Airport Express Falls Short
On the face of it Airport Express sounds really really cool. Stream tunes to your stereo anywhere in your house. Just plug it in to your wall, connect an audio jack out into your stereo and you are done.
Well, almost. Unlike digital music players that let you stream and control your digital music collection Airport Express is merely a streaming device.
Want to actually control your next track? Or pause what is currently playing? You have to traipse to wherever your Mac or PC is and control the songs from there. If your machine is in the same room you are in better luck. Still its not ideal.
The problems with Airport Express dont stop there. Want to stream songs to multiple machines that are playing are different songs? Cant.
The Airport Express is undoubtedly a cool product that fills a need within the Airport line. The ability to extend a wireless network with a small device is great. But as a home audio device it has much to be a desired.
I have called, in the past, for Apple to create an iStereo, a digital componant that would stream music like the Aiport Express does but also let users control their music from the device. I suppose if the next version of the iPod has Bluetooth built in that could solve part of the puzzle. Still, the market is begging Apple to create a stereo component. HP has done it, Linkys has done it, and any number of small aftermarket players have done it. Unlike these companies Apple has the most to gain from getting a device out in the marketplace. Steve, spend some of the 5 billion you have in cash and get the job done. Now.
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Sigh, everyone picks on my name <snif>
Do these wireless bridges plug-in to my amp? Speaker?
Some may say “you don’t get it,” I’d rather say you just “get it different(ly).”
data masked - read the product descriptions maybe and you can answer your own questions.
JeffyC - Airport Express is filling a price segment _under_ the Aiport Extreme… its not new, no one is thinking that. Its a price competitive and finally feature competitive wireless product.
til now, Apple’s wireless products were needlessly overpriced. You get software that is buggy at best (Airport Admin) extraordinary low range, and missing many features that are now standard with other vendors.
The aspects that you find “cute” are innovations - similar to the iPod and iMac - maybe Apple innovations are just brushed over nowadays. The size is incredibly small, the power converter must take up 80% of the size. A portable wireless network is an totally innovative pattern of use.
The audio jacks and “AirTunes” are really just Apple playing feature catch up. It’s nothing to get up in arms about how limited it is.
I can’t imagine that bright folks at Apple hadn’t already thought up this product: http://www.sonos.com/products/ which really takes the idea and developed it into a powerful product with a real use. If this was a substantial market, I am sure Apple would already be prototyping their own.
Nathan, follow the tread then respond. My questions were about claimed devices that do what AX does for half the price. But thanks for the RTFM reply, anyway.
data masked,
I guess it all depends on what kind of inputs you have on your Denon. If I wanted to I could connect my receiver (Onkyo) to my network with an ethernet connection. I know Denon offers this on a few of their products too. Which once again put us in options much less than expensice than this Apple creation. If you don’t have this option for connection, then I appologise and you need an audio out.
Once again, all I want to say is that there are options out there. My iPod lives by my receiver and I spent $20 to do so. You can burn a random playlist on to a cd and spend about $.30
Tony T. wants a very small router/bridge/access point and is willing to pay twice as much as regular size devices. Thats fine, it sound like he thought it out.
I’m looking for more, thats all. Maybe some contol through the Airport Express to my computer, how about radio control too?
The only reason I made my comments is so when people read they might think about it a little, you know, make sure the purchase is justified. Who knows, with some improvements, or add ons, I might jump on board. I was ready to buy with the origional iPod, and I wish the first installment of Airport Express made me want get on the bandwagon too. Aplogies to all.