Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes M9470LL/A [OLD VERSION] by Apple Computer
![Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes M9470LL/A [OLD VERSION]](/images/Apple-AirPort-Express-with-Air-Tunes-M9470LL-A-OLD-VERSION-B0002GDIII-L.jpg)
|
List Price: Our Price: $53.00 You Save: $76.95 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes M9470LL/A [OLD VERSION]
Digital camera Review: $189.99? They're kidding, right?
Summary: 4 Stars
I just checked the Apple Store online, and this great little router is currently selling for $89. 'Nough said.Digital camera Review: "Simply' great little device
Summary: 4 Stars
Works wonderfully with my PC and home wireless network (SMC wireless router). Set up was easy once I figured out:
1. It can be either a client or an access point (either create a network or join one) but not both if you're not using Airport Extreme, and that
2. The name of the network to join is the SSID of the access point
Works great a both a connection point, and then as a client to play music. Integration with iTunes was seamless, it just "shows up" on the bottom bar.
Would have given it 5 stars if there was a way to have it simultaneously be a client on the PC Wireless network and also extend it, like it does with Airport Extreme.
I know others have dinged it because of the lack of bells and whistles, but I gladly traded that for quick setup time, PC compatability and the fact that I had music on the back porch in less than hour (with powered speakers).
Digital camera Review: (Almost) perfect home appliance.
Summary: 4 Stars
It doesn't get any simpler than that. Plug to the stereo, plug your printer. It works (at least in a Mac environment).
The defects:
1- The USB connector is way too close to the audio connector. If you use a monster cable with an L-shaped plug, or presumably any other cable with a big plug, you'll end up with the USB connector and the audio plug competing for space and creating pressure.
2- Plugging to the wall? I've not been too happy with plugging the device to a wall socket (okay, so my wall sockets are poor).
The wish:
I wish I could also connect hard drives on this device.
Digital camera Review: 2 Homeruns
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this product for two reasons: to extend the range of my wireless network and as a means of playing the hundreds of songs on my PowerBook through our house sound system. The Airport Express hit a homerun on each count.
I have a wireless router in my studio which is in a separate building about 8 feet from the house. It supplies 4 bars to the house but not through the entire structure. The Airport Express definitely extends that signal. Now we have 4 bars in every room of our 2-story house.
We recently purchased a speaker system for our wide-screen TV (Altec Lansing FX6021). I located the Airport Express near the speaker system and used a mini-jack cord to connect the two. Now we're able to listen to our iTunes library through a decent sound system. In fact, right now my wife is upstairs listening to music coming from the PowerBook which I am using downstairs to type this review.
Setup was quick and easy. I plugged the Airport Express in and opened the Airport Setup Assistant on my PowerBook. The utility detected the signal immediately, and, after a few clicks we were up and running.
Digital camera Review: 5 Star Device With 1 Star Documentation
Summary: 3 Stars
I use this device as a print server/music server/bridge for an existing wireless-G Windows home network and although it works fantastic after I got it configured, the documentation really doesn't help with the setup AT ALL.
Though iTunes integration is easy as pie, there are a series of somewhat complicated steps to properly configure your Windows computers to connect to the print server via a TCP/IP port and the "manual" is inaccurate and incomplete. In fact, I had to google my problem until I stumbled upon this holy grail of a site: http://www.felixgp.force9.co.uk/tech/1013.html, which told me everything I needed to know to get up-and-running.
Other than that, all I can say is the device doesn't play nice with WEP security. The manual doesn't mention it, but you're supposed to prefix the "password" (really a key) with a dollar sign and even then I couldn't get it to work until I just changed the security to WPA (the Apple tech support guy and I gave up).
Really I'm pretty happy with the device and am actually thinking about using Apple in the future for wireless routers (apparently this thing can act as a range expander for Apple Airport-based wireless networks on top of everything else), but I'd only recommend it if you are fairly tech savy and willing to do a little digging to get it working the first time.