|
|
ONLINE FEATURES
Book Reviews
BW Video
Columnists
Interactive Gallery
Newsletters
Past Covers
Philanthropy
Podcasts
Special Reports
BLOGS
Auto Beat
Bangalore Tigers
Blogspotting
Brand New Day
Byte of the Apple
Economics Unbound
Eye on Asia
Fine On Media
Green Biz
Hot Property
Investing Insights
Management IQ
NEXT: Innovation
NussbaumOnDesign
Tech Beat
Working Parents
TECHNOLOGY
J.D. Power Ratings
Product Reviews
Tech Stats
Wildstrom: Tech Maven
AUTOS
Home Page
Auto Reviews
Classic Cars
Car Care & Safety
Hybrids
INNOVATION
& DESIGN Home Page Architecture Brand Equity Auto Design Game Room SMALLBIZ Smart Answers Success Stories Today's Tip INVESTING Investing: Europe Annual Reports BW 50 S&P Picks & Pans Stock Screeners Free S&P Stock Report SCOREBOARDS Hot Growth 100 Mutual Funds Info Tech 100 S&P 500 B-SCHOOLS Undergrad Programs MBA Blogs MBA Profiles MBA Rankings Who's Hiring Grads | |
JUNE 9, 2004
By Alex Salkever Apple Hits a High Note with Express Its new wireless router that also streams music to a stereo or Wi-Fi speakers will liberate digital tunes from the computer Chalk up another great product design from the leader in the field, Apple (AAPL ). On June 7, it took the wraps off the AirPort Express, a pint-size Wi-Fi high-speed data router customized to stream music from a computer to a stereo. The size of a small cassette recorder, the AirPort Express primarily targets music lovers who have long sought a way to play the songs stored on their PC elsewhere in the home. Naturally, they'll have to run Apple's own iTunes software to access the coolest music networking features on the Express. Should the Express live up to its advance billing, Apple will make bridging the divide between computers and home stereos or wireless speakers a piece of cake for PC and Mac users alike. What impresses me most about the Express is how handily Apple has addressed multiple markets with a single product. SMALL AND BEAUTIFUL. Laptop users will love this gizmo. The $129 price, while still steep for a Wi-Fi router, has fallen enough to make it a palatable option in the face of competing models that sell for $50 or less. The exclusive tie-in with iTunes could further cement the bond Apple has built up with iTunes Music Store customers. The upshot? It's not a home run like iPod, but the Express could prove a solid hit and another feather in Apple's ever expansive digital-lifestyle cap. The announcement caught most Apple watchers by surprise. While they've long expected Apple to build more digital-lifestyle products and extend its advantage in this market beyond the iPod and iTunes software, most imagined something bigger and more versatile. But small can be beautiful, and the Express' convenience factor is key. Unlike any other Wi-Fi base station, this one plugs directly into the wall with no cumbersome cord or hefty power converter. Like other Apple base stations, it also can work as a regular Wi-Fi router, handling up to 10 PCs or Macs on a single unit. And it functions as a USB print server for Windows and Mac machines -- again, like Apple's other AirPort products. WONDERFULLY USABLE. Although it won't ship until July, the Express has already lured many gadget fiends into placing early orders. Apple won't talk numbers, but according to one of the leading online Mac retailers, CDW MacWarehouse, advance orders for Express base stations have been lighting up their Web site. Clearly, Express' primary allure is moving digital music off the desktop and into the living room, the office, or wherever a user happens to be. A plethora of consumer-electronics and PC vendors have introduced products trying to do more or less what Apple seeks to do with the AirPort. But, in most cases, configuration remains tricky and a stumbling block for Joe Public. That usability gap is where the Express truly shines. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Apple has just added some new twists to make the router an extension of the already popular iTunes and iPod famly. A new piece of software, AirTunes, promises seamless synching between a computer -- PC or Mac -- and any Wi-Fi-ready speakers within range via the Express router.
BW MALL
SPONSORED LINKS
Buy a link now! | | |
 Copyright 2004, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of Use | Privacy Notice |
Printer-Friendly Version
