1. Three Ethernet Ports. The previous Airport Extreme base station  has one Ethernet port. This is an improvement since you can share  your broadband connection with more computers. I used to have an  Airport Extreme base station but I sold it in favor of my current  Linksys because of the lack of ports.

Unfortunately, the Ethernet ports only support 10/100Mbps  connections. This is an unusual step back for Apple considering that  their latest products now comes with Gigabit Ethernet.

2. Faster WiFi. The new device supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g and the  draft IEEE 802.11n, the faster version of wireless networking.

3. USB port. Previously, only printer sharing is supported. This  time, both USB printer and USB external storage device sharing are  supported. An instant file server for your home or soho network. I am  wondering if this supports USB hubs so you can use a printer and an  external HDD at the same time. I guess I need a demo unit to  determine if this works. *hint*hint*

4. No external antenna. Whilst IEEE 802.11n extends the range of wifi  coverage, I am not sure how big an area it covers without an external  antenna. Unfortunately, there is no option to add one either. Again,  a demo unit is needed to test this.

5. Power over Ethernet. Whilst this is not really important for home  and soho networks, it is essential to enterprises who deploy wifi  access points using Power over Ethernet. I am wondering why Apple  decided to remove this.

6. No modem. Personally, this is not a deal breaker considering that  I no longer use one. However, if it were fax-enabled, then it would  have been a great addition.

With an SRP of USD 179, it is competitively priced against similarly- spec'd devices from other manufacturers. Will I buy one? Well, this  depends on how much it will cost when it reaches our shores. I am  betting that it will cost around PhP 10,000. Still worth it? It  depends on my experience with a demo unit.