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Apple Rolls Out AirPort Express, AirTunes
das writes "Apple has introduced AirPort Express (specs), a palm-sized, portable 802.11g base station with 10/100 ethernet, USB printer sharing, and analog and optical audio output, for connection to a stereo system or powered speakers for streaming your music collection via 'AirTunes.' It supports multiple profiles for easy use at multiple locations It can plug directly into the wall as a "power brick", or use a longer power cord, similar to the newer PowerBook AC adapters. AirTunes requires iTunes 4.6, expected to be available soon."
Let's see... the airtunes:
- has no display or remote - need to go to the computer to change songs
- has no web interface
- only works with Apple's software
- no support for competing formats like FLAC, WMA
- no multi-room synchronization
- no open source, plugins or thrid party extensions
- no headphone output or proper audio connectors
I guess if you're REALLY on a budget then this is interesting, but Squeezebox is a much better audio product IMHO. It's really nice to be able to control the music from the room where you're listening, and the UI is frankly much better than iTunes anyway (especially if you have a LOT of music). Plus you can just run it on any machine you want without being tied to Apple's software and formats.It's $70 cheaper than the SliMP3. It can replace a base station for many users. Less than the Wireless-G bridge that Linksys sells. Digital outputs for hooking up a stereo! I just ordered mine, hopefully I'll get one of the first ones shipped. I'll probably tell my Mom and brother to get one too-- it's just too damn cool!
How history repeats - the apple personal modem 1200 (other site) plugged into the wall also, and connected your computer to the outside world. Only this time, it's smaller, it's wireless, has audio out, and is 45,000 times faster.
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No problem. iTunes is fully scriptable via AppleScript on Mac OS X and I believe now via COM on Windows. I bet you can find software to control it as needed, if not, you will shortly.
:-)
Also the updated iTunes hasn't been fully release yet so who knows but it may provide such capabilities between iTunes applications directly.
Now you just need a wireless (11b/g) remote that can connect to iTunes, etc.
MP3 and VBR MP3 are 1 format. AAC is the second. WAV doesn't even count. Apple lossless I've never heard of, AIFF I don't use, and I've never heard of Audible.
Most people I know who do real mixing and amateur party DJ'ing use Exact Audio Copy and either FLAC, ogg, or MPC. Cause MP3 sucks. AAC is slightly better but there are too many competing versions, and ITunes can't handle all of them (iTunes was fine for me playing music IT ripped, but not AAC stuff that Nero made for me...) MPC sounds the best overall and has good compression, and FLAC is needed when compression is NOT an option.
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Since it hasn't been mentioned here yet, I would say that one of the 'sleeper' functionalities in the Airport Express is that it can act as a wireless repeater: if that is seamless, this could be a very handy little product indeed.
The tech specs on Apple's site say the RJ-45 port is and "intelligent port" for WAN or LAN.
um this is cheaper than any other Linksys 802.11g router I have seen.... Last I saw they where still 140.
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will it be able to stream to multiple locations at once?
Doesn't look like it from the screen shots. It appears to be a drop-down menu, not checkboxes, so I would imagine one at a time.
It looks like you can also use this in a wired fashion, where you connect this device to your wired network, and it will do the audio out as well.
Nope. Check the comparison chart on Apple's site, and you'll see that it doesn't connect to the LAN, just to the Internet.
One thing this is missing is a way to control iTunes remotely.
Just a guess, but I'd say there will be several products announced in July or thereabouts that will allow you to control all of this through the AirTunes network.
=Brian
There is nothing so good that someone, somewhere, will not hate it.
If you bothered to read the tech specs page,
"10/100 Base-T Ethernet. Intelligent port for connecting to DSL or cable modems or a local network."
That means it can be a WAN port if you need it to be, or a LAN port if you need it to be.
Regarding "open source, plugins or thrid [sic] party". iTunes can play any audio that can be played in QuickTime, and QuickTime supports plug-ins. There is an open-source Ogg Vorbis plug-in, for example.
Regarding "proper audio connectors". True that it only has a mini-jack for analog audio, but it also has a digital audio port, which is certainly "proper" and what you'll want to use if you want high fidelity.
Just for the record, you could also plug headphones into the mini-jack, though I find it somewhat unlikely that people would be interested in plugging there head directly into a power outlet, which is the impression you would get with this device.....
--- What?
Apple's had lots of problems recently with AirPort.
:)
An update a month or two ago completely hosed both the base station and client in terms of speed, signal strength, and reliability. The update was pulled, and a new version was posted a week later.
The new version still had problems. Frequently, users would completely lose signal for 30 seconds to 5 minutes. I specifically had this problem, and looking around the forums, there weren't many who didn't.
Last week, apple posted an update to the client-side driver which seems to have fixed the last of the problems. Even though it's now fixed, apple was really ierresponsible by not just reverting to the old version (they didn't even provide a method to remove the faulty drivers!). I'd expect way more from Apple.
Chances are they waited until all the outstanding bugs were worked out with the current airport stuff before releasing this little gizmo.
I may get one just for the audio features and to act as a bridge in my living room which is logistically impossible to wire.
At $129, it's a friggin' steal. The old AeBS was pretty pricey at $199, and the only things justifying that high price were the USB printserver (which, BTW, doesn't support all printers, especially those which have cardreaders which act as USB hubs), WDS, and the enterprise-grade administration tools. All home users would care about was the print server.
Now, at $129, it's directly in competition with the consumer gear from Linksys, Netgear, and Co. Firstly, apple users always expect to pay a bit on the top for apple-branded gear. The quality you get is usually worth the extra 20% or so -- I've had more Netgear/Linksys power supplies die on me..... Secondly, a decent 802.11g AP WILL cost you a good $80-$90. One with a USB print server will easily cost as much as or more than the Airport Express. An independent wireless USB print server also costs around $100. Only using it as a print server is cost-effective. Finally, the audio feature is unheard of on this kind of multifunction device. You can expect to pay at LEAST $130 for a device which streams audio over the network and does nothing else. Granted, it will usually have some sort of screen and remote, but for the price, it's really not an issue. Oh yeah... did I mention it's tiny? (and very similar to the Power/iBook chargers)
The only feature I would have liked to seen would have been a USB fileserver. Instead of plugging in a printer, plug in a USB Memory Key or Hard drive and serve files off of it. Guess you can't have everything
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Directly from the Apple page... Secure Connection Rest easy -- AirPort Express takes strong measures to prevent unauthorized intrusion into your wireless network. It features a built-in firewall to protect you from gate-crashers from the Internet. It also features password protection and supports powerful encryption technologies including Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and 128-bit WEP encryption.
Uh, never mind. Yes, "Local network", mentioned at the top, is LAN. :) However in the detailed specs, it only specifically mentions WAN. Confusing at the least.
--- What?
From the specs page, second footnote: "AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network."
For more information, click here.
Peace
It looks like you can also use this in a wired fashion, where you connect this device to your wired network, and it will do the audio out as well.
... I can't wait for them to start shipping ... bye bye cables, hello audio wherever I want it.
...
Nope. Check the comparison chart on Apple's site, and you'll see that it doesn't connect to the LAN, just to the Internet.
Actually, if you look at the _top_ of the tech specs page you'll see the RJ-45 Port is labled as:
10/100 BASE-T Ethernet
Intelligent port for connecting to DSL or Cable modems or a local network.
I'm guessing this thing is essentially an IP addressable audio out / usb port.
As far as I'm concerned this is brilliant
-S
**AA: a bunch of mindless jerks who'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes
The SLIMP3 has a two line florescent display and an infrared remote control; the Airport Express has neither. With the Airport Express there's no way to see -- or control -- what music is playing without running from the living room (where the stereo is) back into the study (where the Mac with AirTunes is).
You could use the ATI Remote Wonder RF remote control in the living room to skip forward and backward in the playlists while flying blind, but that's hardly the same as scrolling through them on the SLIMP3's text display.
What's needed now is something that looks and works like an iPod, but is actually an RF remote control for AirTunes...
-Mark, who wants one anyway for travelling
I think it was a really nice trick how they made a stereo minijack and optical out in one port. This has never been done before, another notch in the belt for apple innovation!
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**** UPDATE ****
:-) that iTunes 4.6 can send any music to the base station that it has access to, including from iTunes Music Sharing. However, since it just acts as a remote speaker, it means to do this, you will be streaming twice the amount of data over your network, and you'll need to leave iTunes open on the laptop. Bleah.
I just got word from a "knowledgable source"
So the options now -- since VNC and ARD are not an option, because of ease-of-use and security concerns -- are netTunes (which works now, because -- I didn't realize -- it basically just does a VNC of that one app), and an Apache interface.
Also, the Express CAN share Internet access over the LAN to wired clients.
If the Mac hosting the iTunes library has Bluetooth and your Tungsten does as well.. Or if you have a BT enabled Mac and a BT enabled cell phone..
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Don't you hate it when some people hog the CD-player for hours during your parties? Using your computer as a juke-box (with password-protected screen saver on), this is a problem of the past. Salling Clicker lets you pick the songs while taking care of your guests. Not only can you move between and scan within tracks--Salling Clicker lets you search for tracks by name, artist, composer, and album. When used with a Palm, you even have the option of reviewing upcoming tracks or album artwork on your PDA's display!
I would not recommend this for home use unless your ok with going back computer every time to change a song.
You've never heard of a playlist?
Because if you use FM, you aren't broadcasting AM?
Also, because both FM and AM suffer from pretty nasty interference in built up areas, have mediocre sound quality, and can earn you visits from the FCC if you don't stay within Part 15 regs.
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Why not just get a MP3/CD Deck that has an Aux in audio jack right now? No signal loss.
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It's not a regular analog mini. It's a combo, regular analog mini on the outside, LED at the tip firing "down the middle" of the plug for digital. This has also been done on some Sony MDs. It's sending regular S/PDIF optical though.
-T
"Does anyone know if this will interoperate properly with non-Apple base stations?"
The answer in short is no. Look here and at the 4th foot note at the bottom. Honestly, I would just look into getting another Netgear access point and setting it to repeat the existing network. Most access points can do this.
SIGFAULT
In theory it has enough bandwidth but in practical, real world usage 11g doesn't work well for movie streaming. First the movies must be encoded down to a lower bit rate than straight DVD and even then unless you have adequate buffering you may run into hiccups. The real problem though is if you have 11b devices on your g network because that lowers bandwidth for your g devices somewhat.
However the next generation of wireless protocols will have enough raw bandwidth to stream raw DVDs and sound as well (in theory).
Interestingly people seem to be skipping over the fact that this device is a bridge. Many components in the Entertainment center are, or will be shortly, ethernet enabled. Apple has really covered their bases with this product as it has a lot of appeal to very different market segments. I
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This is exactly what I thought! I've been looking for a (very) small access point that I can bring with me on business trips to use my PowerBook wirelessly anywhere, but I've been unable to find one that was small enough to carry with me. It also supports the same swappable plug of the PowerBook adapter so I can use the Apple world adapter kit to plug it in when I'm in the UK or mainland Europe. Perfect! I am absolutely going to buy this.
It is as you describe. These things have been on Sony minidisc recorders for maybe five years now.
It is a REAL optical out, any Circuit City, Best Buy and the like will likely have an optical miniplug to TOSLINK adaptor in stock. It is a black plastic miniplug with an optical pass-through to a socket. I have several that came with TOSLINK cables.
The USB port if for attaching a USB printer. This also acts as a wireless network print server.
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Well that's all nice and well -- but do you already have an Apple base station? If not, expect to spend up big getting your "Wifi extender". According to the specs posted -- "AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network. " -- translation - if you want to use this for wireless iTunes streaming, then you will need to also have purchased an Apple airport in order to NOT to have to run an Ethernet cable to the Airport Express.
Um, no. Read the specs more closely next time.
If you are using AE as a range-extender, then yes, it does require an AEBS. However, it can also act as its own base station/access point/whatever, with the caveat that it only supports up to ten devices (the AEBS supports up to 50).
Of course, from the look of things, you can also buy multiple AE boxes and set up a network using only these.
they dont, they are only good within feet of your stereo and even then usually a effected by things like thunderstorms and such. Also if you live near a major city (like I do, NYC) odds are every single station is taken so you cant get a clear signal even if you tired
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... is that if you try to order one you find that they are not shipping until July :-(
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You can use AirPort Express as a wireless bridge to extend the range of your primary base station.
I already want and need two. Sold. Amazing.
Um, or you could just use something like a pseudo-soundcard driver to capture the audio without wasting the time burning a CD (ie, Total Recorder for Windows). And encoding in a lossless format is just going to make things 5x as big. Not a great deal.
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Actually, that's a bit misleading. You're the second person today I had to disabuse of this notion... so forgive me if this comes off a bit harsh.
First, look at the very top of the specs page for AirPort Express, and you'll notice a picture of the device with its ports clearly labeled with call-outs. Right next to the ethernet port, it says: "10/100Base-T Ethernet / Intelligent port for connecting to DSL or cable modems or a local network" (emphasis mine)
Yes, this slightly contradicts what's in the features table lower down on the page, but only if you're literal minded. The more expensive AirPort Extreme base stations include two ethernet ports, one designated WAN, the other designated LAN. The purpose of providing two ports is so that you can use an AirPort Extreme base station as a single firewall for both your wired and wireless networks.
The fact is, this device has a single ethernet port, just like the original AirPort base station (which only supported 802.11b, not 802.11g, and only supported 10Base-T and not 100Base-T). That table is therefore simply misleading; they had to list the single port on the AirPort Express device somewhere, so they called it a WAN port, but it can function either way, depending on configuration.
To further support my claims, I recommend that you read this article by Jason Snell. He got a lot of his information directly from Greg Joswiak, Apple's VP of hardware product marketing, and he even edited the article once because of Joswiak's input. There are all kinds of nifty wired-wireless bridging capabilities for this device. But you only get a single ethernet port, so it's not quite as flexible as some of its bigger brethren when it comes to configuration. But yes, one of those possible configurations is connection to a wired LAN. One line in the article states: (Again, emphasis mine.) Which implies that the single ethernet port can (and does) serve both functions, but not at the same time obviously.
Incidentally, configuration of this base station is identical to the configuration of any other Apple base station, using the AirPort admin tools. That means you get the same set of options (and fairly advanced ones, at that) for configuration across the entire product line.
Personal aside: This is the second time I've seen someone claiming that the AirPort Express doesn't support LAN connectivity based on what they saw in the product comparison matrix. (The first time was on the MacCentral discussion boards.) What I want to know is, how could you miss the big pretty picture right at the very top of the page? I mean, am I the only person who looks at the picture with call-outs first, and then looks at the table with the specs? Maybe I'm just more visually oriented than most.
They call out that they work with their own stuff knowing that everyone will make the assumption it will work with other b/g solutions out there. You just need to look at whether the equipment has a WiFi certification logo.
However, I am a developer who works with Wireless on a daily basis. Our testing here has shown some very significant problems with certain access points and cards. For example, one vendor's access point responds to probe requests for a particular network by responding when they are not the network that should be responding. This can prevent some cards from being able to switch to a particular ad-hoc network in the presence of this access point.
Basically laptop A says "Who is on network foo?"
Bad access point responds, "I'm on bar!"
From the testing we've done here, there are definately certain vendors that I would avoid like the plague for WiFi equipment.
Apple's stuff works OK. The problem with the Apple equipment is generally that they follow the standard exactly and don't always work the way the user would like when other equipment is misbehaving. But from a technical perspective its not Apple's fault. At user level, sometimes the problems manifest themselves on the Mac.
They are not the only vendor that behaves like that. Other vendors sometimes have problems in the presence of malfunctioning equipment too.
If you did stick with an Apple-only solution, you wouldn't have any problems.
Other brands I think are pretty good are Cisco and NetGear.
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