[TSans]

Even though I have an iBook, I'm looking to buy an AE Base Station so that I may avoid future upgrades. I'm going to be using my orig. AirPort card and my roommate's XP laptop with the AEBS. Does anybody have experience with a PC and AE? How is the AirPort reception with the AEBS? Is the 802.11b range better or worse when compared with the older BS and other routers (e.g. Linksys, Netgear, etc.)? I'd prefer the easy setup and configuration, but I'd sacrifice both for better performance. Thanks for the help.

[aaanorton]

I have yet to be convinced that setting up an ABS is any easier than setting up most of the other routers. It's really a non-issue. The best reason I see for getting an AEBS is for the USB printer port.

[TSans]

The USB printer sharing would be nice, but the Apple site clearly states that OS X 10.2.3 is needed. That raises a question as to whether PCs can share that printer. I haven't seen a definitive answer to that on any board. I just want to know how well 802.11b cards will work with the new BS and how good the range is. Printer sharing, however, would be nice icing on the cake.

[dab007]

Originally posted by TSans:
The USB printer sharing would be nice, but the Apple site clearly states that OS X 10.2.3 is needed. That raises a question as to whether PCs can share that printer. I haven't seen a definitive answer to that on any board. I just want to know how well 802.11b cards will work with the new BS and how good the range is. Printer sharing, however, would be nice icing on the cake.

I was at macworld in SF this year and talk to the airport tech from apple about sharing the printer with a PC. The USB printer sharing on the Airport extreme will only supports the mac.