BearExtender Turbo starts shipping today for $80, brings 802.11ac WiFi to older Macs

Yes, it took a little longer than we originally expected. But, starting today, BearExtender is finally making its 802.11ac WiFi adapter available to Apple laptop and desktop owners who are missing out on the novel wireless standard. Much like the company's BearExtender 1200, the Turbo is also designed to add WiFi functionality to Mac computers.

 However, the BearExtender Turbo differentiates itself by supporting USB 3.0 and dual-band 802.11ac connectivity (2.4 and 5GHz), which is said to allow it to handle up to 867Mbps throughput speeds on the 5Ghz band. Naturally, BearExtender notes that this will depend on your internet service provider and the router being used -- for example, it recommends this year's AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule to achieve maximum performance. At $80, BearExtender's Turbo has potential to be a decent solution, one that could, perhaps, hold you over until you finally decide to upgrade to a new, 802.11ac-equipped machine.