timothy's Journal: Apple Airport Express: How will I love thee?

For reasons of household network harmony, I am in the market for an Apple Airport Express.

Haven't bought it yet (a few Craigslist leads, though -- if none pan out, Amazon is slightly cheaper than Apple), but here are some thoughts based on what little I know:

- Would have been handy in Vegas, where in-room internet was very expensive. I forgot to bring along my tiny WiFlyer, which is too bad. MyFi coverage in Vegas during CES was very poor.

- I like the size -- for all it does, looks very packable even on plane trips :) But for that, I'd want to be confident that I could admin the thing without *needing* an OS X or Windows box around. (For just such things as sharing expensive in-room internet via cable.)

- If I can successfully follow the online guides to getting music to stream via Amarok or other Linux sofware, that would be cool.

- Smart to have the swappable plug-block, I really like that.

- I don't care all that much for or esp. about OS X (I sometimes use it, and like some aspects, dislike others); I am hopeful that the Linux-friendly admin software I've seen will work well for it.

- I wonder if the USB port has any use besides for printing. Not that wireless printing is a bad thing for it provide, but it I wish the A. Express could serve as a micro, instant server, by plugging in a USB stick, as is true of some linksys (perhaps I'm thinking of Netgear, or both) routers.

- Can it be used for wireless bridging? (Hmm. Yes, says the Apple site, but only for extending networks that are based on other Apple basestations ... so, I can't use it to create a zone of multi-device WiFi love at Motel 6 or Starbucks, too bad.)

- One nice thing (though not esp. compatible w my general unenthusiastic view of OS X*) is that the people who make Make magazine are enamored of Apple's wireless stuff, and often post about interesting hacks involving it.

- The user reviews on the Apple site and at Amazon are the usual polarized "Awesome!" vs. "Sucks!" ... given my relationship to computer documentation, I have my fingers crossed.

- I wish it had an antenna port for greater range. (Seems like an easy win, to me ... oh, well. I think the same about laptops with built-in Wifi.)

What else should I be thinking of and know about? It looks like a nifty device that will at least improve my network connectivity (tall house, and Yes, based on an Apple wireless infrastructure) at home, and I hope will be useful for me while traveling (with a Linux machine) as well.

timothy

* OS X is what it is, and I am not enough of a power user to complain except wrt my own purposes, prejudices, and preferences. If you like it, great, and enjoy!

FYI...

[garg0yle]

FYI, I've had two, and they both died what appeared to be heat-related deaths. The second one I made sure was in a completely unobstructed area, nowhere near any heating ducts, etc. So, just something to keep in mind.

Re:

[timothy]

Many of the negative reviews complained about a short lifespan. Maybe (I console myself) this is something that will have been at least incrementally improved over the course of the lifespan of the product line / production run ...