Despite the fact that the final draft for the latest wireless network standard won’t be finished until the end of the year, Apple has become the latest player to launch new WiFi bling.

Apple has announced the release of its latest AirPort Express wireless access point (WAP) featuring 802.11n specification. According to the company, the new unit delivers five times the performance and twice the range of Apple’s previous model.

The company also stated that the “mobile base station” is based on the draft specification of 802.11n and that actual performance will vary depending on various factors including distance, line of sight and general site conditions.

“Apple is leading the way with a broad range of innovative 802.11n base stations for almost any wireless networking need,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “From the small and portable AirPort Express, to AirPort Extreme for workgroups of up to 50 users and the new Time Capsule for automated backups, Apple customers now have more great ways to extend their wireless networks with 802.11n.”

The AirPort Express includes other features such as printer connection via its built-in USB port. It also features built-in audio streaming, allowing users to stream music wireless to the unit. An audio output can be connected to powered speakers or a home stereo system.

The new AirPort Express works with both Windows and Mac computers and is available to Australian consumers now for $AUD129 and US customers for $US99.

The 802.11n draft standard is expected to be completed by November 2008 but is not due to be published until July 2009. Until then, all 802.11n wireless network gear has to be considered as “draft” or beta hardware until the final specification is complete.

But with so much 802.11n gear already in the market, the chances of significant changes being made at this point are slim.

Still, market research firm Dell’Oro Group has been reported by ZDNet US as finding that the wireless networking market only grew by 4% during the last quarter of 2007 over the same period a year earlier. Reasons for the sluggish grow are said to include greater time for business testing as well as the slowing economy.

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3.20 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."