Since the Apple AirPort Extreme was silently announced during the Macworld conference in January 2007 together with Apple TV with a shipping date in February, I was already thinking of placing an online order for it. At that point of time, my previous router, a D-Link 634, was alos giving problems with connection dropouts. However, I thought I would wait and check out what else was available in the market.
It was a tough choice between the Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link and Apple AirPort Extreme. I guess design won over features.
Well, I’m not planning to do another review of the AirPort Extreme. There are tons of it on the web and I’m linking to some of them at the end of the post. I’ll just say simply that the router works right out of the box. The only thing I needed to do, after plugging all the wires into the correct slots, was to reset my cable modem so that the AirPort Extreme can detect it. I was also able to access both my portable storage boxes as well as print from my printer, an Canon IP6600D. And I must add that the latest wireless specifications do make a difference in the transfer speeds, particularly when I’m accessing my portable storage wirelessly.
The only sore point I have is that it doesn’t support Gigabit Ethernet. But I think it is a minor setback considering I’m only using the wireless portion of the router. I think I would only feel the difference if I had a couple of machines that I want to transfer files between them.
So, if you’re looking for a new router and have the latest Intel-based Macs, then go ahead and get the Apple AirPort Extreme.
Well, here are the more in-depth reviews that would provide you with a more technical look at the AirPort Extreme:
– Gizmodo – The Things Other Apple AirPort Extreme Reviews Don’t Tell Y
– Engadget – Hands-on with Apple’s AirPort Extreme 802.11n Base Station
– MacInTouch – Review: AirPort Extreme 802.11n
– Ars Technica – AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi Base Station
– TUAW – First Thoughts: AirPort Extreme Base Station
– Macworld – Up close with AirPort Extreme
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