Apple’s AirPort Express
p2pnet.net News:- You’ve got to give it to Apple’s Steve Jobs.
He never misses a beat.
While his competitors tie themselves in knots trying to figure out how to make money out of the online music buying public, Apple continues to come up with cool devices to more firmly establish Apple as the only way to go.
The latest product is a mobile wireless unit that lets you play the iTunes tunes on your Mac or PC over your home stereo.
And the name – AirPort Express – is right too.
Measuring less than 4″x3″x1″, and weighing less than seven ounces, it’s an AirPort Base Station, a wireless relay, a wireless bridge, a music streamer for stereos and powered speakers, a wireless print server, and an answer to the prayers of PowerBook-toting business travelers,” states Macworld here.
But the most radical part “that will probably sell more AirPort Expresses than any of the [other] features” is, says Macworld, the fact it has an audio-out jack.
“That’s because AirPort Express is also an audio streamer, letting you connect any set of powered speakers or any stereo with a mini-jack- or optical-audio-input to your iTunes library and play music remotely,” says the story.
“Stick one next to your home theater receiver, and you can listen to your iTunes music collection. Thanks to an update to iTunes (version 4.6, due later this week), iTunes will now be able to play music either through your computer’s speakers or through speakers attached to any AirPort Expres – you choose where the music goes via a pop-up menu at the bottom of your iTunes window.
If you want to know how AirPort Express works, go here.
In the meanwhile, the Big Five record label should pin a medal on Jobs.
To the labels, competition is an extremely nasty word representing, as it does, a concept which terrifies them. The sites they support and supply – iTunes included – carry the same tired, 500,000 to 700,000 tracks at the same tired prices from the same tired labels.
It’s like a bunch of grocers all selling potatoes from one farmer’s crop at the same prices.
Jobs and Apple will do more to legitimize the ‘legitimate’ download market than the other plastic music sites combined.
When most, if not all, of them have foundered – and they will – Apple will still be there and this might lead to an interesting situation where Apple, in effect, almost single-handedly represents the corporate music industry with the indie labels and sites as the competition.
If and when that happens, for the first time, the online music business will start to develop in ways which will work for everyone – music lovers and the people who make the music – not just five feral companies who’ve had their own way for so long that they’ve come to believe it’s their God-given right.
June 8th, 2004 at 5:46 pm
“It’s like a bunch of grocers all selling potatoes from one farmer’s crop at the same prices.”
So true! As beautiful and simple as the iTunes Music Store is, seeing the same dried up song selections is depressing. You’re all hyped up when you get there and then…”is this all there is?” Oy.
June 8th, 2004 at 6:24 pm
As much as I don’t like Macs, Mr. Jobs’ job on the whole iTunes/iPod deal has brought me to buy (and fall in love with) an iPod. I think next on my list will be the APExpress
June 8th, 2004 at 6:39 pm
Just like most of apple’s products, this once again isnt’ a new idea.. They’ve been selling this product since the first portable CD player adapter that transmitted to your car sterio came about.
I’m not all the impressed, especially considering the price.
I will give them credit, they are good at creating a brand image and making some cool looking things, but ever since my buddy bought a mac laptop because of the battery lights on the bottom, I’ve lost interest.
June 8th, 2004 at 6:57 pm
This isn’t FM band, its more akin to a Shoutcast stream.
Print server + Streaming music decoder + 802.11g Router/Bridge + Smallest Wifi router on the market = $129.
The cheapest 802.11g router with a print server on Newegg is a D-Link and its $152. It’s a lot bigger than the AE, it won’t serve to extend the range of your current network, and it won’t decode streaming music.
What’s even worse than fanboys are anti-fanboys.
June 8th, 2004 at 7:07 pm
What are you talking about?
Did your buddy’d laptop light distract you from doing a bit of research on Airport Express before lowing your mouth off?
If a new idea came and hit you on your head, you would not recognize it!
Am
June 10th, 2004 at 9:53 pm
Been a PC geeks all my life and still am. Got a powerbook for my wife because I was getting tired of being system admin and virus administrator for her.
Love the Mac,
Love iTunes and iPhoto and all the apps
Ordered the AE when it came out
How refreshing the experience is to use these Apple products !!