The new AirPort Express is also dual band (like the AirPort Extreme) simultaneously supporting 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz WiFi connected devices. Not sure how much I’ll need that second port on the road, but it’s nice to have. Sadly though these still aren’t gigabit ethernet ports. On the plus side Apple added a second Ethernet jack so that you can connect not only the ethernet cable to your internet connection, but also plug in a device via ethernet for speed. This may not seem like a big deal and maybe it isn’t (I’ll be on the road with it next week), but I certainly will miss just flipping out the prongs and plugging it in! The new one is slightly wider, but also slightly thinner. By that I mean that it now requires a power cord. Apple has gone away from the all-in-one design to one that is almost identical of the Apple TV. While the specs looked great, I cringed when I saw the back of it. Although I was most excited about the new MacBook line up, I was quick to take a look at the New AirPort Express too. Yep, it was just about perfect what it was.Īpple changed it! The new AirPort Express on top now comes with a freakin’ cord! Noooooooooo!Īpple quietly introduced a brand new AirPort Express model on Monday at the WWDC (along with new MacBooks and iOS 6 – yeah there was a speed bump to the Mac Pro too – sad that it’s virtually the same chassis as the Power Mac G5 and got no Thunderbolt or USB 3 love…). It even supports connecting a USB printer for easy wireless printing. The previous generation AirPort Express had 802.11n support as well as AirPlay and supported up to 10 devices simultaneously connected. Now that I not only have to demo cloud services for living, but also mobile Apps, I really appreciate being able to setup my own WiFi network on stage as well as my hotel rooms. It was fast, easy to setup and it just worked. I actually appreciated the simplicity of it being a compact self-contained router with flip out prongs to plug it into a wall outlet for power. See “ What’s In My Laptop Bag.” I never had an issue with the design of it. I have several of them for AirPlay streaming around the house and studio as well as at least one with me at all times when I travel (it lives in my bag). Pretty easy to set up.One of my favorite road warrior gadgets is the AirPort Express. I set up the Express to "join a network" and connected it to my stereo using a 3.5mm to 2 X RCA jack. You can download it from Apple for free if its not already installed on your Mac or PC. You need to use Apple's free Airport Utility software to configure the device. I also added an Ethernet cable to the LAN port and connected it to my HDTV, which is internet capable but doesn't have WiFi. I don't use the Express as a router to create its own network. But overall I'm very happy with the device. I believe this happens because the Express is in my basement which does not get very good WiFi reception since my Extreme is upstairs on the other side of the house. It works pretty well, but the sound does drop out occasionally. The reason I purchased the Express is to use AirPlay (formerly referred to as AirTunes) so I can stream music from iTunes on my Mac and the Music app on my iPhone 4S to my stereo. I already own a solid wireless router, the Apple Airport Extreme. (The current form factor recently changed to a hockey puck shape). This is the old "wall wart" version of the Airport Express. It's a must buy for those considering buying one of those Sonos systems or anything similar. Once you have one and its s et up you can by more and place them in all the rooms in your house and control them all with your mac or pc. Once I reset the unit then created a separate network it was as easy as pie and no problems what so ever. I got several error messages when trying to play music through the connected stereo. What I didn't like, was that it was easy to set up when you create a separate network with it but when you try to connect it to the network you already have in place it's pretty hard for your average joe. You can also connect a printer to it so that you can print wirelessly as well. I also love the features like being able to stream music from your pc or mac to it with speakers or stereo connected to it! I do recommend however that you splurge for the stereo connection kit for better sound quality. I live the compact size which makes it easy to take with you when you travel.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |