Time Capsule (4th gen) vs. TC (5th gen)

[russculler]

My 2nd Generation Time Capsule is beginning to show signs of giving up the ghost, so I have been looking into purchasing a new one before total failure.

So here is my question. Do I go for a significantly discounted 4th generation refurb with Apple 1 year warranty or pay full price for the new 5th generation model with faster wifi?

I have read that Apple resolved overheating problems in 4th gen models and I currently don't have any newer wifi peripherals. Reading reviews on Apple's site of the new TC, I have seen complaints about dropped connections (one of the failure signs on my current TC) and extremely slow HD speeds even via wired connect. I was hoping with the smaller footprint of the new TC that the power supply was now external (reducing internal heat) but there is no indication of that in the specs and I worry that that may reintroduce the overheating problem.

I would be grateful for any and all experience and informed opinions with either the 4th or 5th generation models so I can make my decision soon.

TIA

 

[russculler]

Please help

Was kinda hoping I would have received some response regarding my questions since there seems to be a lot of discussion regarding Time Capsule here.

 

[Alicia1]

I have a 4th gen and I purchased one of the new 5th gens. I ended up taking it back and keeping my 4th gen. I have a 2012 rMBP and found the speed using wifi slower than my 4th gen (same setup). I have a 100mbit cable connection and was only getting around 10 - 30mbit on the 5th gen compared to full speed on the 4th gen. Go figure.

 

[Serban]

i think if you have the devices with wifi ac you will probably see the difference

 

[bniu]

I bought a 4th gen 4 weeks before the 5th gen was released (just my luck with time capsules, I bought a 3rd gen a few weeks before 4th gen came out!), but overall I like the 4th gen as I have a very narrow and short slot in my entertainment center that the 4th gen slides right into that the 5th gen simply not fit. I find the 5th gen design to be a bit obnoxious and I have no 802.11ac devices yet anyways.

 

[russculler]

Thank you

Thanks to all for the feedback. I am going with the TC 4th gen, figuring that by the time I upgrade to 802.11ac peripherals I will be ready for a new TC too.

BTW, anyone have any success salvaging components from a failing TC?

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks to all for the feedback. I am going with the TC 4th gen, figuring that by the time I upgrade to 802.11ac peripherals I will be ready for a new TC too.

BTW, anyone have any success salvaging components from a failing TC?

I can't think of anything in there you could repurpose beyond the hard drive, assuming it is still working properly. It is just a standard 3.5 inch desktop drive, so you could get a cheap USB enclosure and put it to use.

 

[scottsjack]

Thanks to all for the feedback. I am going with the TC 4th gen, figuring that by the time I upgrade to 802.11ac peripherals I will be ready for a new TC too.

BTW, anyone have any success salvaging components from a failing TC?

I'm using a 2TB TC purchased in 2010. It's still going strong. One of the biggest draws of the new model is the possibility of the user installing a larger hard drive, maybe buy a 2TB and install a 4TB drive. Also if the drive gets full or if a computer is upgraded the TC HD could be replaced with another one. That would be simpler than archiving a TC.