Walt Mossberg Says Airport Express Sucks

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://ptech.wsj.com/ptech.html' target='_blank'>http://ptech.wsj.com/ptech.html</a><br /><br /></div>Well, ok...he didn't actually say it sucked. But his remarks were of the negative sort nonetheless. Here is just a brief snippet:<br /><br /><i>"But the biggest problem with AirPort Express is more fundamental. Unlike most of its competitors, Apple's product lacks any remote control or remote user interface. If you are sitting in the room where the music is playing remotely, AirPort Express gives you no way to see what song, or play list, is currently playing, and no way to change the music. To get any information, or to change songs or play lists, you have to tromp back to the computer."</i><br /><br />That alone would be a deal breaker for me. Why bother with a wireless audio solution that still ties me to my desktop to manage my playlists? So it would seem that Apple didn't quite get it right, which is typical of first generation products.

[crstbo623]

I get frustrated by the extremely pro-Windows bent to this site sometimes. :x There are so many ways in which that can be worked around, like using a bluetooth enabled wireless keyboard that has media controls. Suddenly you have a remote control capable of skipping tracks! :!:

Why don't the moderaters of this site try and portray things more objectively by suggesting both the good and the bad of Windows and Apple products, let alone other companies.

[Kent Pribbernow]

I get frustrated by the extremely pro-Windows bent to this site sometimes.

Pro-windows? I'm the bloody Mac editor for crying out loud. With all due respect, I think it is your own bias which is impairing your objectivity.

[Jason Dunn]

I get frustrated by the extremely pro-Windows bent to this site sometimes.

We didn't write the article, Walt did. Complain to him. :-)

[Kent Pribbernow]

I get frustrated by the extremely pro-Windows bent to this site sometimes.

We didn't write the article, Walt did. Complain to him. :-)

And by all means - tell him Jason Dunn sent you. :lol:

[Zack Mahdavi]

I personally think the Airport Express is a very impressive product. Ars Technica posted a very favorable review. The device can be used for so much rather than just playing streaming music. It can act as a printer hub, it can bridge your wireless connections, and it can even act as a portable base station. That's a lot of product for $129.

I'm sure Apple is intending on releasing a display for the device in the future. I think that's the main reason why the Airport Express has a USB port. We'll have to wait and see.. :)

[lorienferris]

Another way to deal with this issue is to use a laptop to play the songs and controll where they are playing. You can even store the music on a desktop running iTunes and play it remotely on the laptop. What would be great is if Apple would develop iTunes for PocketPC so you could use it as a remote controll etc. Or, put wifi into the iPod so it could act as a remote and play radio streams.

Remember: it's easy to diss stuff, and difficult to make stuff.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Wow, so now people are advocating accessories for an accessory?

[Mojo Jojo]

I think this might be the fallout of the media and Apple's iTunes/iPod music hype.

When I saw the device I though, Hey cool... a small wireless hub I can take on the go. The second thing I thought was sweet, I can move my iMac into my kitchen (which was previous just out of range of a clean signal because of walls and such), and then I saw the music ability.

I think with more importance placed on the music, people lost sight of the other functions and precieved the device to be something different then it is. Instead of a wireless hub that also could stream music, people saw a iTunes interface device that could also be a wireless hub. Depending on which side of the fence you view it from this could be a winner or a loser device.

My own thoughts... your mileage may very.

[Crocuta]

I didn't think they reviewer was all that hard on it. He had many good things to say and pointed out some great uses for it. He just didn't think it was very useful as a streaming media client without any sort of remote control. I have to agree. (Saying that all you have to do is add a $1,000 laptop to make it useful rather misses the point.) Anyway, what struck me as really cool was the idea of taking it along on trips to set up a quick Wi-Fi network in your hotel room. Great idea!

[lorienferris]

First off, I am not advocating buying a laptop as an accesory for the sole purpose of controlling iTunes on a Desktop, that would be idiotic. I am simply suggesting a work-around for the problems mentioned if you happen to own a laptop.

Secondly, I don't see that this device is competing with other streamming media clients since it only plays audio and is far less expensive than these other devices, not to mention that it is a print server and a wireless repeater. Clearly this device is in a class on it's own right now.

As for the PocketPC remote that I was fantasizing about, check out: http://www.manicwave.com/blog/archives/000145.html

[JTWise]

I dislike Apple


With that said, I am with Mojo Jojo on this one. I think the main problem with this product is that either Apple or the media have christened it the end-all-be-all of digital streaming devices rather than it simply being one of its features. If you look at it as a multipurpose device that also allows streaming it certainly isn't a bad product.

Most of the PC based streaming solutions suck too so Walt saying this sucked as a streaming device is par for the course. There is a serious lack of good design in any of the streaming media offerings.

And for the record, Kent sometimes drives me nuts with his raiving about Apple and the Ipod (nothing personal man, I admire your passion). Anyone who can call him pro-Windows must not visit the site much.