What do I need to use my PC as a music server

Ed,

While I pretty much totally agree with you... some subtle things..

You say:

Airport Express, which is normally a Wi-Fi access point, to serve as a wireless
connection to your DAC--the AE has an output that can be plugged in
directly. This set up would then require an Apple laptop to talk to the AE and
feed it music.

Not true, you can set it up to run as a client from any wireless router/
computer. Though I use all MAC gear, my router is a D-Link and I can control
my music from the girls PC... if I were ever so inclined.

iTunes does have error correction in the advanced panel of your
preferences... I do not know if it is as good as EAC, but being a MAC guy, I
may never know.

I couldn't agree with you more on backing up the data!!! Took me over a
month to burn my music in AIFF and to be honest, I'm not truly done.... And I
don't yet have my backup drive.... guess I need to get shopping..

FWIW I go the wireless route, and only rarely get drop outs, I am (currently)
limited to an optical digital out, but Steve @ Empirical Audio should have his
modded AE out soon....

Rbstehno,

Apple is notorious for saying that! I called my local Apple store to find out how to connect it to my D-Link router and the guy told me it couldn't be done. I then went into the store and spoke to one of the guys who told me how to do it in a minute. As much as I like my MAC's, they are seperatists.... I have had a hard time getting them to give me any helpful info when it comes to interfacing with other systems.... They told me to buy the $250 Airport Express BS... yeah right when every other 802.11 G router is $30 in the paper!

I did also manage to finally get them to tell me how to reset the AE to factory default which makes it much easier to reconfigure.

I fortunately don't have to bad a problem with drop out.... if I could I would hard wire, but it would be a long run, and it is really used for convienence so I tolerate the occasional drop out.

Jayboard,

I had it set to medium, I will try it on large and see if it makes a difference. FWIW I don't have a big issue with dropouts as is, but they do come once and a while particularly when several computers are sharing the router..