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I was very impressed with the AirPort Base Station but I didn't perform a head-to-head comparison. You could always buy the Apple unit then return it if you weren't pleased with the results.

A model variant of the Base Station comes with a USB print server that works very well with Macs. You won't find anything as easy with non-Apple products.

I've heard that a CardBus adapter provides better range than the built-in antenna, however that's with Titanium and earlier models. It's possible the signal strength is better on the Aluminum models. I would try the built-in antenna first and see how you like it.

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