Airport Express + External Drive

[iqwertyi]

Hello.

I'm an absolute Mac newbie, but my brother just ordered a new iMac and a bunch of accesories. Well, I had told him to get the Airport Express + an external Drive vs. the Time Machine becuase that way, he can bring his drive to me whenever he needs to back that drive out.

Then this morning it occurs to me, will a drive for Mac can even be read in a Windows machine?

Should he get a time machine instead? (assuming he can still change his order).

And is the Airport express just a time machine without the drive?

 

[grooveattack]

arrrr no
i though this as well.
the airport express CANNOT handle a hard drive! i have no idea why but it just wont work. It can do printers in its 1 usb port and air tunes (wirelessly send music to speakers elsewhere in your home.)
The airport EXTREME can handle a hard drive and a printer
Timemachine is kind of a mix between and extreme and a harddrive. i would get this because its just convenience, everything in one nice small package.
the airport express will not do what you want it to!

EDIT: i am fairly sure that a hard drive hooked up to a airport extreme can be read by Windows and the same with a time machine. But i have not tryed this so you may have to wait for someone to confirm this.

 

[iqwertyi]

Whew!
I just checked his order and we did get the Airport Extreme.
So, I should be good then.

As long as it can read the HDD in Windows as well, I'm happy.
Actually, I thought the opposite, meaning I didn't want an all in one just in case the HDD failed or the router failed, I can keep the other.

On a side note, is it easy to replace/upgrade a Time Machine's HDD?

 

[grooveattack]

oh thats good then. i am 99.9% sure windows will love the wireless drive.

i have never herd of a time machine HDD getting replaced because it was busted (sort of sending back to apple under warranty etc.) so yeah i think a airport extreme with an external HDD will be perfect.

oh and remember you can plug in A USB hub into the extreme to get 2 HDD or 3 and a printer or what ever you want!