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AirPort Express with AirTunes

CoreForce said:
Anyone can tell me if this thing works with a library only? Will it be possible to push a radio station live stream to an Airport Express/AirTunes thing as well?

I wonder about this since the pages always talk about library only...
Click to expand...

no i am pretty sure that radio is mentioned somewhere, although i can't be sure, it was possibly not officially stated... although the Airtunes technology allows your to select "remote speakers' as an output source, and it plays audiobooks... so radio would be a no-brainer
 
I LOVE YOU APPLE!!!

This is why I love them, I open my powerbook, wait a sec or two to get it connected to airport, wait a sec or two to wait the safari connect to apple.com to see if they updated the powermacs or displays or anything expected.. and.. there you go.. they come up with another dream of mine or something that I couldnt dream up until now, but I'll be dreaming till I buy it..

this is why I love these guys.. does any of you feel the samething like me and wanna be a part of this company???

on the other hand, I just bought a 802.11gp basestation damn it.. but.. I guess I'll buy it anyways for extending my range and the optical output..

I love you guys, go on inventing, we'll be there for you!!!
 
NAT?

OK...I am trying to figure this thing out...

Does this thing do NAT? If not, and your provider only allows one IP address per hi-speed internet account, then how do you support 10 simultaneous internet connections?

I am pretty sure I will pick up one of these, but not for the AirTunes, but because I do quite a bit of business travel, and this would be great for the hotel. At home, my AEBS covers my entire home, so I don't need the bridging capabilities.

If anyone can answer the NAT question, I would appreciate it.

Hickman
 
I'd love to use the optical out but the optical port on my Pioneer system is already being used by my Xbox. Is there any way of getting some sort of optical splitter so I can connect more than one optical devices into the one input on my receiver?
 
starboard said:
http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/

for more details on how AirTunes actually works. It seems to suggest that it can deal with multichannel sounds like DTS or Dolby.
Click to expand...
Thanks, starboard. It's great to get the facts. It doesn't just suggest that Dolby Digital and DTS work; it says so flat out. It also reports that anything you play in iTunes can be sent to the Airport Express for your speakers (one set of speakers at a time), including shared music from another Mac and Internet radio. And this clearly excludes other sounds on your Mac, i.e., it is only for iTunes.

Another fact explained: All music is uncompressed/decoded by iTunes, recompressed in Apple Lossless, encrypted, and sent to the Airport Express, where it is unencrypted, decoded, and turned into analog out or digital/optical out. So the AE deals with one and only one incoming format, and most of the work is done on the computer side.
 
ramallite said:
I use Salling clicker to control iTunes from anywhere in the house with my bluetooth phone. This is great!! Now I can finally move the stereo out of the bedroom and set it somewhere that's more convenient because it won't have to stay within 3 feet of my computer because it won't have to be plugged into it!!
Click to expand...

salling clicker is not designed to be used all around teh house in conjunction with your mac. That is has a proximity sensor... when you leave the room your mac is in, your iTunes stops.

granted, it has to be specified to do this, (although it may the default).

however, the fact of the matter is, you can't "...use Salling clicker to control iTunes from anywhere in the house with my bluetooth phone"

you are obviously fibbing.
 
As a few others have pointed out, this thing could do with a firewire port. It's a cool device and is classic out of the box design that Apple is known for, however, with a firewire port the following could be possible:
  • attach an isight using the iflex (http://www.macmice.com/iflex.html) and you have an adjustable remote chat camera,
  • hook up an ipod to the airport extreme firewire port and sync with any of your computers on the network,
  • shared firewire storage (although this would require possibly significant file server software in the airport extreme and thus may not be possible in the form factor),
  • remote syncing of digital cameras and camcorders (install an airport extreme near your tv/hifi/video camera equipment which many people keep in a different room from the computer),
On the otherhand, some of this is possible over USB and the remote printer capability probably has wider market appeal. So if it was a choice of usb versus firewire, then usb is arguably a better choice. But, if there was a cubic centimeter or two of space spare, then a firewire port would be a nice addition. :)
 
iChan said:
i wonder if there are any apple patents relating to this product.
Click to expand...

they should take the patent of this product..

I dont want to see cheap copies of what Apple does around and this is a great invention and a new thing for those people to copy.. :mad:
 
This device is awesome. I love how Apple can manage to take something that's so complicated (streaming audio) and simplify the heck out of it. The only thing holding me back from buying one is that I can't figure out if it will work with my existing network setup. I'd be using the AirportExpress only to to stream music from my Powerbook to the amps in my living room, which distribute audio (currently from a CD player) throughout my house. It would be great to have access to my whole library and eliminate the CD player from the rack.

My network includes a Cisco Aironet wireless access point that already provides very good coverage throughout my entire house. I wired the house for ethernet when I remodeled it, so the Aironet connects to an ethernet switch in my basement, where my Linksys (wired) firewall/router and DSL modem also live. So, I don't need the AirportExpress' USB print server, router, DHCP/NAT server, firewall, WAN connectivity or additional wireless range.

Can I connect the AirportExpress to my existing wired or wireless network? Better yet, is there a way to turn off all the functionality except audio streaming?

FYI - I plan to use my Bluetooth phone along with Salling Clicker (software) to remotely control iTunes running on my Powerbook to make up for the lack of a "display" on the AirportExpress. Gotta love technology.

Hey Apple: If there were a cheaper device that just streamed audio (no wan port, no dhcp, no printer port), I'd buy it. Maybe an AirportExpress mini for $99 - serving those of us who already have a home network setup.
 
Chip NoVaMac said:
Surprised that no one has mentioned how cool this will be for college students....
Click to expand...

Except Apple has the phrase "dorm room" about 300 times on the AEX section of their site.
 
iChan said:
this has nothing got to do with the iPod... yet.
Click to expand...

yet!!! but imagine.. imagine you hold your iPod syncing wirelessly and imagine yourself changing the playlist on your mac from your iPod wirelessly with this new baby... imagine.. :rolleyes:
 
Brian Hickman said:
OK...I am trying to figure this thing out...

Does this thing do NAT? If not, and your provider only allows one IP address per hi-speed internet account, then how do you support 10 simultaneous internet connections?

I am pretty sure I will pick up one of these, but not for the AirTunes, but because I do quite a bit of business travel, and this would be great for the hotel. At home, my AEBS covers my entire home, so I don't need the bridging capabilities.

If anyone can answer the NAT question, I would appreciate it.

Hickman
Click to expand...

According to the specs, which no one seems to read, the AP Express is NAT compatible... whatever that means with regards to your question...
 
Regarding compatibility with XBox or PS2.

A post at Appleinsider claims that the Ethernet connection only goes one way -- which would mean that it can't be used with either console.

Can anyone confirm?
 
toughboy said:
yet!!! but imagine.. imagine you hold your iPod syncing wirelessly and imagine yourself changing the playlist on your mac from your iPod wirelessly with this new baby... imagine.. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Maybe AiportExpress2 will have wireless firewire (Well wireless firewire bridge) in it as well :p
 
tpavell said:
The only inconvenient thing about this is you have to run to the other room or carry around your laptop to monitor iTunes. Couldn't there be a remote similar in form to an iPod mini sans hard-drive that could allow you to control the iTunes playlists on the host compter?
Click to expand...

There is, it's called a Sony-Ericsson mobile phone and Salling Clicker via Bluetooth. It's how I control my iTunes collection remotely at the moment.
 
bar italia said:
Regarding compatibility with XBox or PS2.

A post at Appleinsider claims that the Ethernet connection only goes one way -- which would mean that it can't be used with either console.

Can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...
It is designed to go into a Router/Switch only
you will want something like this from Linksys
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=38&prid=558
This then will talk to your Airport/Wireless network
 
iChan said:
salling clicker is not designed to be used all around teh house in conjunction with your mac. That is has a proximity sensor... when you leave the room your mac is in, your iTunes stops.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have a proximity sensor, when you lose the Bluetooth connection iTunes will stop (if you have it set). Considering Bluetooth range is 10 meters that's pretty far to roam.

I can go anywhere in my house and garden (and I do) without losing the connection. Salling Clicker is great for controlling iTunes from the back garden during a party.
 
lar_24 said:
Anyone know if the USB port works with devices other then printers? Would love to just plug my USB hub into this thing and have nothing but the power cord hooked into my PB and still be able to access my printer, scanner, mouse, etc, etc.........
Click to expand...
No, USB doesn't work that way, at least not without some fancy software. The only thing I know of that will let you share your scanner or digital camera is OS X's Image Capture (in 10.3 or later), which is required on both ends--Apple apparently created a scanner/camera-sharing protocol that can be used over a network (including the Internet). I suppose they could implement that technology in a stand-alone device some day, but at this point you need a full-fledged computer. Same goes for a mouse or anything else besides a printer. The various AirPort things are just print servers (HP JetDirect-style, I believe).

HTH
WM
 
I would like to see a video out on this sucka. just so you can plug in to a TV and have the iTunes Visual Screen going. Now that will be cool.
 
appleguy said:
Maybe AiportExpress2 will have wireless firewire (Well wireless firewire bridge) in it as well :p
Click to expand...
That would really be great to be able to set up my 300gb firewire drive and use it as a media server/NAS.

Anyway, what I really wanted to address is the number of questions regarding whether or not you would be able to connect the Airport Express directly to a computer without a wireless connection. I would assume that apple would have considered something like this in their setup. You can obviously disable DHCP if you can set it up as a wireless extender, however on the Airport Extreme Base Station you cannot connect to any other computer on the network if you connect a computer through the WAN port. It most likely has some port blocking in place, as a hardware firewall, it's a tough call until someone actually tries it. On the hardware level it's obviously possible, the expandability of the software is another question altogether. I would tend to believe that it would not work... call me a skeptic, hopefully I am happily suprised!

And to AppleGuy, yes you would be able to make this work on your current network, just plus your dsl/cable modem into onto one of your four Airport Extremes, and hook the other up around your house as Wireless Extenders. You should have great coverage in your house, and a great new set of toys to play with.
 
Finiksa said:
It doesn't have a proximity sensor, when you lose the Bluetooth connection iTunes will stop (if you have it set). Considering Bluetooth range is 10 meters that's pretty far to roam.

I can go anywhere in my house and garden (and I do) without losing the connection. Salling Clicker is great for controlling iTunes from the back garden during a party.
Click to expand...

Maybe they will come out with a version that you can set up to use a WiFi connection on a PDA. Maybe that PDA will work as a phone over my Vonage VOIP connection too! Now there is a killer app... Steve should pay me for this stuff.
 
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