"AirTunes requires iTunes 4.6 or later"

[stagmeister]

Check this out (http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/).

AirTunes requires iTunes 4.6 or later.

Wow! That means that they'll be coming out with a new version of iTunes. Besides the new wireless streaming to your stereo with the Airport Express and Airtunes, what else do you think they'll add to it?

Jason

[MikeM]

Hopefully, everything I've been asking for. :D

Probably not much, if anything, else. :(

The new iTunes is supposed to be out today sometime, if it isn't already. I should go check, so I can be dissappointed asap.

[ginalee]

Could someone please explain what is so hot with this airtunes - a version for dummies (i.e. moi :))

I have to have an airport basis station and then plug it in anywhere, everywhere, anytime?

[hitkaiser]

apart from air tunes support, does 4.6 have anything else?

[MikeM]

Originally posted by ginalee
Could someone please explain what is so hot with this airtunes - a version for dummies (i.e. moi :))

I have to have an airport basis station and then plug it in anywhere, everywhere, anytime?

It has an audio out option. You can wire your stereo system into it and then use iTunes on your computer to stream music through your stereo.

[ginalee]

itunes running on a computer with wireless capabilities right?

[MikeM]

Originally posted by ginalee
itunes running on a computer with wireless capabilities right?

Right.

[stagmeister]

Originally posted by ginalee
itunes running on a computer with wireless capabilities right?

I'm pretty sure that it has a connector to hook itself up to a regular LAN though, so that if you're just connected to a LAN you could stream music to it over the LAN... not 100% sure on that though

[dcmacnut]

Near as I can tell Airport Express has two main purposes:

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/

1. It serves as a palm sized wireless (WiFi) base station set to the 802.11g standard. For people without a Airport Extreme base station, it's a bare bones version of the larger, more expensive, Airport Extreme to which you can connect to a broadband/Ethernet internet connection, a USB printer for printer sharing, or use it as a wireless bridge to expand your wireless range.

2. It has an audio out port to which you can connect your stereo or a set of external speakers, anywhere in your house within range of an Airport/wireless capable computer (PC or Mac). iTunes 4.6 when it comes out will have an option where you set your sound output to use that stereo, as opposed to your computer's speakers, to play the music.

Since the Express has an Ethernet port, I agree with stagmeister that you could theoretically connect it to a wired LAN, but you would still be required to be connected directly to your computer and the speakers. What I like the sound of is that this would allow my to have my PowerBook safely locked in my room, running iTunes, while the Express is plugged into living room stereo. Instant party tunes without the fear of someone spilling a drink on my laptop. I'm very excited.

Chris

[ort]

There is a 100% chance that Apple will either make the G4 iPods work with this thing or will make an adapter of some sort to make all iPods work with this thing.

That will be cool.

[jhansman]

1. It serves as a palm sized wireless (WiFi) base station set to the 802.11g standard. For people without a Airport Extreme base station, it's a bare bones version of the larger, more expensive, Airport Extreme to which you can connect to a broadband/Ethernet internet connection, a USB printer for printer sharing, or use it as a wireless bridge to expand your wireless range.

FYI, I called Apple today to verify that the Airport Express will work with non-Apple 802.11g access points (Linksys, Netgear, et al); it will, so my order is in.

I was about to build a cheap, second system as a wireless client to share my iTunes library and connect to my home stereo. Now, thanks to the minds at Apple, there's no need and the whole idea just got one helluva lot easier. Doncha love technology? :cool:

[Starboard]

Originally posted by jhansman
FYI, I called Apple today to verify that the Airport Express will work with non-Apple 802.11g access points (Linksys, Netgear, et al); it will, so my order is in.

I was about to build a cheap, second system as a wireless client to share my iTunes library and connect to my home stereo. Now, thanks to the minds at Apple, there's no need and the whole idea just got one helluva lot easier. Doncha love technology? :cool:

wow. on the Apple site, the disclaimer says specifically that "AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network." So now I wonder what it can actually do. Will it connect to non-Apple WAP network but not extend it? hmm.

[BarracksSi]

You can plug your DSL or cable modem into the AirPort Express.

You can also wirelessly share a printer among computers by plugging it into the USB port.

I could buy this, retire my five-year-old graphite base station, plug the AirPort Express's audio into my home stereo, and finally add a printer, while still using my DSL modem.

[dcmacnut]

Originally posted by Starboard
wow. on the Apple site, the disclaimer says specifically that "AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network." So now I wonder what it can actually do. Will it connect to non-Apple WAP network but not extend it? hmm.

As long as your access point supports 802.11g, it should work just fine. That's why Apple supports the industry standard. I think Apple's fine print was to distinguish Express and Extreme from earlier iterations of the Apple Airport base stations, which do not support wireless bridging (to extend range).

Chris

[ginalee]

*musing*

I wonder if I could get one from the US and use it here... It isn't on the austrian apple store yet.

[MikeM]

Originally posted by ginalee
*musing*

I wonder if I could get one from the US and use it here... It isn't on the austrian apple store yet.

I don't see why not. Its all the same technology. The only thing I think could be different is the part that plugs into the wall for power.

[ginalee]

The wall plug should be retractable like the one for the ipod right?

[AndyH]

Gina: It sure looks like it's the same size/type as the iPod's AC adaptor.

[ginalee]

Great - now we'll just have to wait until mid-July, the promised shipping date. :)

[elbow]

Originally posted by BarracksSi
Y
You can also wirelessly share a printer among computers by plugging it into the USB port.




Can you plug any USB device in, or only a printer? I've got all my music on an external hard drive and it would be cool if I could plug that into the Airport Express's USB port and liberate another cable from my laptop.

[LoungeActor]

I am confused between the Airport Express and the Airtunes. If I already have a PC wireless set up --- do I have to by Apple's Airport Express and Airtunes.

Can I not just by Airtunes?

[dcmacnut]

Originally posted by LoungeActor
I am confused between the Airport Express and the Airtunes. If I already have a PC wireless set up --- do I have to by Apple's Airport Express and Airtunes.

Can I not just by Airtunes?
You cannot buy AirTunes seperately. It's a streaming protocol built into the Airport Express station. Airport Express has a standard audio out jack to allow connection to a stereo or speakers. Even if you already have wireless set up, the Airport Express would serve as an extra WiFi access point to extend your range.

There are other technologies out there that allow you to stream MP3s to a stereo, but AirTunes is the only one that will allow you to stream iTunes AAC files and protected-AAC files from the iTunes Music Store, and to get AirTunes you have to buy an Airport Express.

Chris

[jiggles]

i just got a notice that APPLE store has shipped my AIRPORT EXPRESS BASE STATION ordered weeks ago not even knowing what it does. I still don't, and can't find any coherent documentation on connecting to a wireless TR3 laptop. I won't have it for 10 days or so, and the suspense is killing me. As I dont even know if I have wireless blabla g or blabla b i am a little worried. I just know that my laptop works great at T-mobile hot spots in Starbuck parking lots. What I am hoping for is a way to connect that as a hub/router to my broadband line here in nepal, which is a strange configuration: radio transmitter on water tower pointed somewhere west, but the ethernet cable comes in the window and I am hoping I can plug that end into the airport and then be wirelessly connected with my laptop. the music aspect sounds cool too but I have not read anywhere that this works with a Sony TR3....I'm just gambling it does....comments? thanks!
jiggy

[LoungeActor]

Has anybody have a comment on the airtunes playing thourgh your stereo system in another part of the house using the wirless capabilities?

I am talking about quality here, I was disappointed in the iTrip which uses the FM airwaves --- How does Airtunes sound?

[jerrodh]

AirTunes broadcasts the audio using the Apple Lossless encoder (re-encoding on the fly)... so there is no quality loss from the original file you're streaming from.

i.e.
If you ripped to Lossless from the CD, it will be CD-quality audio coming from AirTunes.
If you ripped to 192kbps, it will be the same audio quality as your 192kbps file.