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why would anyone buy time capsule?

M

.mark.

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 28, 2007
266
1
Jersey, C.I.
Hey, please correct me if any of this is wrong, but from what I've gathered what is the point of buying TC over an AEBS + ext HD?

The pro's I can see for AEBS+HD are
  1. cheaper
  2. can upgrade HD easily - not tied to the internal TC one
  3. if your ext HD fails, simply replace it
  4. if TC HD fails, then you are either left with just a router, or you send it away to apple to fix and for this time period you are left router less!
  5. exactly same functionality and behaviour as TC with regards to TM

OK, I see that some people may be attracted to just having the one device and the one box, but does this really out weigh all the pros?

Please correct me if any of the points are inaccurate. I've been looking into this as I'm trying to decide whether to buy a TC or a AEBS+HD.

Also if there are any pros for TC over AEBS+HD then please let me know.
 
You make a really good point, I hadn't thought about that actually. I was just about to buy a TC, but maybe your method seems more practical.

Of course you do not take account of how image conscious Apple users are. Think about all that space you can save! lol.
 
Firstly, the HD in the TC is very straightforward to replace or upgrade. If you have a look around on teh intarwebs, you'll find at least a couple of take-apart guides.

Secondly, you can still attach an additional USB hard drive to it.

Thirdly, dependent on configuration, the AEBS + external drive isn't necessarily much, if at all, cheaper. The 500gb TC looks like pretty decent value by comparison with a base + external drive in a good quality housing.

For me, it seems like quite an appealing package, although I'd confess that I'd be more interested if there was a larger RAID 1 or RAID 5 option.
 
I have an AEBS with a HD attached to it. It is low on transferring large files such as 500MB TV shows or even movies. Since it is slow, I'm probably going to give up using the HD attached to the base station and just use it as an extra drive for my iMac.

I imaging that the Time Capsule drive would be just as slow in transferring things to it as well. I don't use my drive for backups since I have copies of everything on all my Macs anyways.
 
AEBS + HD while it may work isn't supported by Apple and there have been reported problems. If it doesn't work don't expect any help from Apple. TC is supported and a relative bargain.
 
Functionality: Some users were having trouble making TM work through an external connected to an AEBS.
Simplicity: TC offers that all-in-one "it just works!" option for users who wouldn't normally worry about backups. And there are thousands, perhaps millions, of home computer users who don't bother with data protection of personal files. At least, not until they have their first HD failure.
Aesthetics: Face it, a TC is much prettier than most other external drives, just as an AEBS is prettier than most other routers.

I'm not saying these are necessarily good reasons, but they are reasons.
 
.mark. said:
Hey, please correct me if any of this is wrong, but from what I've gathered what is the point of buying TC over an AEBS + ext HD?

The pro's I can see for AEBS+HD are
  1. cheaper
  2. can upgrade HD easily - not tied to the internal TC one
  3. if your ext HD fails, simply replace it
  4. if TC HD fails, then you are either left with just a router, or you send it away to apple to fix and for this time period you are left router less!
  5. exactly same functionality and behaviour as TC with regards to TM
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I have been telling people. TC isn't great, because you're putting all your eggs into one basket. If the HD inside malfunctions, what are you going to do, replace it with another TC? That's just a complete waste of money.

AEBS + external HD is the better solution. It's modular, and modular things are always more flexible.

Also, if you get an AEBS and external HD, you can choose which brand of external HD you want. For example, if I want a Seagate because I trust Seagate over all other brands, I don't think I'd want to compromise and get the TC since it comes with a Hitachi harddisk.
 
First off ... the "AEBS + external HD" combination isn't fully supported by Apple (although it works).

For me, Time Capsule was easy to setup and I'm using it to back up 2 different Macs, a PowerMac G5 and a MacBook Pro. Overall, I felt that the added features within one unit for the extra money was worth it.
 
If you TC HD dies, it about the same as if an external connected to AEBS fails.. just a few minutes more to fix.

I bought my TC [1Tera] and use it as Time Machine backup to my wifes MBP, as well as the "D" drive to Windows under Parallels on her MBP.

Also.... with an external drive on a AEBS... you lose the ability to have a remote network printer..... something else my TC does quite well....sharing an Epson photo printer with 5 other computers...
 
SDDave2007 said:
Also.... with an external drive on a AEBS... you lose the ability to have a remote network printer..... something else my TC does quite well....sharing an Epson photo printer with 5 other computers...
Click to expand...

Not true. With a USB hub you can connect as many USB hard drives and printers as you like.
 
scienide09 said:
Simplicity: TC offers that all-in-one "it just works!" option for users who wouldn't normally worry about backups. And there are thousands, perhaps millions, of home computer users who don't bother with data protection of personal files.
Aesthetics: Face it, a TC is much prettier than most other external drives, just as an AEBS is prettier than most other routers.

I'm not saying these are necessarily good reasons, but they are reasons.
Click to expand...

One of the reasons i chose the 1TB TC is, as i may understand the importance of backing up and the technology not all those in my house hold do. The TC is perfect for the rest of my family who don't care about such things till a disaster occures. When it does happen even they can recover lost files when I may not be near home.

I went one further and also purchased this case then added a 1TB drive to it so i have a total of 2TB of extra storage to use in various ways. I went this route b/c of the cosmetic appearance and the small footprint the two have together. I don't like messes and can't stand wires everywhere in my home office.
 
I use AEBS and an external HD. This has worked great for me and was less expensive. The prices I spent:
AEBS $126 shipped new (This is the 802.11N Giga)
external HD $8 shipped new. USB powered.
160GB HD $40 shipped new.

Total $174 and I'm more than happy. Granted the HD is smaller, no problem for me and I saved $125 plus tax. I have other large HD for backing up if and when needed. I can easily take my external HD with me when needed and put it in my shirt pocket. Just my 2 cents.
 
Apple doesn't make any claims that TC is the best solution for *everyone* - just like the Mac Mini or iMac isn't for *everyone*. Many people out there (yes, there are people outside of MR) simply don't want to connect multiple products together or worry about "configuring" things, even if the actual process is identical to the TC setup.

The appeal is in its simplicity and that is sexy to a LOT of consumers. Are there cheaper options? Yes. Are there [better] options for your needs - quite possibly. But, for the masses, TC is a great product that does what it is supposed to.
 
.mark. said:
Hey, please correct me if any of this is wrong, but from what I've gathered what is the point of buying TC over an AEBS + ext HD?
Click to expand...
Because AEBS + HD is unsupported by Apple.

It appears to be a feature let out into the wild by accident, and Apple has made it clear that make no claims about it working properly or being stable in the face of all that Time Machine might face.
 
I have a 1TB FW400 drive that it used for media but I am still considering a 1TB TC. Why?

1: Space. I live in a semi-truck and space is one of my biggest concerns. Every bit of space I can save by stuffing something away in a corner is more space I can use for things like food and clothes.

2: Cabling. My company does not allow inverters so I have to remove all evidence of it quickly. Each thing I have to plug into my inverter is just one more thing I have to remove when the truck goes in for service. More items means more time spent stuffing things away in my laptop bag and more time setting it back up when I get the truck back. Also, when you live in a small space you need to keep things neat. With a desk having an extra cable is no big deal, in a truck it can be very easy to trip over that cable. I love my MagSafe power connector...

3: Security. If someone breaks into my truck right now and steals my laptop they can just follow the FW400 cable back to the external drive and take it too. With a wireless connection that risk is nearly eliminated. Instead of getting my $3k laptop, $300 drive and $10k+ in music/video they would just get my laptop.

If the TC also had an audio out it would be perfect. Instead I'll also be buying an Airport Express so I can connect to the truck stereo wirelessly. Bummer.

It looks like I'll end up with this (I have a USB Aircard that works with that router) feeding a TC and the Airport Express stuffed away behind the radio.
 
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