What exactly does the term "Airtunes" mean?

[kavika411]

Thanks for reading this. The term "Airtunes" does not make sense to me. Does it denote software, firmware, or hardware? I am aware that an Airport Express can wirelessly grab audio from iTunes and push that wireless signal into the eigth inch jack on the Airport Express, but the term "Airtunes" - as used by Apple - seems to be denoting something beyond that.

For example, the Airport Express can also grab a wireless printer 'command' and push that printer command into a USB port, but there isn't anything called "Airprint," at least that I know of.

I'm not trying to be nitpicky; I honestly am trying to figure out what I am missing. So, I guess my question is this: is "Airtunes" software, hardware or firmware, or is it simply a nifty name Apple created to denote the concept of wirelessly grabbing audio content from your iTunes and pushing it through an eighth inch jack?

Thanks.

 

[killmoms]

or is it simply a nifty name Apple created to denote the concept of wirelessly grabbing audio content from your iTunes and pushing it through an eighth inch jack?

That.

(Technically the audio is transcoded to Apple Lossless, encrypted, and pushed to the device, but whatever.)

 

[TEG]

Airtunes is the entire system of transcoding audio from iTunes, sending it to an APX, decoding it, and outputing it either as an optical stream or stereo connector on the APX.

TEG

 

[kavika411]

Thank you for your comments. I don't feel quite as dumb now. I am going to go copyright the name "Airprint" so that Apple will pay me royalties one day. (That's my sarcastic way of saying I don't understand why they created a software/hardware-sounding name for something that is a process.)

 

[killmoms]

Thank you for your comments. I don't feel quite as dumb now. I am going to go copyright the name "Airprint" so that Apple will pay me royalties one day. (That's my sarcastic way of saying I don't understand why they created a software/hardware-sounding name for something that is a process.)

'Cause it's CATCHY! Also because the concept of home audio streaming is still probably pretty foreign to most people.

 

[Batt]

AND . . . so I could name one of my AirPort Expresses "Airtunes".