It comes in a pretty small box (hand included to give a sense of scale):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Wcbb4M4Wyvz5t9ORblRAxA21ugjZtvHIKXiUYWCVy6CXaBrNFmBMEQMt-QRJfjqSv_RPjTNR4Ce1jIClxrNH5-n24I25Hii6oj4P8YFEHT-dWcj2kfKNyw-7i-eaf-B9DVW4w/s400/BCS_1948.jpg)
The Apple packaging unwraps in the usual folding candy-box manner:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDB5P4KWcB8l1UGs4_6ySrZwsVxShtP5BZQ2x7OaGU470wamAsETLT9x5VPTQ63VeBR1LEoFFWAP7FjtLPsxNiQgiBMLOo_64eoqa2WFlywJJ8Vv_JpNT2JrzAiAL_E2H-AK1x2w/s400/BCS_1949.jpg)
And for something that provides wireless access at 802.11n speeds, it is tiny!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqK5K93LyaIl1kBGkaT_CL0n5jRXOVrOB522BtuIt7KNxNPxSk2JS9c8Tor_fErWLXpDo_P5pUTWy1tOAt588hjZh3X70ReACXqupxE9XNkVeyDsXO4NfBkDmSyEPwO04rki6KQ/s400/BCS_1950.jpg)
To install it, you just plug the thing into an electrical outlet, hook up an ethernet cable from your router, and run a simple utility on the Mac or PC. If you already have a wireless network, the utility will detect that and offer to configure the Airport as an extension of that network, or function as a new 5Ghz only 802.11n network. It will also easily learn the wired portion of the network configuration and the Airport Express can coexist with another wireless router. So, I basically just plugged it in, answered a few questions, and it was up and running.
The main feature I like about it (other than acting as an 802.11n wireless access point) is it also has a headphone / mini digital audio (fiber) connector, so I can connect it directly to my stereo and pipe iTunes music to it ! Once it's configured, iTunes has an added button on the bottom of the screen to select where the music is to be played - either on the Mac or on the Airport, or both. So, regardless of where my laptop is, I can have it piping music wirelessly to my stereo.
It also has a USB port for adding wireless printing support to a printer, but I haven't tried that feature and doubt I will.
All this for $99.