An Apple advocacy post, and probably the first of two this month. (The second.)

Today, Apple released AirPort Express. Yeah, it's another wireless router, but it's tiny and it allows you to hook up speakers and stream iTunes to them.

It's a great idea, but falls a little short. What if I want to control the music? Do I have to keep heading back to where my computer is? It seems a little shortsighted to release a device to play your computer's music library in your living room without providing a way to control it in your living room. And I have an iPod, so it's just as easy for me to hook that up to my stereo anyway.

The only really perfect application for this neat device would be a party. Put together the playlist in another room, away from drunk beer-spillers. Perhaps soon other applications will be able to access that speaker output, most noteably pro-audio. If Traktor DJ could use it, you could put your laptop on stage, plug in the AirPort Express in the audio booth, and start mixing. $129 is certainly cheaper than other wireless audio options.

For everyday living room use, what is really needed now is an iPod with Wi-Fi. The iPod could stream music to the AirPort Express, also serving as a remote control, of sorts. Or, even better, a free-standing iTunes box that serves as an iPod dock, a stereo component, and music streamer, not to mention a wireless router.

What's important to note is that AirPort Express is the first step. It's not something I can use right now, but this will evolve. In two years, I doubt I'll be able to live without one. Or two. Like any Apple product, it's so full of potential, users will develop more ideas, and the product will grow. (Example: contacts and calendar support in the iPod was developed by iPod users originally.)

Oh, by the way, for those of you who think Apple's products are overpriced, I challenge you to put together a solution that wirelessly routes a broadband connection, provides a print server, plays audio, and can bridge an existing wireless network for less than $129.