Now, the near five-fold increase in bandwidth will not effect Web surfing (unless you REALLY have a nice internet connection). But it very dramatically will increase the speed of transferring files between computers. When I got the new powerbook I moved all the data from my old laptop to the new. I hooked the old one up by ethernet and just kept the new wireless. Files were transferred at a great clip-- WAY faster than if I kept them both using the old base station. And this increase was in the mixed bandwidth mode (compatible with computers that can only use 802.11b).

As opposed to another review for the other Airport Extreme model, I see no decreased range at all-- but no real increase either. Adding the optional Antenna would presumably make it even more than the old base stations, but I have not done this. However, the speed is so much better that even bad reception does not adversely affect websurfing or file downloads. I have had mixed experience with other Wi-Fi systems (LinkSys, for instance).

As an important addition, the USB port to attach a printer or scanner is great. That way you need not buy a print server to share a printer and have the computers all be wireless at the same time.

The best designed WiFi. (Rating: 4.00)
Review : The best design for your desk top. High quality of this drives me crazy. However, it is a little bit expensive. Anyway, I love this high tech toy.

Worth it (Rating: 5.00)
Review : The wireless revolution has seriously altered the way I work. It didn't seem like it was that big of a deal, to be able to work anywhere in the house on a laptop. And then I was home over Thanksgiving and tried my father's - it was incredible. So, soon after I had my own and I love it - I even ended up getting another one for my wife's laptop.

Whether it's browsing amazon.com late at night in bed, checking morning email in the kitchen while the kids run around, or being able to set up a writing desk anywhere in the house without worrying about an accessible internet port - the airport system is awesome. Even if you only have a desktop computer it's worth it - you can to put the computer in a place where there's no internet plug, without the 40 foot cord draping your wall to connect it. All in all, a wireless system may seem extravagant, but once you have one you'll wonder how you got by without it.

The airport card, along with the base station, allows you to connect several computers, even ones that don't have wireless cards in them (i.e., we have two laptops on the wireless system, and then one iMac that doesn't have an airport card is plugged directly into the base station). You can print, scan - anything - wirelessly, as long as those extra components are connected to the base station.

If you have a big house and the base station won't be centrally located, you may want to look into the antenna. I have a 2500 square foot house and the base station is at one end of it. I can get access from anywhere in the house without the extra antenna, though in one or two places it's a weak signal. My father's house, on the other hand, is over 5000 square feet and the base station is at a far end - you can't even get a signal on the other side of the house. However, he purchased the antenna and the signal is now very strong wherever you are. A warning - you should make sure your airport network is password protected, especially if you get the antenna. The signal will be broadcast through half your neighborhood and if not protected, people can get on and use your airtime, clogging up your bandwidth.

Make sure you get the right card! There's the airport extreme card and the regular airport card (I believe they are both compatible with either base station). Check Apple's website for direct compatibility between your computer and the two different cards. They are different sizes and will only fit in the right kind of slot.

One final word - I've heard from others that certain products from Net Gear or other wireless manufacturers accomplish the same thing as the airport card and base station for much cheaper. I can't attest to the validity of this, but it might be worth looking into. I'd exercise extreme caution, since if you go with Apple products it will be covered with tech support, even if it's more expensive. And putting third party hardware in your computer will likely void the warranty on your computer.

Just don't buy a Dr. Bott antenna (Rating: 5.00)
Review : The new base station is great. But don't be taken in by the advertising for the external antennas sold by Dr. Bott. They do nothing to extend the range of the airport and in most cases decrease signal strength. Check out the discussions on the Apple web site for more info on the external antennas.
Other than the external antenna port being a waste of time because there are no good antennas for it, the new ABS is a nice access point. And best of all, the new Windows utility for configuration is quite handy. Thankfully Apple has finally realized that the Airports aren't just "Macintosh" peripherals but are also used by many Windows users.

Eat our wireless dust PCs (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Apple is revolutionary. With the release of the Airport, wires were suddenly a thing from the past. No more fumbling with extension cords to reach your laptop from your desktop. Nope. Now, PCs have a wireless internet source, which makes them feel special. Well Apple has now increased it's original substantially. That's right. We Apple folks are a step ahead of the crowd. With speed like this, do we even need fast connections? You could have a 64kbps internet connection, and it would be easy to live with now. Now that it can go a longer distance, I can sit in the woods behind my house and write a novel. Great, revolutionary, spectacular. These are some of the words I can use to describe this. Buy it now!