New model Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros and iMacs appear to be the first Macs to deploy the new wireless 802.11n standard. While the machines recognise the wireless card as only being an 802.11g device, MacRumors reckons the cards are actually built to support the standard.
802.11n hasn"t yet been ratified, but it appears likely it will be agreed soon, leading many manufacturers to begin to make products that implement the current pre-ratified version of it. With Apple set to launch its iTV product next year, a device which wirelessly streams music and video content from Macs to a TV set, it makes sense for the company to begin moving its architectures to the new standard.
802.11n offers numerous advantages over the current 802.11g standard - most importantly, it enables you to stream video wirelessly without suffering dropped frames. It also lets you surf the web and send email without impacting the performance of the streamed asset. According to the report, the wireless card inside MacBook Pros has been identified as using an Atheros AR5008 802.11n chipset. The new iMacs use a similar chipset, this time from Broadcom.