HELLLPPP

1. No, though you could save $$$ and just buy a 802.11G router and then use the digital out on the AE (after reseting it to be a client of your network)to connect to your pre/pro and you wouldn't need the sqeezebox, or any other hardware for that matter.

Typically D-Link or Lyncsys 802.11G routers are on sale for <$40 and usually less than $30 in the paper. This would give you digital in to your pre/pro, and allow you to use the MAC as a remote.

FWIW I would buy more than 250 GB, drive space is cheap, and more is better than less.

Lots of info here and on Audio Asylum in the PC Audio forum.

Not quite sure what you are trying to do. It is possible to put a hard drive on a Ethenet network and have it be independent of the computer. This is called a network area storage device (NAS) and it basically is a hard drive with some brains in it to handle the requests for data.

Seems to me that you already have this figured out. Get as big an external HD as you can - actually get two, one for back-up. To work with a Powerbook it needs to be Firewire or better yet USB2.0 (much more available)

Create the iTunes Library Folder on the external HD, point iTunes at the external (tell it that the library is on the external) and rip your music to it. Airport Express doesn't care where the music data lives...

Now if you buy a wireless SB you don't need Airport Express - just use the 802.11 built into the Powerbook to talk directly to the SB. What you will have to do is install a small applet from SLIM that lets the SB access your iTunes library (you actually will designate "use iTunes")

So now you have one iTunes Library that you can rip to and make playlists with using iTunes, feed your iPod with, and support your SB. Plus you can control your SB from your Powerbook using the SLIM browser based interface or the SLIM remote

If you have a wireless or a wired router, hook the SB up to that as well and you can listen to Internet radio.

Ckorody,

If I don't use the AE, then don't I need some other form of wireless network setup, i.e. a Linksys model?

Thanks for the input from you both.