I have successfully upgraded to Lion on my Macbook Pro and iMac. By and large I'm delighted, but what the heck with only supporting AirDrop on a subset of Lion-compatible machines. My iMac is not that old! I bought it in 2008. Please explain why it doens't work on my iMac. I have AirPort and and AirPort Extreme. Should I be looking forward to more surprises from iOS 5. This is a ridiculous limitation.
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7)
The only saving grace for Apple is that I didn't have to pay another 30 bucks to install Lion on my iMac. In any case, they aren't absolved from false advertisement. Publishing post-release communications about hardware limitations for Lion is what I'd call CYA too late.
I have the same (documented) problem: our iMacs are too old. 2009 or later required. I bought mine in 12/2008 and 2/2009, the latter just before the new models. Both are marked ´pre 2008´ and AirDrop doesn´t work on them because of that. Discovered it after the facts as well. 😟
See here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4783?viewlocale=us_US
AirDrop requires newer WiFi hardware, specifically cards that can create an ad-hoc network while connected to an other (infrastructure mode) network. Unfortunately, not all AirPort cards are able to do this.
If this is really important to you, call Apple or ask a Genius Bar person if you can replace the AirPort card in your iMac. I don't think the card is in the user-accesible area on the bottom; they might need to pull the screen to replace it.
The would absolutely need to pull the screen.
No offense to you, but unless Apple has created a computer since 2008 that can accurately compute protein structures and cure disease, there's no good reason AirDrop can't be made to work on 3-year-old iMacs.
Seth_Wilson wrote:
In any case, they aren't absolved from false advertisement. Publishing post-release communications about hardware limitations for Lion is what I'd call CYA too late.
Splitting hairs, but actually the original Apple Knowledge Based document was published the day before Lion's public release.
I'm not sure I understand your point about "computing protein structures," but there is a very good reason AirDrop doesn't work on your iMac; the hardware in your AirPort card is incapable of it. I'm sorry that you didn't know about this, but it was public information early this year that AirDrop would only work on certain AirPort cards. Admittedly, it was developer-focused information, but it was out there.
I'm not familiar enough with the hardware in your specific card to know whether a firmware update could enable simultaneous ad hoc and infrastructure networks, but it is possible.
Otherwise, if this feature is really important to you, investigate the possibility of getting a newer AirPort card in your iMac.
Complete BS.
http://osxdaily.com/2011/09/16/enable-airdrop-ethernet-and-unsupported-macs/
Apple's planned obsolescence....
That is all.
AirDrop doesn't work on my iMac
