Ars Reviews AirPort Express 304
ack154 writes "Ars Technica has a nice, comprehensive review of the new AirPort Express from Apple. There is a breakdown of each of the main features: music streaming, a mobile base station, a base station extender, and networking a printer. All features were tested from both Mac and Windows perspectives. Overall it got an 8/10 with points mainly lost for no means of remote control and no audio cable included in the package."
This is fine and well, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Those are probably precisely the countries we want to jam.
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
BTW Which European countries, as there are a lot of devices that use this band now?
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:2)
<p>
Since Wifi started getting popular, the Autorit\'e de R\'egulation des T\'el\'ecommunications worked with the Army to get them out of the spectrum, and 13-channel WiFi is legal here indoors. Outdoors (cantennas etc., not just leakage signal in your yard) there are still areas where you can't use it unless you declare it (basically so that the Army can tell you to not do this until they've r
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:3, Funny)
Score: -5, Too Easy
Dropping Bombs to the Velvet Fog (Score:3, Funny)
"Airport is not legal in some European countries, as it operates on military frequencies..."
So they'll be able to groove to my Mel Torme [spaceagepop.com] collection while going head-to-head with the OpFor? Sweet.
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:This is fine and well, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
They build the Exocet missiles, the kind sold to Persian Gulf, such as the one that hit one of the U.S. navy ships in the 90's. They are a pretty big exporter of military technology, which I think is one of the reasons they objected to intervention with Iraq because their companies did a lot of business with the Hussein government and wanted their cozy business arrangements back.
They also have nuclear weapons, and have tested them over the objections of Greenpeace.
I think every EU nation with water borders has a navy.
Big error: (Score:2)
Goes to mircosoft.com on Office:Mac 2004. How could they possibly do that?
Re:Big error: (Score:2)
Interesting (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Interesting (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
After reading the article, I'm under the impression that even as a wireless bridge it supports 128-bit WEP, and as a wireless access point is also supports WPA. That way, when I'm transferring all my illegit MP3's between my Mac and other people's laptops, they'll be encrypted so that no one else can unlawfully eavesdrop on our file transfer.
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
Hell, maybe this could create a new sport, instead of wardriving, you drive around till you find an Aiport Express house and change their Brittany to "The Chipmunks sing the Death Metal hits"
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
Might be a clue something a bit fancy is going on here....
Re:Interesting (Score:3, Informative)
I'd be interested to know it sends the audio or the file...
It sends an RSA encrypted Apple Lossless stream over RTSP on ports 5000 and 6000.
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
Re:Interesting (Score:3, Informative)
Is AES more CPU intensive than RSA?
AES is a symmetric (i.e. shared key) cipher, specifically designed with hardware design in mind, as well as with a mode for stream operation.
RSA can only practically be used for key exchange because it's so slow.
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
So I can listen to my music wirelessly, assuming I'm running either Windows or have an Apple with iTunes, and when it's time to watch a movie, or anything else, the sound reverts to my laptop's internal speakers? Pretty weak.
Re:Interesting (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Interesting (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
It seems to me a lot of people are criticizing this device just because it doesn't do everything. 'No remote? No display on it? Doesn't work with [insert Linux technology here]? That's no good.'
Well, this is Apple's first iteration of a new technology, and it'll take some time to develop. Apple will probably open some parts of this technology to 3rd party developers, and let them come up with things to do with it. I'd expect Apple has plans to do something neat to tie in this wireless-music-broadcast idea to an upcoming generation of the iPod. (broadcasting to your stereo from the iPod in your pocket might be kind of neat, right?)
...Or, you could look at it the other way, in that this isn't a new technology, but Apple added a really neat feature to a product that didn't need it at all. I think this would be a pretty neat little wireless access point on it's own, but add in the print-server and music streaming, and that's a pretty impressive piece of technology in a nice little package. No, it doesn't do everything... but not everyone needs everything. And how are you going to make a product that does everything?
Apple tends to like to start small, introduce a product that only does what it does, but does it well, and without much hassle. Then they start evolving it, over years, by adding features individually, making sure that feature works right, and then looking at new features. The alternative would be to try to pack in as many features as possible, all at once, then spending years making all the features work right.
I suspect the first generation of these will find a limited audience whose specific needs are met by the first generation. The second generation will do more, and therefore find a bigger audience, and so on.
I also suspect that, no matter how much it does, there will people who will complain that it doesn't do things that it just wasn't designed to do. Are you going to complain that the iPod doesn't play CDs, or that your refridgerator doesn't have a built-in stove?
RTFA (Score:2, Informative)
No Remote? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:No Remote? (Score:2)
But say your stereo is in the living room and you're streaming the music to it from your PC in your bedroom... Do you want to leave your party in the living room to go change songs in the bedroom? Maybe you will if you have to, but wouldn't a remote be cool?
Re:No Remote? (Score:2)
Re:No Remote? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:No Remote? (Score:2)
I would do it, cept I don't have $130 to blow on an Airport Express... I'm sure projects will appear on sourceforge shortly that accomplish the same goal.
Re:No Remote? (Score:2)
You would need a settop box connected to your TV and audio system and a wireless keyboard to have a usable remote interface to iTunes. Or, on a more practical note, an iBook.
Re:No Remote? (Score:2)
The reviewer said they had a hard time coming up with a score due to the fact that the Airport Extreme does at least 3 somewhat different things ( music streaming, 802.11g bridge, 8
Re:No Remote? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:No Remote? (Score:3, Informative)
Of course the problem is, does multiple copies of iTunes run with FUS?
Yes it does.
Then the next problem: Will multiple copies of iTunes recognize different AE units?
This [macosxhints.com] indicates that multiple copies of iTunes WILL play different songs simultaneously... so the possibility definitely exists that multiple AE units can
Re:No Remote? (Score:3, Informative)
I don't have an Airport Express so I can't verify if I can send the audio of just one of the iTunes instances to it, but I guess it will work. I bet you can actually do it with more than one Airport Express (each one receiving a stream from a different iTunes instance), and s
About the audio jack... (Score:2)
Re:About the audio jack... (Score:5, Funny)
like shoving two floppies into one drive?
Re:About the audio jack... (Score:3, Informative)
They get confused by the fact that they only see one connector, especially when they are skimming the article for facts.
Re:About the audio jack... (Score:2)
I don't get how you can have an electrical analog signal AND a beam of light shooting out of the same plug. One of my original concerns was that the optical wasn't a true digital out signal, but some type of mysterious unknown conversion was happening from analog to optical/digital?
Gratuitous point loss (Score:3, Insightful)
Can it be used to share an *ethernet* printer? (Score:2)
Re:Can it be used to share an *ethernet* printer? (Score:2, Flamebait)
Re:Can it be used to share an *ethernet* printer? (Score:2)
Bluetooth remote? (Score:2, Insightful)
This came to my mind ... (Score:3, Funny)
After the welcome screen, the Assistant inquired politely as to whether I wished to set up my Express to create a new wireless network, or connect to my current wireless network.
It's a nice bit of Journalism, which makes for a good read, but I couldn't help thinking it would next inquire politely ... "Would you like some coffee while you wait for the set up to finish"?
Best line(s) of the article... (Score:2)
Does it work as well out-of-the-box whether you're a Mac or Windows user? The short answer is yes. The long answer is that Windows users will sometimes have to go through a few extra steps to achieve the same result as someone using Mac OS X.
Whew! Good thing he gave us the short answer before we had to plow through the long answer!
Third party firmware (Score:2)
Walt Mossberg Reviewed it Also (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Walt Mossberg Reviewed it Also (Score:2)
Anyone have any word on Belkin or Griffin working on a remote?
Re:Walt Mossberg Reviewed it Also (Score:2)
Woohoo ... (Score:2, Informative)
Bridging and the Linksys WRT54G [arstechnica.com]
Device is as Apple described (Score:2)
Particularly interesting was how well it worked with both Windows and Apple environments.
This review makes me keenly aware that this product is a 'must' have luxury' for the road warrior who needs a single, small, device to handle multiple calls of duty. Armed with this iPod sized device, a few cables, and the install CD (or access to the In
Re:Device is as Apple described (Score:2)
It woudl be the single biggest boon to a PDA type device in the history of PDAs so perhaps Apple pulled it from Panther to make it into their version of the Personal Digital Assistant ("Archive").
samba (Score:2)
Re:samba (Score:2)
Re:samba (Score:2)
no remote... bah! (Score:2)
Toshiba delivered 60gb iPod drives around the same time that the price dropped 'Pods came out.
Apple types have said that they're waiting for expess to be a bit more ubiquitous before they release some other stuff (roughtly paraphrased from foggy memory).
You don't need a crayon to connect these dots.
Re:no remote... bah! (Score:2)
Don't think that's too likely, myself. WiFi is ubiquitous, but by no means cheap or small to install. I can't imagine that a WiFi broadcaster would be gentle on an iPod's battery, either.
Besides, all you'd really need to do is unplug the audio cable from your AirPort Express and stick it into your iPod instead. Why add WiFi to something that's already practically the definition of portability?
Re:no remote... bah! (Score:2)
That said though, this could simply be them saying "there is no 60 gig ipod in the release schedule any time soon", leaving it open that the Keynote in January (where they announced the minipod this year) would include the announcement of a wifi-enabled 60 gig ipod.
I have a 30 gig 3g, and while
Ambiguity in article - additional AP required? (Score:2)
From the article:
Am I supposed to parse this as:
"Wireless Internet access requires (a wireless-enabled computer, (a base station or other access point) and Internet access)"
Or:
"Wireless Internet access requires ((a wireless-enabled computer, a base station or other access point) and Internet access)"
T
Re:Ambiguity in article - additional AP required? (Score:2)
Ah, taste. (Score:2)
Hardly surprising, but someone over at Ars has read their Bloom County...
Airport? Express? (Score:3, Funny)
If you don't care about AAC (Score:2)
Anybody get it working with the linksys? (Score:2)
You want a remote? (Score:4, Interesting)
And an interesting quote from Mossberg:
Any bets? You could do a wi-fi remote (with LCD to see what's playing), but I'm hoping they'll use that USB port for something... like a video out.
WDS / extending wifi network insecure? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Audio Cable (Score:3, Insightful)
goates
Re:Audio Cable (Score:3, Informative)
Of course, I have the RCA -> 3.5mm male bit for hooking my iBook into the stereo plus a 3.5mm headphone extension so i have a 6' or so radius to put the iBook in a safe and accessible location.
Re:Audio Cable (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Audio Cable (Score:2)
Re:Audio Cable (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Audio Cable (Score:4, Insightful)
Also, to my dismay, the Express did not include any audio cables for hooking it up to a stereo. ... The AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit with Monster Cables and an AC power cord is available separately from Apple for US$39.
They offer it separately, and I think that's the point. The idea is to stream music wirelessly, and many people are going to buy it for that reason. If Apple adds the Connection Kit to the AirPort Express, the overall price goes up some, for an item I would guess most people do not need/want. If you absolutely have to have a wired connection, then hey, they have that accessory available as a separate product.
Re:Audio Cable (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Audio Cable (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:4, Informative)
Actually, it's not like that at all. See, one of the "big deals" of this product is that you can play your computer audio files on your stereo with little fuss. Not just your computer, but any computer on your network that has itunes installed.
Not including an audio cable is stupid, in my book, because one of the biggest selling points of the product is NOT FUNCTIONAL without additional equipment. Sure, it's a cheap cable (3-5 bucks most places), but I imagine there are a number of people who don't have these handy. And if Apple bought these in bulk (which they obviously would), it would probably cost them 25 cents at the most to include this cable in the box.
For me, playing mp3's or aac on my stereo isnt such a big deal, beacuse I've been doing it for years with a 25 foot audio cable going direct from my comp to my stereo. But for many, their stereos aren't so close to their computers. This product is a cool idea, but like I said, the (probaby) biggest selling point isnt functional without additional equipment. That's just lame.
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:3, Insightful)
Same with the AX, you have an option, mini plug or optical. Some people will use neither, some will go taos, some will go mini. Either way, leaving you with an extra cable. And added expense to the product. I do think however, Apple should have
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:2)
My optical cable came with a little plastic adaptor that snaps onto a normal TOSLINK connector. It's shaped like a tiny funnel, and probably costs pennies to manufacture. I imagine that most optical cables already come with something similar.
Including that sort of adaptor would serve little purpose other than to remind customers that Apple didn't see fit to include a pr
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:3, Insightful)
I've bought several cassette decks and CD players/changers over the years, and they all included cables. Granted, they usually weren't very high-quality cables, but I have a pile of about 15 stereo RCA/RCA patch cords stashed away in a box to show for it.
Even the VCR/DVD unit I bought for the bedroom TV last month (we're not talking top-of-the-line here) had sufficent cables.
I'm normally an Apple fan [pats powerbook], but I think they slipped up on this one.
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:2)
1/8" to RCA
1/8" to 1/8"
1/8" to 1/4"
I'm sure there are a lot more options, but it's not necessarily straight forward which one to include.
1/8 to RCA (Score:2)
1/8 to RCA is by far the most common so thats what they should include. For the maybe 10% of the population that has optical only or a different type of input, they can supply their own cable. But a 1/8 to RCA would easily fit the bill fo
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:2)
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, the AirPort Express can take two diffferent types of audio cable -- a standard 3.5mm stereo analogue cable, or a mini-Toslink optical cable.
So now Apple would have to ship two cables to satisfy everyone. And how long should it be? Some people may need a longer cable, and others may need a shorter cable.
If it were something difficult to purchase elsewhere, I'd see a point -- but we're talking about an audio cable that is available everywhere. Chances are, Apple retailers will ask you if you want an audio cable at the time of purchase anyway.
Seems like a complete non-issue to me.
Yaz.
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:2)
This is Apple, not HP or Epson (Score:3, Interesting)
I think this is a lot different than a printer not coming with a USB cable. Although not including a USB cable is a pretty crappy thing as well these da
Re:Actually, it's not like that at all. (Score:2)
Re:Audio Cable (Score:2)
Re:Reads like... (Score:3, Funny)
Like "us a mouse instead of keyboard to control your computer"?
--Richard
Re:couple of things (Score:5, Insightful)
It's probably not as easy as it sounds. I imagine that automatically getting exact synchronization with different levels of network activity could be tricky. And if they were a bit off, it would sound pretty weird.
Re:audio through USB port ? (Score:4, Informative)
Apple emphasizes in its documentation that the USB port is for printers only.
Re:audio through USB port ? (Score:2)
Re:what I want (Score:2)