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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Express Air

MacOPINION: "I popped over to Apple's website and saw the AirPort Express info. My first reaction was that this was a cool device. Not just cool... Apple cool. Really slick. My second reaction was a more rational one as I tried to wrap my head around the new gadget. What exactly is AirPort Express? Is it wireless speakers for iTunes? Is it a miniature wireless router? Is it a wireless printer connection? It took me a few minutes reading the site to come up with the answers to those questions, but those answers only generated more questions. In the end, I'm left impressed with Apple's marketing and engineering, but frustrated because Apple seems to have left me out of their equation. You see, no matter how I've crunched the data, I can't figure out what I'd do with the thing. I really want to like it, but I don't need it ... While it sounded radical at first hearing, AirPort Express is nothing more than a wireless router with a headphone jack and print server. Okay, it's a little more sophisticated than that, but not much. When you think of it that way, it's not especially remarkable. With wireless routers selling for less than $50 these days, the $129 AirPort Express is expensive if you can't use most of its features."

So I did pre-order one of these things, and I can tell you exactly how I will use it, but this guy has a point: The AirPort Express device is a bit of a hard sell to the Joe Normal crowd. (It also begs the question: Why is the AirPort Extreme base station still $250? That's over twice the cost of other base station/routers) It's a white gadget ... it looks like a PowerBook power supply ... it has wireless ... something ... and it has some ports on it. A humor site recently captured the Zeitgeist of this confusion perfectly: Apple Introduces Expensive White Box with Holes, Plug, and Logo. And if that doesn't make you laugh, you're already dead.

[ Posted at 2:00 PM | Permalink ]