There is some conflict on this subject. If you look at the latest post in the "sling shows mac" thread in the rumors form, the post is stating that the CEO was "misquoted" and the Mac client is hoped to be out by the end of the year with a beta sometime in October. I know, we have all gone over to death that no promises have ever been made by Slingmedia with regards to when a Mac client will be released, but enough is enough. They show a mock-up in January with an anticapated release by the 2nd quarter, opps after six months, no Apple changed to Intel, but we will shoot for 3rd quarter. Have a beta out late August, oh, sorry to inform, but we ran into unforeseen issues and will keep you posted. More positive press when the CEO states that it will have a beta out this week, oh wait, misquote and correction, we will shoot for end of the year. Frustrated, yes, looking at different solutions, most likely the Sony Location Free shipping next month.

slingplayer on a mac... i'll believe it when i see it. with all the broken promises and deadlines i honestly have no expectations for sling at this point. we'll see a mac client after they finish their launch in ethiopia, sling for psp, sling for nokia handsets and etch-o-sketch sling.

Ah. Never mind about the LocationFree question I had.  It seems that Sony is pumping out a few new LocationFree devices in October:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-...

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/09/...

The new base stations apparently utilize the Advanced Video Codec (AVC), aka H.264, which is quite exciting given its high quality and built-in support on the Mac via Quicktime 7. Compared to WMV on the Mac (why WMV, Sling, why?), H.264 definitely has a large edge. In other fun features, it looks like the high-end LF box has built-in 802.11a/b/g, and they have a separate box which is a dedicated receiver, so that you can watch your LocationFree signal on other TV's (and not just on computers). Most intriguing...

I'm going to guess that the SlingPlayer will be easier to use and much prettier than the LF alternative, but the overall balance may surprisingly tip to Sony on the whole, given the additional features and Mac-friendly codec. Also, I am skeptical in the quality of Mac SlingPlayer client, if and when it comes out - in my experience, when software takes this long to develop, oftentimes it's because the project's complexity has grown out of control, there's a lack of (skilled) programming resources,  or it's extremely low on the business priority list. As an example, I would guess that Windows Vista's delays are firmly rooted in #1. For Sling, I'm guessing #2 and #3. That's not an accusation, just a guess based on past project experiences. It is what it is, and I'd be happier than anyone if the fully debugged and highly efficient Mac SlingPlayer came out tomorrow, but I am extremely skeptical, given the long road to where we are (or aren't, as is the case) today.

October should be an interesting month.

How are we going to be able to obtain this new software?

Has anyone used the Sony product with a Mac? I currently have a Sling but am getting tired of waiting for the mac client. What are the advantages of the Slingbox compared to LF other than price?