| Home > Technology > Apple's Airport Express needs one more thing - Battery Portability! |
| Apple's Airport Express needs one more thing - Battery Portability! | | Date Created: 09 Oct, 2004, 10:17 PM |
 I've been using the Airport Express I bought at Apple's SOHO store (NYC) back in August. I use it with an ethernet connection to a Linksys Wireless Router (WRT-54G), and using the USB is an old Canon inkjet which I have been able to use with OS X.
The printer option works so well that it starts printing more quickly than when the Canon is connected directly to my Powerbook.
Also, when another Powerbook visits without the Canon drivers installed, I switch on printer sharing and it can access the printer also. Pretty remarkable.
I have taken the Airport Express (named AX) to the University, and used the open internet connection to access the net, and it is a real boon during lectures.
Today, I tried to do the same, but ran into a problem. The AX couldn't fit into the floor socket where power and ethernet sockets are located. So we tried to find another location but the ethernet cord wasn't long enough! Near but far, I'm afraid.
We located another socket but it was too close to the floor to plug-in with the ethernet cord attached to the AX bottom (see illustration above).
Of course, if we used the US power plug you'd just turn it upside down. But the Aussie socket is slanted and unless you want to bend them, there is only one orientation that will work. On the other hand, I really like the Apple power "bricks" since my Powerbook, iPod, and AX all have removeable sockets meaning the Aussie and US plugs are swappable. Apple in fact sells an International kit of sockets here for US$39.
So we were stuck with an unuseable AX.
Which got me thinking.
Why can't Apple or more likely a third-party "withit" mob like Griffin or Belkin release a battery pack for the Airport Express. One you either can recharge or uses AA or UV-9 batteries you can buy at the neighbourhood store. Then use the AX's socket setup to piggy back, and voila, short-term self-powering Airport Express. The specs. say it is
100-240V AC, 50-60Hz, Input Current: 0.2 Amps
so I wonder if the battery drain would not be too great.
Given it can operate as a repeater base station using WDS, why then couldn't you use it in the wild with those base stations which kind souls leave conveniently "open" for those of us with laptops wandering the city. So we can get a strong signal if needed.
Mind you, in cities like NYC you can get scores of open signals leaping onto your Powerbook with good power and signal strength.
I'm sure there must be plenty of others out there who could use a portable base station. I wonder too what legal or other impediments might hold back this obvious accessorising opportunity?
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