New MacBook Airs suffering from the WiFi blues
One problem with being an early adopter when it comes to new hardware and software is that you run the risk of being an unintended beta tester. Those who ran out last week and bought the new MacBook Air models with their improved specs and battery life may be wishing they'd waited a bit; a few thousand owners are complaining in the Apple Support Forums about a similar issue that's occurring with WiFi on the skinny notebooks.
As reported on Gizmodo, WiFi connects OK, but quickly fails and requires a reboot to connect with a network again. The anonymous Giz blogger says that "The problem is made worse when the Air is on a desk, quite possibly something to do with the WiFi antenna being (*we think*) in the black plastic strip along the bottom of the screen."
The issue occurs with all sorts of different WiFi routers and networks, so it's likely that the issue is due to the new WiFi system of the MacBook Air that supports the fast 802.11ac protocol. Gizmodo cites an anonymous source at a London Apple Store as saying that they've had "well above-average" complaints and some returns due to the WiFi issues.
Any TUAW readers seeing this problem with a brand-new MacBook Air? Let us know in the comments.
