As with most things Apple, the cost is for Slickness. Unlike many 802.11 hubs, the Airport Base Station *Just Works* with Macs. Just in the same way that the iPod *Just Works*.

That factor isn't easy to do, and costs money. If you have the Geekly Nature, get a Linksys (or, if you have the coin, get a real AP -- like the Intel they mention,) spend some time, and do it. My time costs to much to fiddle with some things. I brought a new-in-box AP hub to the last Worldcon, to share the 10BaseT drop in the room, and it took me 4 minutes from start of box-open to getting email (and took my buddy with FreeBSD about 15.) We were then off to the con.

That's worth the money, to me.

(And yes, Cory, we'll have it in the Hilton this year. Talk to me if you want access.)