Ars Reviews AirPort Express

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Posted by CmdrTaco on Thursday July 22, 2004 @08:22AM from the it-fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand dept.

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."

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No Remote? by joeblakethesnake · 2004-07-22 08:28 · Score: 5, Informative

Now, I haven't read the article yet, so I dont know the context, but isn't a computer running iTunes supposed to be the remote control?
1. Re:No Remote? by cbelt3 · 2004-07-22 08:38 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Apple's solution to that is "Party Shuffle", a feature on the newer iTunes client (and iPod firmware). The idea is you set up your party list much like you used to have to 'mix' custom CD's for your party guests. Think of it as a replacement for feeding CDR's into your drive and burning mix copies for your 5 CD changer on your stereo. If you want to have a 'remote', well hell- just buy an iPod and plug it into the amp. Skip the whole streaming thing. This then becomes more like a 'portable party mix' issue, but with waaay more flexibility. The main thing to me is the portability of a wireless AP. The music is gravy.
2. Re:No Remote? by Cajal · 2004-07-22 09:21 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Right, which is why Airport Express isn't all that interesting - it's basically a fancy wireless speaker for your powerbook. The other big problem with Airport Express is that you can only play to one of them at a time. So if you have one AE in your kitchen, another in your living room and one in your bedroom, you can only play a song on one of them at a time. Something like the Roku SoundBridge/a would be a lot more useful, except that it can't play protected AAC files (and it's about twice the price of the Airport Express).
  
  I really wish Apple would license their FairPlay DRM scheme to other manufacturers. I can understand them not wanting to license it to Real, or to other portable mp3 player manufacturers, but they should license it to companies who make in-home music players. Off the top of my head, Tivo (with the Home Media Option), RokuLabs, and SlimDevices (the SqueezeBox) come to mind. Unfortunately, Apple considers the iTunes Music Store only as a way to sell more iPods.
3. Re:No Remote? by 2nd+Post! · 2004-07-23 06:24 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  If roommate A has iTunes running under his account connected to his AE, and roommate B has iTunes running under his account connected to his AE, haven't we just accomplished what you wish?
  
  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 indicates that multiple copies of iTunes WILL play different songs simultaneously... so the possibility definitely exists that multiple AE units can be supported on one machine.
  
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  GPL Deconstructed
4. Re:No Remote? by Smurf · 2004-07-23 09:55 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  At this moment, my PowerBook has three users logged in. Each one is playing a different song through iTunes. It's so damned annoying! (Fortunately, I have earphones connected, so I'm barely listening to the nonsense humming beside me).
  
  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 still listen to another instance locally.
  
  I'm also using MacOS X 10.3.4 and iTunes 4.6. Maybe something's wrong with your setup? Or maybe you are trying to play songs from a server and there is a brief network interruption during the switch.
5. Re:No Remote? by Smurf · 2004-07-23 10:03 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I think I may have found your problem:
  
  I was switching directly using the menu. But if you go through the login window (or if one of the users logs out, therefore sending you to the login window), the computer is automatically muted. All the iTunes instances (of the users who are still logged in, of course) continue playing, but you hear nothing.
  
  You can work around this by pressing the muting button (F3 on a PB) twice.
Re:Audio Cable by grocer · 2004-07-22 08:33 · Score: 3, Informative

It's marketed as a digital life device to allow iTunes to stream over the home stereo (source of criticism). However, it depends on what it's being plugged into...most stereos take RCA. 3.5mm line in is not typically. Apple sells a kit for 39 bucks for those not already equipped.

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:Interesting by foidulus · 2004-07-22 08:36 · Score: 3, Informative

It's not in the article, but in the WWDC Jobs mentioned that, "It's encrypted, so the labels will like it". I don't know how it is encrypted(whether it uses WEP or a proprietary encryption algorithm), so they will have to do a lot of toying arond to come up with a compatible product.
Re:Interesting by zsmooth · 2004-07-22 08:36 · Score: 2, 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:About the audio jack... by Midnight+Thunder · 2004-07-22 08:44 · Score: 2, Informative

people get confused about that?

They get confused by the fact that they only see one connector, especially when they are skimming the article for facts.

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Jumpstart the tartan drive.
Re:Can it be used to share an *ethernet* printer? by spirit_fingers · 2004-07-22 08:44 · Score: 1, Informative

It can, either through Appletalk or Rendezvous, err, I mean OpenTalk. The Express supports both protocols, like the regular Airport Base Station.
Walt Mossberg Reviewed it Also by Meddel · 2004-07-22 08:45 · Score: 4, Informative

Walt Mossberg reviewed it in today's Wall Street Journal, as well. You can find the article here. He mostly likes it, but wants to be able to play through multple outputs (either two Airport Expresses or an Airport Express and the local speakers). Also, the lack of remote control and display was a huge downside for him.

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You just come along with me and have a good time. The Galaxy's a fun place. You'll need to have this fish in your ear.
Woohoo ... by Chiron+Taltos · 2004-07-22 08:50 · Score: 2, Informative

I use a Mac at home, but I purchased the Linksys WRT54G router for my wireless network instead of the Apple Airport Extreme. It was recommended by a Mac friend who has more experience with technology than myself. The following is great news ...
Bridging and the Linksys WRT54G

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CT
Re:Interesting by oscast · 2004-07-22 08:55 · Score: 2, Informative

You can run iTunes on Windows too you know...
Re:This is fine and well, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-22 08:57 · Score: 5, Informative

No, its france , and its probably resolved now, since you can buy Airport Express from Apple.fr
"Legal Issues The documentation included with AirPort hardware lists approval for use in the following countries: Australia Austria Belgium Canada Denmark Finland Germany Hong Kong Netherlands Norway Sweden United Kingdom United States Notably absent from this list is France. This is probably due to the conflict between frequencies used by AirPort and the French military. Apple has said it is negotiating to resolve this issue. Using AirPort in countries where it's not approved can be a serious crime, and it is illegal for passengers to use any radio broadcasting equipment on a plane. I strongly recommend disabling AirPort when traveling in countries not on this list or on an airplane. The AirPort control strip includes a "Turn AirPort Off" command. While it would seem that this feature was created for this particular need, I have not been able to find documented assurance that turning off AirPort inhibits all transmissions. For extra protection against inadvertently doing something that could land you in prison, remove the AirPort card."
Re:Audio Cable by TTop · 2004-07-22 09:03 · Score: 2, Informative

You can buy a mini-to-RCA plug at Radio Shack for less than $5. I think the kit has optical, "normal" and a power extension.
Re:Interesting by wfberg · 2004-07-22 09:08 · Score: 2, 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.

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SCO employee? Check out the bounty
Re:This is fine and well, but... by Psychic+Burrito · 2004-07-22 09:14 · Score: 2, Informative

As far as I know, it's just France...
Re:Audio Cable by rickerbr · 2004-07-22 09:15 · Score: 5, Informative

The airport express as shipped will need a 1/8" (3.5mm) to dual RCA or mini-Toslink optical cable to hook up to an audio device. Out of the box it can not do so. While radio shack has the cables necessary, it doesn't have the power cord which replaces the flip out plug in (ala iPod and power book adapters). I've had my AX up and running since last friday and finally got the connector kit yesterday.
Re:audio through USB port ? by tgibbs · 2004-07-22 09:19 · Score: 3, Informative

Does anyone have any idea if it would be possible to route the audio from the WiFi-interface to the USB port?

Apple emphasizes in its documentation that the USB port is for printers only.
Actually, it's not like that at all. by billybob · 2004-07-22 09:24 · Score: 3, Informative

That's like dodging points for a graphics card w/o a speaker.

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. :P

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Joseph?
RTFA by GnomeAttic · 2004-07-22 11:10 · Score: 2, Informative

If you're interested to know whether it sends the audio or the file, see subject.
Re:Audio Cable by TheRaven64 · 2004-07-22 22:35 · Score: 2, Informative

The power cord is a standard 2-pin (no earth) connector found on a lot of radios and other devices. You can pick the up for next to nothing in any electrical hardware store (or just grab them from old broken radios). The official one comes with a retention clip, but this is not really required (the iBooks, which have the same design power block, do not include the retention clip).

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