Core Duo. Some of the complaints note that they get poor reception even if the Mac mini is right next to a WiFi base station. To check on this complaint, we measured the AirPort reception of our new 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo versus that of our older 867MHz 12" PowerBook G4.

Our Mac mini Core Duo sat about three feet from our AirPort Extreme Base Station during our speed tests and the reception was always a solid full four rings in the menu bar's AirPort icon and a solid 15 dots in the Internet Connect application. We also measured the reception at 10'. 15', 20' and 25', the limit of line of sight from the AirPort Extreme Base Station in our Global HQ.

Here are the results:

Mac mini Core Duo AirPort Reception Scores
Mac mini Core Duo
12 PowerBook G4
Distance
Menu
Icon
Internet Connect
Menu
Icon
Internet Connect
3'
4
15
4
15
10'
4
15
4
15
15'
4
15
4
15
20'
4
12
4
15
25'
3
8
4
15

We are surprised to see that our 12" PowerBook G4 out performed our new Mac mini Core Duo, starting at the 20' point. However, our Mac mini Core Duo still performed well at 20' and 25'. Since ours performed well, poor AirPort reception is not likely to be a problem endemic to the Mac mini Core Duo but rather a case by case harware issue. [Bill Fox]



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