Apple Airport Express MB321LL/A [NEWEST VERSION]
by Apple Computer
![Apple Airport Express MB321LL/A [NEWEST VERSION]](/images/Apple-Airport-Express-MB321LL-A-NEWEST-VERSION-B0015YJOK2-L.jpg)
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List Price: Our Price: $75.00 You Save: $24.99 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple Airport Express MB321LL/A [NEWEST VERSION]
Customer Review: iTunes integration and Print Server!
Summary: 5 Stars
I initially bought a refurbished model just so I could stream music to my upstairs office from my home theater PC in the living room. Using the iTunes remote on my iPhone, I can control which "zones" the music plays in. Right now this just consists of the computer in the living room and the airport express in the office but I plan on getting more airport expresses.
It also acts as a wifi repeater extending my wifi coverage. I have my linksys wifi router in the basement and this (wired) in my second floor and I now get great reception anywhere in my house. I'm thinking of getting another one to put in my back yard along with some outdoor speakers, just have to figure out how to weatherproof the whole thing.
When I purchased it, I did not realize it would share my printer as well. I just plugged in my USB printer and now it's shared on my network!
If you just want another access point, this is probably a little overkill but I really like it's integration with iTunes. Plus if you have an iPod touch or iPhone, the iTunes remote really makes this shine because you can remotely turn on/off zones and play/pause without actually being near the computer.
Customer Review: Typically great Apple product!
Summary: 5 Stars
Started switching over to Mac/Apple products 2 years ago to help ease the pain of trying to keep my PC home network up and running. I've not looked back.
I bought this for the Air Tunes feature and to extend the signal of my Airport Extreme Base Station. Two minute set-up for someone mildly familiar with home networks- maybe five minutes for a newbie. I'm somewhere in between- I'm no computer tech by any stretch. Instant recognition by the router, most time consuming part was running the audio cable to my amp. Instant iTunes compatibility with my iMac, as well as our two PC laptops (waiting for them to die a slow, painful death so I can replace them both with MacBooks.)
Oh, and did I mention GREAT product support from Apple? I've used it once via telephone tech support, while setting up my Base Station, and it was one of the best customer support experiences I've had in a LONG time. I was speaking to a friendly Tech within a minute of dialing the number- no lie!
Yes, their stuff is a bit pricier, but well worth it, because their products don't come with the headaches that are inherent with owning a PC. They just WORK.
Customer Review: Deceptive advertising
Summary: 3 Stars
The image on Amazon shows this thing with a green light; the model I got appears to only have an amber blinking light :)
I'm technologically sophisticated, and this thing is a serious beast to set up (I'm using it to receive streaming music at my home stereo from a Linksys N router attached to a Dell PC). No exaggeration, I've spent 48 hours or more fighting this thing over the past year and a half. Once set up it works excellently--until it decides to stop working entirely (happened twice in a year and a half.) Then give yourself a weekend to get it working again. I've followed all Apple directions exactly, to no effect. I've spoken to multiple Apple techs/salespeople, followed all their directions to no effect. Relying on internet sources, I've found that those sources that suggest for initial setup using an ethernet cable are right. It's the only way I've ever gotten this thing to work. However, that's just the first step in getting it to work. Then you gotta try about fifty different things within the setup software before you hit on what works.
Again, when it works, it works flawlessly. But good luck getting to that point!
Customer Review: When is USB not USB? No sound in Front Row nor iTunes video.
Summary: 2 Stars
First up, I purchased the Airport Express primarily to share a printer, and I'm happy with that. It works well.
I was however disappointed to learn that the USB port on the Airport Express won't allow other USB devices to be connected to it. It's only a Printer USB port!
Secondly, while using iTunes, the Airport Express picks up songs and audio podcasts and plays them through my stereo very well, it's almost magic, however when it comes to watching and listening to a Video Podcast (also in iTunes) the sound can only be head with though my MacBook Pro speakers. I'm very disappointed.
I also would have thought that Front Row would have had supported the Airport Express sound, so not only does it not pick up the sound from the Video Podcasts, audio from Front Row is not recognised.
Apple has sold itself short with this new version of the Airport Express, a product that on the fact of it promised a lot but only partially delivers.
As a reasonably recent convert to Mac, I continue to admire Apple's design and comparatively exceptional interface. Setting up the Airport Express was a breeze.
Customer Review: Very disappointing - do not buy
Summary: 1 Stars
I own a Linksys router and IBM laptop. The setup of the Airport Express to well over 90 minutes and was incredibly frustrating.
The installation CD and application are pretty bare bones, as are the written instructions. The setup process consisted of several hard resets of the Airport Express, my wireless router and my computer. There are TONS of websites offering solutions to the litany of problems you'll encounter during the install. My favorite solution is the recommendation to connect using an Ethernet cable.
When I finally got it up and running, I came to learn that music streaming to my stereo skips! I stopped all web browsing and all other computer activity to see if it was a bandwith issue, and still, the music skipped. (By the way, my computer, wireless router and Airport Express are all within 30 feet of each other--not a signal issue.) And to top it off, it caused my computer to BLUE SCREEN twice in 20 minutes!!!
All-in-all, quite disappointing and frustrating. If your goal is to extend your music to your stereo, I recommend buying a really long 3.5mm audio cable/component cables.