Well I just happen to check the FedEx site and found that my AirPort Express is out for delivery this morning. Wow that was fast! I'll have something to play with later this evening.

I want to get onto a network where I freelance, but there are no wireless base stations or extra RJ45 connection points. Can I use Airport Express as a passthrough on the back of an existing hard-wired desktop machine (allowing that machine to continue to get its network signal at its regular speed) and providing a wireless DHCP access point to my nearby laptop? I would order one right now if I knew it could do this.

Mine has been delivered. Now I have to get through this day somehow!

Isn't that 10million 400 thousand dollars? Then why does Apple still apply premium price to their computers? Wouldn't a cheap iMac result in tons of pre-orders and lots more money?

Well, you're making the assumption that this product isn't overpriced, which some say it still is, for all its limitations. Some would also say it shows the gullibility of Mac users who'll buy anything made by apple (oooh, iTunes to my stereo, and to think before I used to just hook up my laptop or iPod to the stereo directly - man I feel like a loser without this!).

Well, you're making the assumption that this product isn't overpriced, which some say it still is, for all its limitations.

This has nothing to do with what the poster was saying.

(oooh, iTunes to my stereo, and to think before I used to just hook up my laptop or iPod to the stereo directly - man I feel like a loser without this!)

AirTunes is just one of Airport Express' numerous functions, but you know that already.

Let's just hope Apple can deliver on all of its orders.

Well, you're making the assumption that this product isn't overpriced, which some say it still is, for all its limitations.

This has nothing to do with what the poster was saying.

Actually, its exactly what he was saying. He stated, "Then why does Apple still apply premium price to their computers? Wouldn't a cheap iMac result in tons of pre-orders and lots more money?". This implies that AE is not overpriced (or premium priced), and 80000 is a large amount, and just think if they had an imac for a non-premium price (oh, wait, they do, its called an eMac) they'd have a boatload of pre-orders (oh, wait, when the iMac2 came out, it did have a boatload of pre-orders).

As for the iTunes comment, I mention that only because, for some completely odd reason, that seemed to be what Apple's announcement pushed, more than the "hey, you can shove this in your carry-on bag, plug it into an outlet in your hotel room, plug in a network cable, and laptop while sitting on your balcony sipping margarita, rather than at the uncomfortable and small desk in the room", but they didn't. Who knows why (and a lot of people were oohing over the iTunes thing, as well, getting giddy on the whole transmitting 'lossless' recording, which is only good if your iTunes collection is in lossless format, sucks for the rest of us who actually want to store more than 10 albums on our computer at a time).

it converts your MP3/AAC files in real time to Lossless in order to stream to the device. in no way and in no literature that i have read does it say or imply that your entire music collection has to be in Lossless format in order to use the streaming function. as that would be retarded.

in fact... oddly enough... most of it actually says what i just said. so that is why people 'get giddy' over it. they read how it actually works and understand the concept involved in the streaming process.

i'm more curious how the AEx handles hotel connections that require an actual browser-page click through. wayport for instance can tell if the machine you are on has a non-wayport assigned IP address (via NAT / DHCP) and says they 'can't determine your location on the network'... and basically you can't connect. unless of course it acts as a straight pass-through device like some of the older D-Link APs.

Still waiting for someone to answer this:

I want to get onto a network where I freelance, but there are no wireless base stations or extra RJ45 connection points. Can I use Airport Express as a passthrough on the back of an existing hard-wired desktop machine (allowing that machine to continue to get its network signal at its regular speed) and providing a wireless DHCP access point to my nearby laptop? I would order one right now if I knew it could do this.