Apple unwires stereo

Apple once again proves it is far ahead of other computer manufacturers with its just announced Airport Express.

Apple, which really pioneered consumer and casual use of WiFi, contrary to the ads Intel runs, has created a new wireless gadget that is Swiss Army knife-like in the features it has in a little box barely the size of a pack of cards.

• It's a wireless base station--plug it into your DSL or cable modem port and you've got instant WiFi in the house at 802.11g speeds (54 megabits/second).
• It's a WiFi extender. If your current base station won't reach to the other end of the house, simply plug this in the wall somwhere and forget about it. Now you've got a stronger signal where you need it.
• It's a printer sharing device. Plug a USB printer into it and every computer on your wireless home network can print on the shared printer.

But wait! There's more!!

This device also has audio jacks. Plug it in the wall and then plug an audio cable into it. Plug the other end of the audio cable into your stereo or a pair of powered speakers, and you can now listen to all the music stored on your computer--anywhere in the house where you have an Airport Express plugged in. Your computer can now wirelessly stream music anywhere in the house where you have this tiny device plugged in the wall.

Apple has leapfrogged all of the stereo manufacturers, who have been touting complicated and expensive new kinds of digital music storage devices, and made whole house stereo dead simple, inexpensive, and truly plug and play--fully integrated with Apple's existing iTunes software.