Mac owners will need to pay if they want to enable the 802.11n draft standard in their machines, according to Mac enthusiast websites, AppleInsider and MacFixIt. The said technology is integrated but not turned on in all Macs operating on Core 2 Duo or Xeon processors save for the 17-inch 1.83GHz iMac. The fee is only for those who opt not to buy the new $179 AirPort Extreme Base Station, which can enable the patch, and would rather use the unsanctioned protocol alongside third-party wireless access points. Apple's latest home media offering, Apple TV, depends on the 802.11n standard to perform audio and video streaming.
Via [informationweek.com]