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AirPort Express with AirTunes

chipcarterdc said:
Please excuse the ignorant question (I haven't set up a home network yet): This acts as a base station as well, right? I.e., when I get my DSL or cable connection at home, I plug this Airport Express into the DSL/Cable modem jack and the stereo (assuming they're phsyically close enough) and the Airport Express sends out a wireless signal? In other words, I don't need this AND an Airport Extreme base station, right?

One other question: is there a piece of hardware that goes between the wall jack for DSL or Cable connection and the Airport (Express/Extreme)? What I'm asking is: does the Airport station (of whatever flavor) plug directly into the wall jack, or is there an intervening piece of hardware (like a modem?).
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Correct. The positioning of it is tricky, since you need to plug it directly into an outlet, but it IS a base station. They are promoting for use in hotel rooms, where you can typically find an Ethernet port near the phone or TV. Just realize this unit will not have the 150 range of the regular Airport Extreme Base Station.

Note: There IS an AC extension power cord available as an accessory - $39 as part of the "Audio Kit."

Any normal flavor of Base Station gets electricity directly, by plugging into the wall. Nothing needed in between... except maybe a surge protector. There IS a special Base Station that gets its "electricity over ethernet" for special networking uses.
 
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS

But .. .YOU READ IT HERE FIRST ... Next is an Apple Remote Control with RF modulation that goes through walls. Here's why:

As it stands now, you hook this thing up in your bedroom. Your iMac is in the living room running iTunes. A song comes on that you hate. You can't change the song now without getting up.

Enter the remote that features either the wireless firewire that's coming and/or RF modulation. It's a super remote with an ipod like screen that lets you control iTunes from ANYWHERE in your house.

I'm not one to make predictions, especially on stuff that hasn't even been mentioned, but think about it. It's logical and almost necessary based on what they released today.

Seriously, doesn't this just beg for this type of attachment? Otherwise, musically, it's lacking the most basic necessity. A means to change the song!
 
scottkle said:
As it stands now, you hook this thing up in your bedroom. Your iMac is in the living room running iTunes. A song comes on that you hate. You can't change the song now without getting up.
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This begs the question: Why would you have a song in your iTunes library that you hate?

scottkle said:
Enter the remote that features either the wireless firewire that's coming and/or RF modulation. It's a super remote with an ipod like screen that lets you control iTunes from ANYWHERE in your house.
Click to expand...

Why wouldn't Apple release this product simultaneously with the Airport Express?
 
Trekkie said:
After reading through the tech specs, the way it reads - yes.

I can see many uses for it besides just iTunes extensions. For example I was at an Embassy suites and the wireless internet they offered didn't reach beyond the front door. I could plug one of these guys in on an n outlet near that door, extend that network into my room and off I go.

Very cool. Got one on order, and depends on how it works might carry a second with me.
Click to expand...

Will you let me know if you are at an Embassy Suites in my area when you do that? https://forums.macrumors.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=873383#

Seriously though I like your idea, but don't trust people...
 
Third-party routers

Lancetx said:
I assume this would work as a Wi-Fi range extender with 3rd party 802.11g routers as well and doesn't require an Apple AirPort Extreme base station right?
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According to #5 on the bottom of this page . . .

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

. . . you can't use the AirportExpress to bridge with a third-party router. Maybe there is a workaround?
 
My home stereo is currently set up with an iPod plugged into it. I see a couple of advantages to the Airport Express streaming:

(1) control song selection and sounds from the couch with your laptop, rather than getting up and messing around with the iPod (OK, I can kind of do this already with the infrared remote for my iPod, but you can't see what song is playing or coming up from across the room).

(2) Keep your iPod where it belongs -- on your person or in your bag at all times -- rather than having to swap it in and out to the stereo.

(3) As currently set up, I have to get the iPod out of my bag; pop it into the dock; attach the infrared remote into which the RCA cables run to the top of the iPod; keep it from flipping over due to the cables plugged in to the top of the Pod; and reverse the whole process when I want to take the iPod with me.

(4) Assuming, like us, that you only have one iPod (mine), but two laptops, my wife doesn't have to wait for me to come home with the iPod to play music -- she can just use her iTunes library on her laptop.

(5) "Hey -- I'm having a party. Everybody bring their laptops and play us some jams." (Again, rather than "everybody bring your iPods and we'll swap the RCA cables in and out")

These advantanges assume, though, that you have or will set up a home wireless network.

bar italia said:
Am I missing something?

How would this be any more convenient/efficient than simply attaching your iPod to a stereo with a standard connector?

What advantage would the new device provide?

Also, echoing other people's questions -- can you use this to get an XBox/PS2 online?
Click to expand...
 
Ok, maybe you don't hate it .. but maybe you just don't want to hear it.


bar italia said:
This begs the question: Why would you have a song in your iTunes library that you hate?



Why wouldn't Apple release this product simultaneously with the Airport Express?
Click to expand...


To keep the suspense building!!
 
crees! said:
I don't know. 99.9% of all live band / hip hop music is in stereo. If it's used on a soundtrack for a movie it is put in surround sound after the fact and thus isn't true surround sound. The only thing 5.1 for iTunes would be good for is movie trailers encoded in surround.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about the small but growing segment of 5.1 music... there are two competing formats: SACD (Super Audio CD) and DVD-A (DVD-Audio); both have very strong support from the electronics industry (natch, because they require lots of expensive equipment to play) but not a lot of music has been released for it -- mostly it's not surround recordings per se but catalog stereo albums remixed to 5.1. So, of course it's a gimmick, but a fun one. Still, the music exists; according to highfidelityreview.com, "2,000 Super Audio CDs on the market worldwide (almost half of which are reported to be Surround Sound SACDs) and that there are an additional 100 SACDs per month now being released each month."

I imagine iTunes Extreme tracks @ $1.49 each, which include both stereo and 5.1 mixes of the song... play it on headphones and it's the same as it ever was, but play it through Airport Express with an optical connection and you get 5.1. Also, perhaps there will be a new Dock Extreme with optical out.

And, a little further on, I can't believe that the iPod won't someday do video. So then it will be essential to have surround sound, just like DVDs.
 
kwajo.com said:
it makes sense like this:

i go to a hotel with broadband access and my powerbook is with me, i pop the adapter into the wall, attach the ethernet cable and then i can use the powerbook all over the room, such as in bed, etc. like i would at home. later when the battery needs topping up i just go plug it into the same device. it's more the idea of having a wi-fi access point with you whereever you go that i think would be cool. yes if the ports were in a convenient place it wouldnt' matter, but usually they aren't
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Or, here's an idea, you plug both your AC adapter and the Airport Express into the wall. Other than saving a single plug, I don't see the point. Hell, get one of those mini strips you can get at Radio Shack and carry that with you. I just don't see the point. The Airport Express is portable enough that it doesn't matter that it's one more thing floating in your bag.
 
usb capabilties

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.........
 
Making sure I get it

Ok. So if I have this straight.

I buy an airport express and put it in my laptop bag. I go to a Hyatt or other hotel with wireless connectivity, but it doesn't work well in the room or something like that.

So I plug in an ethernet cable into it and plug it into the wall. And if the hotel has a wireless network .. just like that I'm on it?

If so, how would I access it? Do I then go under the airport menu icon in the menubar and select it or does something else happen? Any ideas?
 
bar italia said:
Am I missing something?

How would this be any more convenient/efficient than simply attaching your iPod to a stereo with a standard connector?
Click to expand...
That was my question too, along with: what the heck good it does you if you've got to run all the way back to your computer to control iTunes? What would be really useful is if it offered some way of controlling iTunes from where you were listening.

The one way I can think of that it would be better than simply hooking your iPod up to your stereo (aside of its being a wireless access point) is that you can use Party Shuffle. That's about it, unless you can't fit all your music on your iPod, in which case access to your whole library would be the only other advantage.

If you're just getting into the whole base station thing, though, and want to go with the all-Apple solution, it is a great deal. Wireless network, printer hookup, and stereo hookup all in one for $129. Or maybe, if you didn't have an iPod, it may make sense.

Whew. A whole page of posts while I was writing this....
 
Why Apple Japan's page is not updated yet :confused:
I want this NOW :D

I think Steve will introduce the WIFI enabled controller
he always uses for keynote as the One More Thing (TM).
That will allow us, through the Airport Express, to control
our Keynote/Powerpoint presentation, or
our iTunes streaming songs to the stereo !
 
Hopefully it works like that, but I remember some hotels having weird software you have to use to "buy" access to the internet through their network. They can be dumb.

BEN
 
This just SCREAMS for a 4G iPod with WiFi capabilities! This would offer a whole new market for the iPod - not just 10.000 (or 15.000 :)) songs in your pocket on the go, but also on your stereo with the funkiest remote control on the planet: the iPod itself! Bring it on, Apple!
 
scottkle said:
Seriously, doesn't this just beg for this type of attachment? Otherwise, musically, it's lacking the most basic necessity. A means to change the song!
Click to expand...

amen. not all of us have laptops, and i'm not about to drag my computer over to the couch just so i can change the songs without getting up. the squeezebox & roku still have the advantage there.

in terms of musical functionality (i recognize that this product has other merits) the airport express gets a big ol' ambivalent shrug on the sonofslimometer, until we're offered some means of controlling iTunes remotely.
 
OH MY GOD

Can anyone tell me how to talk some sense into my father?

He saw some damn show about how people who setup wifi in their homes leave their entire computers and networks open to anyone who can pick up the signal.

He seems to think that anyone in a car could drive up outside our house, and if i get airport express, be able to access our network from their car, and then access all of our information on our computers and such.

I keep trying to tell him that that absolutely isn't the case, that the most they might be able to do is get the internet from outside, but definitely not access the information on our computers. Am i right or is my father right? Until I convince him that some weirdo hacker can't pull up outside our house and steal all the information on our computers because we happen to have airport express, he won't even let me connect it to any ethernet line in our house! :(
 
sonofslim said:
amen. not all of us have laptops, and i'm not about to drag my computer over to the couch just so i can change the songs without getting up. the squeezebox & roku still have the advantage there.

in terms of musical functionality (i recognize that this product has other merits) the airport express gets a big ol' ambivalent shrug on the sonofslimometer, until we're offered some means of controlling iTunes remotely.
Click to expand...


how about a $30 infrared remote? i've got one, it works great!

Keyspan Remote (that I own)
 
proper dj'ing

i wonder if it's going to work with traktor?.. :confused:

seeing as itunes needed an update, i'm guessing an update to traktor as well 2.6 maybe?

or could you mess around with the output selection box in traktor to get it to work?
 
The best feature is that for laptop users, its airport-able.

AIRPORT-ABLE--

Being able to plug the small wireless into any ethernet and get wireless reception is very cool, especially or the traveller.

Also, I think the steroe speakres thing is good, too. It is just better for some people's lifestyles than others. For example, my best speakers are hooked up to my comp, so it doesn't matter!!

What we really need is FIREWIRELESS-- so i can hook up my speakers to them and just use my spweet speaker from anywhere in my place!
 
Okay, so let me get this straight. I can plug my DSL modem into this sucker and use it as a base station?

Hell, I may get rid of this shi**y D-Link router after all.
 
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