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Airport Express
Apple today released a new product called the Airport Express. This nifty little device allows you to stream your iTunes music on your Mac to your stereo. It also acts as a wireless print server and a wireless bridge (extender).
Sounds pretty neat in general. But my only problem is that my iMac is in the basement, and my stereo is upstairs. From the looks of it, you can only change the song on the iMac.
Here is the Tidbits review text:
AirPort Express Brings Audio, Portability to Wireless Networking
What’s slightly larger than a PowerBook power brick, has three
The AirPort Express plugs directly into any electrical outlet and
The audio feature is the most intriguing. The system, called
If multiple AirPort Express base stations are on a network, each
The new AirPort Express base station can connect directly to a
The AirPort Express doesn’t have all the features of an Extreme
The portability of the AirPort Express shouldn’t be understated.
What’s the real difference between AirPort Express and just
From our perspective at TidBITS, the AirPort Express is an
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by Glenn Fleishman
ports, and talks Wi-Fi? Apple’s latest wireless entry, the AirPort
Express, a 6.7-ounce (189 gram) 802.11g base station. Announced
today, the AirPort Express will ship in mid-July for $130,
replacing the low-end AirPort Extreme base station, which
cost $200.
supports alternate power standards with no external adapters. It
has three jacks: Ethernet, to link in a single computer or an
Ethernet hub or switch; USB, to add a printer; and audio, to
support either analog two-channel or digital 5.1 with surround.
If you need cables to connect the AirPort Express to your stereo,
Apple sells the $40 AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit with
Monster cables: it includes a Monster mini-to-RCA left/right audio
cable, a Monster mini-to-optical digital Toslink audio cable, and
an AirPort Express power extension cord for greater flexibility
in placement.
AirTunes, works with an iTunes 4.6 update, due out later this
week, and software built into the AirPort Express. Anyone on
the wireless network with iTunes, whether for Mac OS X or Windows,
can choose to direct music to the speakers connected to an AirPort
Express base station. In one sense, AirTunes turns a Mac with
iTunes into the ultimate remote control for your stereo.
one can have a separate set of speakers controlled uniquely by
a separate copy of iTunes. iTunes recognizes available speakers
through Rendezvous. iTunes and the base station negotiate control
so that only one copy of iTunes may play through a given set of
speakers at once. The stream of music is sent losslessly but in
encrypted form between iTunes and an AirPort Express unit to
protect the music “from being stolen,” Apple said.
broadband DSL or cable modem via its single Ethernet jack, or
it can use Wireless Distribution System (WDS) to join an existing
AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express network. Apple said that while
the AirPort Express’s version of WDS might work with base stations
from other companies (we’ve found compatibility with gear from
Buffalo Technologies, for instance; see “AirPorts Where the
Buffalo Roam” in TidBITS-696_), the lack of a standard for
WDS meant they could only guarantee it would work with Apple
equipment. If your existing network doesn’t support WDS, you
must tie in the AirPort Express via its Ethernet jack.
unit - exactly which ones are missing won’t be clear until I see
its configuration software - but the specs say it can only support
10 users versus 50 on the $250 models. That’s a guideline based on
processing power and other parameters, of course, but one worth
keeping in mind. The $250 models also have antenna jacks; one
offers Power over Ethernet and a fire-safety rating, while the
other includes a modem. Apple said the AirPort Express, like the
AirPort Extreme, could share an Internet connection using DHCP
and NAT, among other similar features.
In a survey a few months ago, I tried and failed to find
an effective portable base station. Similar devices cost
substantially more than the AirPort Express and still require
a tangle of cords. The AirPort Express’s small form factor
and weight mean it will become a standard item for business
travelers to pack for maximum flexibility in working on the road.
turning on Software Base Station/Internet Sharing in Mac OS 8.6/9
or Mac OS X? At home, you’re not dedicating a Mac to a problem
that a standalone box with great features can solve. On the road,
you’re not stuck connecting your laptop to an Ethernet cable on
a carpal-tunnel inducing desk with a cruddy chair. Additionally,
Software Base Station/Internet Sharing doesn’t offer WPA (Wi-Fi
Protected Access) encryption, which some users find important,
especially when traveling.
important step. Apple has once again followed its traditional
strategy of charging somewhat more than the bare-bones
competition, while including far more capabilities. With the
AirPort Express, Apple has dropped the price of a wireless base
station to a far more competitive level while combining features
rarely found in a single device such as print sharing, wireless
bridging, and audio streaming. If you were to try to assemble the
same set of features using the best, cheapest products from other
makers, you’d easily spend $300 to $500. The AirPort Express also
offers a compelling form factor that enables true portability and
adds an elegant method of integrating wireless into your home
entertainment system. Barring any nagging technical problems
that might arise, AirPort Express could be another hit product
for Apple. Wall Street may already be anticipating sales: Apple’s
stock closed today at its highest price in four years.
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