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AirPort BaseStation killa!!

A

AntShaw

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Messages
137
Just announced AirPort Express http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/specs.html

Read it and weep. By far one of the best products Apple has released. Plus all for $129 bones. It amazes me how many people waste their money on base stations when you can get a comparable router with 4 lan ports for $59.

This should compete well against those as well as adding USB and Audio functionality. Should be impressive. Have not been able to get my hands on one yet, should by the beginning of next week. Have not read much about setup, but I would imagine it would have much of the same interface as Admin Util. Should be a breeze.
 
damn...you beat me to it ;) it does look VERY intersting for the $129 price tag and I am looking forward to playing with one of these...I am a little supprised that this was released before WWDC but what do I know..I am just a little grunt around here :eek:
 
I did some more reading on this and it looks like it can be a stand alone device and doesn't have to have an Extreme base station to works as you can take it with you...I wonder what will happen to the AP line considering the price point of this little device...I also wonder what the range will be for it considering it will more than likely be placed under a desk or tucked away behind a bunch of crap....still looking forward to see what happens with this though ;)
 
Also, it will be able to hold 5 'profiles'. So since its essentially a portable router, you will be able to go to multiple locations and be able to switch between your already pre-configured network settings which is rather nifty.

The range I would imagine would be no less than the current base stations, barring how strong the internal antenna is. You would still be limited to the 802.11 restrictions. Personally, there is absolutely no reason to get a regular base station, unless you needed the ability to be able to have LAN access. The ability of having the audio output is what puts it over the top. Not only the fact that you have complete wireless capability with USB printing access, but the ability to run it into a stero. WOW!

:eek:
 
gigglebyte said:
drop me a line :D
Click to expand...

I'll have to off an old relative or rob a bank first! :p

All the money I can possibly spend are going to a computer, not something to use with my computer... Seeing as I don't have one of my own, that seems logical! ;)
 
You are a student or teacher right?? :) You are always eligble for an EDU discount!

Whats that high school thats near you house again? :p
 
yeah...the [H] discount...yeah..thats the ticket :p if you are a teacher or student the price is $119
 
It's not a base station killer. It's more of an add on to an existing network. All the base stations have built in USB printer sharing.

The Express is the only one that has the ability to stream audio wirelessly. But it only allows 10 users. Which is enough for a home enviorment. The Base station allows 50. The Express also doesn't have an external antennae port.

It seem's as if the Express will end up a "consumer" airport base. Since it has the basic functions of an AP. But it seem's to be geared more as an add on to an existing network and as a mobile AP for professionals. Allowing you to set up a temporary WiFi network wherever broadband is available.

I'm still not sure if the Ethernet port is a WAN only port or if it's both LAN and WAN. Allowing you to either bridge an existing network or just have wireless broadband. The documentation on Apple's site can be read either way. But I think it is a LAN/WAN port.
 
there was some question about the Ethernet port on the Express....I can now say for sure that it is a WAN and NOT a LAN connection
 
it says it will connect to a network, whats the deal?
edit i see in the rundown that it in fact doesnt suppport lan connections.. so am i getting confused with the terminology? local network and lan connection aredifferent?
anyway i plan on getting one for my new apartment, needed wireless anyway and the stereo thing was the clincher
another edit: the usb printer thing reallydoesnt seem usefull if you are using the stereo connection, because you have to have the printer near the stereo.
 
How is it configured? I mean it says its Mac and PC compatible so that means either Apple released Airport software for the PC or does iTunes have everything you need to configure the device?
 
The iTunes software (what is it AirTunes?) is both PC and Mac, I think they have a utility for PCs too. I think I read that on the product page....
Anyone get their hands on one of these yet? I'd really like to know about that Stero to Optical plug thingie.
 
Apple could do a lot if the invested more heavily in the PC market. This is a cool device right here.
 
CrimandEvil said:
The iTunes software (what is it AirTunes?) is both PC and Mac, I think they have a utility for PCs too. I think I read that on the product page....
Anyone get their hands on one of these yet? I'd really like to know about that Stero to Optical plug thingie.
Click to expand...

AirTunes is both, comes in iTunes 4.6. But Apple has an awesome utility built into OS X for management of the AirPort BaseStations....just wondering if they ported that over to the PC.

The audio out plug on it appears to be Apple's digital audio outplug and the cable does nothing but converts the signal from wired to optical.
 
neuroquake said:
AirTunes is both, comes in iTunes 4.6. But Apple has an awesome utility built into OS X for management of the AirPort BaseStations....just wondering if they ported that over to the PC.

The audio out plug on it appears to be Apple's digital audio outplug and the cable does nothing but converts the signal from wired to optical.
Click to expand...

Actually I think it is both an Optical and physical output on the same plug...I would have to pull the docs again but IIRC it said it did have a fiber optical cable in the end of the plug
 
gigglebyte said:
Actually I think it is both an Optical and physical output on the same plug...I would have to pull the docs again but IIRC it said it did have a fiber optical cable in the end of the plug
Click to expand...

No you have to use the $39.99 monster cable to get the optical out.
 
My only question is, with the range on the regular airport stations being bad enough, how much worse can this one be?
 
neuroquake said:
No you have to use the $39.99 monster cable to get the optical out.
Click to expand...

Not entirely true.

1. The AirPort Express comes with no additonal audio cables.
2. You can use any 1/8th in to RCA/Optical cable that you like (from any manufacturer)

So, if you already have a 1/8th" to any type of cable it will be compatible with the AirPort Express which is key. So you don't neccesarily need to use the monster cable optical (which is on TOSLINK.) You could use a Sony 1/8th inch to SPDIF. Impressive enginnering to say the least.

Remember it is compatible with other base stations to use bridging/WDS. But it is not compatible with other 3rd party wireless routers. Like giggle said previously, the ethernet port is only a WAN port and not a LAN. So that is a big key. If they would of made it LAN compatible it would of taken to many sales away from the Extreme Base Station.
 
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