[psmith2.0]

Sounds neat!

http://www.macminute.com/2004/06/07/airportexpress

Just happened...

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

Hmm. Anyone expect this?

[HOM]

That's really cool. I definitely see myself buying one as soon as it is available.

3...2...1...

Let the bitching that it's $129 and not $99 being.

[sCreeD]

Well here's my bitch: Only $10 USD off for .edu-people

Piddle in my beer, while you're at it!

Screed

[low-fi]

oooooooooooooooooooh, it has optical digital out. that is a big deal. I so want one of these NOW!

[DMBand0026]

It's official, that's the coolest thing I've seen all day.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, and it's enjoying www.apple.com front-page status.



To be replaced tomorrow by new G5s, of course (they'll rotate out when you refresh...just watch).

[DMBand0026]

WWDC isn't for another few weeks...new G5s than.

And this thing rebroadcasts the wireless signal...I'm sold.

And my pockets are now $119 dollars lighter.


Edit:

When the heck are these things shipping? I need someone to test stuff for me cause I'm not gonna blow $120 on something that won't rebroadcast a signal that doesn't come from an APE basestation...

Seriously though, if someone wanted to fill me in on the functionality of that feature, that would rock.

[Mac+]

Now that was definitely out of left field. Nice surprise, though.

Now we can see Jobs' vision of the Mac being the digital hub gathering an even stronger foothold in homes across the land. With airport express, the portable Mac is now capable of being a mobile digital hub anywhere that has a powerpoint nearby!

This is way cool!

[Messiahtosh]

Apple is the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory of the tech industry! They always surprise and surpass my imagination with the stuff they unveil. It is a "world of pure imagination" inside Apple headquarters.

All we need now are Everlasting Ballmer-Stoppersª



I guess you could say Phil Schiller is the oompa loompa within Apple.

Might as well round out the Wonka themed post by saying Bill Gates is the Slugworth of the industry, stealing secrets and such. haha

[Ebby]

Hey, I'm not complaining. I actually was looking at a D-Link wireless bridge for a project I am working on yesterday. This even has an audio port and USB printer sharing! I am quite the scrooge, but I am seriously thinking about getting one.

Oh, yea. This has to be the best secret device from apple, I haven't heard a peep on any rumor site! :wow: C'mon guys, do we need to get Apple employees drunk?

[psmith2.0]

Messiahtosh's post conjures up such vivid images (and ideas).

glances over at Photoshop icon, figuring I can use google.com to find appropriate pics of Gene Wilder in Wonka garb and a Steve Job headshot...

[Messiahtosh]

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...emId=543414 7

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by DMBand0026 WWDC isn't for another few weeks...new G5s than.

I think new iMacs will make their appearance at WWDC. G5-based, no less.

Why waste the attention/hype of WWDC to unveil new, merely speed-bumped G5s? Ho-hum, indeed. Speed bumps and slightly altered internals aren't the most exciting thing I can think of, even though hitting that 3GHz will be cool. But it's not truly a standalone, huge deal IMO.

Wouldn't new, completely redesigned G5-based iMacs be more worthy of a WWDC type event? I think so.

But we'll know soon enough. I don't want to derail this thread and take away from the AirPort Express discussion!



(we can start a thread in Speculation to hammer out our WWDC expectations!)

[DMBand0026]

Originally Posted by Ebby C'mon guys, do we need to get Apple employees drunk?

I'm on it....



G5 specs...here we come



<Runs out door to get cases of beer>

[dfiler]

Finally! I've been wanting one of these forever.

I was envisioning something with a user interface or at least an infrared receiver. But hey, at least I can play music to my homestereo conveniently now. The infrared receiver would be for controlling iTunes via your typical multibrand remote.

[Messiahtosh]

Hehe!

[Messiahtosh]

Look for Bluetooth iPod's or airport Pods next week.

[Ebby]

Wow! :wow: That thing has optical audio output too! So many surprises.

I have one question though. It says the ethernet port can connect to cable modems/DSL/existing networks. But could you use it to connect a single ethernet computer to the wireless network? (backwords?) Or maybe bridge a switch with a few computers. The specs say it is a WAN port, not a LAN port.

[psmith2.0]

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

More than you know, Steve. More than you know...and we thank you.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by DMBand0026 And this thing rebroadcasts the wireless signal...I'm sold. Edit: When the heck are these things shipping? I need someone to test stuff for me cause I'm not gonna blow $120 on something that won't rebroadcast a signal that doesn't come from an APE basestation... Seriously though, if someone wanted to fill me in on the functionality of that feature, that would rock.

"Wireless bridging" is basically a boosted Airport range by extending the cloud of coverage.

O'Reilly explains it better than I can summarize, and details the differences with early Airport Cards vs Extreme vs PC offerings. here from 2003-08-28


Only the bottom left station (DA) is cabled. The other stations, 'relay' and 'remote' are using WDS wireless bridging to extend coverage into building 2 (SA) without cabling.

[DMBand0026]

Sorry...I guess I was slightly vague in what I needed explained. What I was wondering is...
Apple claims that the Express station will only bridge with another AP or APE station, and I don't have one of those...will it still bridge with a third party basestation?

[Ebby]

So if laptop "SA" were connected to an airport express in building A via ethernet, it could still reach the internet even though the airport express has a WAN port?

DMBand0026: I'm guessing that it will work since 802.11 is a standard and other devices support bridging. The rendezvous configuration may not work, (that seems to be an Apple-thing) but you should be able to manually configure it. Just guessing though.

EDIT: so it does seem to have basic router functions. (Firewall & stuff) Maybe it won't be able to do what I would like to do. (Something like this) Still a cool product though.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by DMBand0026 Sorry...I guess I was slightly vague in what I needed explained. What I was wondering is... Apple claims that the Express station will only bridge with another AP or APE station, and I don't have one of those...will it still bridge with a third party basestation?

I suppose it depends on the third party basestation.
The O'Reilly link notes some differences in WDS implementation on some models of LinkSys and Buffalo.
Apple will likely post a list of supported 3rd party 802.11 devices if they haven't already.

[staph]

Wow! How very very cool.

Originally Posted by Ebby Wow! :wow: That thing has optical audio output too! So many surprises. I have one question though. It says the ethernet port can connect to cable modems/DSL/existing networks. But could you use it to connect a single ethernet computer to the wireless network? (backwords?) Or maybe bridge a switch with a few computers. The specs say it is a WAN port, not a LAN port.

I also wonder this... ideally, I'd like to just plug this into my switch and have it roll, presumably by a built-in DHCP client. I can't use it if I can't integrate it into my current wired network.

I don't suppose anyone wants to pop into an Apple Store and clarify this point?

HmmÉ not yet on the Australian Apple Store yet either. They could be waiting for normal business hours I suppose.

[Wrao]

Looks like a very nice product, we could use one in the house here. But, we don't have any airport products, except for the Airport cards in our laptops. I hope it will work with the linksys.

[DMBand0026]

Originally Posted by Wrao Looks like a very nice product, we could use one in the house here. But, we don't have any airport products, except for the Airport cards in our laptops. I hope it will work with the linksys.

That's what I'm hoping too...I don't have an AP basestation...I hope it works with netgear, cause I've been waiting for something like this for a long time!

[Gargoyle]

He he, its on the front page of the UK site too, but I cant find it IN the online store yet...

[Messiahtosh]

Amazing job there Pscates! I love it!

[Wickers]

Well swiss cheese that is cool!

I really like it!

So much so that is will be part of my new iBook purchase, if it is available within a week that is.

Really cool!

[Wickers]

Now that I think about it...

I wonder what's under the hood?
How much power does it draw?
Which network OS does it run?
Has someone opened one up yet for the world to see?