Time Capsule vs Airport Extreme

[Dr Strangelove]

Besides the obvious, would there be any benefit in getting a Time Capsule versus using my own USB drive with an Airport Extreme?

I am thinking of getting the 500GB TC or buying the extreme and a 1TB HD for about the same price.

 

[aristobrat]

I went with the TC because of less mess (i.e. one less USB cable/power brick to deal with) and because Apple will support you if you have issues backing up. (They won't support Time Machine via AEBS + external drive).

 

[Batt]

I went with the TC because of less mess (i.e. one less USB cable/power brick to deal with) and because Apple will support you if you have issues backing up. (They won't support Time Machine via AEBS + external drive).

'zactly. Get the TC.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

Hmm, it just seems pricey, thats all. For the price of the 500GB model, I can get AEB + 1TB hd. But I see what you guys are saying about support.

If I get apple care for my MBP, does that cover the TC as well?

 

[Batt]

Hmm, it just seems pricey, thats all. For the price of the 500GB model, I can get AEB + 1TB hd. But I see what you guys are saying about support.

If I get apple care for my MBP, does that cover the TC as well?

If I understand it correctly, yes.

 

[Doctor Doom]

Personally i believe in keeping everything separate, so if anything goes wrong you can easily identify the problem part and replace it. Also if you already have an external hard drive then your saving yourself some good money right there.

 

[Batt]

Personally i believe in keeping everything separate, so if anything goes wrong you can easily identify the problem part and replace it. Also if you already have an external hard drive then your saving yourself some good money right there.

In this case, though, the problems many people run into using the Extreme with a separate drive can be completely avoided using the Time Capsule. And apparently A LOT of people have problems with Express + HD - and Apple doesn't support that setup.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

OK you guys talked me into it. Anyone point me in the right direction for a super deal on the Time Capsule?

I found it at an e-tailer for $285.00 shipped with 500GB.

 

[Batt]

OK you guys talked me into it. Anyone point me in the right direction for a super deal on the Time Capsule?

I found it at an e-tailer for $285.00 shipped with 500GB.

Got mine at Amazon, no tax or shipping.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

That's where I was looking myself. Thanks for the info.

 

[jecapaga]

If i had it to do all over again I'd go Time Capsule over an external drive. Backups wirelessly are not a given with an external plugged into airport extreme. My old WD drive worked and then died. My new WD drive does not work wirelessly for backups.

 

[Luap]

I use an Airport Extreme plus 1TB USB drive (WD MyBook) for TimeMachine backups for 3 Macs. All works just great and was completely fuss free to set up.

I'd do it this way again if I was starting out from scratch. But I can see how folks might prefer a single box solution. However my Airport base station and hard drive live in a cupboard anyway, so I couldn't really care less if its a single box or 2 myself.

 

[Knolly]

I got a 500GB Time Capsule and later upgraded it by slapping in a 1TB Hard Drive...

So for $100 less than the price of a 1TB Time Capsule I got just that, plus an extra 500GB HD. Good deal, aye?

 

[Dr Strangelove]

Knolly, you can open the Time Capsule and swap the drive?

 

[Luap]

Knolly, you can open the Time Capsule and swap the drive?

Err, yes? Thats what he said. Why shouldn't you be able to do that? Its just a normal HD in there after all.

 

[danny_w]

I went with the TC because of less mess (i.e. one less USB cable/power brick to deal with) and because Apple will support you if you have issues backing up. (They won't support Time Machine via AEBS + external drive).

I keep reading this repeatedly. Where do you get this from? Why would it even be allowed if they don't support it? It no longer requires any workarounds, it just works out of the box. I could understand non-support when people were adding files to the external drive to "trick" Time Machine into making backups, but that is n o longer the case.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

Oh I figured opening the Time Capsule voided the warranty.

Also, as far as I know, currently the external HD solution is supported without any workarounds.

Still kicking it around, not sure what I am going to do yet. More storage is better though, so I may still do the AEB + External instead.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

Hmm so if I get the LACIE 1TB like this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Will that be able to handle Time Machin back ups hooked to an AEB?

 

[jecapaga]

Hmm so if I get the LACIE 1TB like this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Will that be able to handle Time Machin back ups hooked to an AEB?

^^ I'd also like to know this answer. I don't want to buy yet another external to have it not easily wirelessly backup over AEBS. The WD drive I bought doesn't.

 

[danny_w]

Hmm so if I get the LACIE 1TB like this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Will that be able to handle Time Machine back ups hooked to an AEB?

I have no experience with that one, but my WD MyBook 750GB USB/FW/eSata works very well.

 

[Luap]

Hmm so if I get the LACIE 1TB like this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Will that be able to handle Time Machin back ups hooked to an AEB?

No reason why it shouldn't work. However, that has FireWire and eSata ports as well as USB. You only need USB. If you look for a USB only version of the drive (they do exist) you'll likely find it even cheaper.

^^ I'd also like to know this answer. I don't want to buy yet another external to have it not easily wirelessly backup over AEBS. The WD drive I bought doesn't.

I don't see why a WD drive shouldn't work? Im using a Western Digital MyBook USB drive with my Airport Extreme and it works perfectly. So long as the drive is formatted correctly (I didn't get it right first go) then it's fine for TimeMachine.

 

[knarzie]

I am still confused. so with TC in can do wireless backups, but I can't when I hook up an HD to the AE? Why not?

 

[danny_w]

I am still confused. so with TC in can do wireless backups, but I can't when I hook up an HD to the AE? Why not?

Yes, both can do wireless backups either via Time Machine or a backup app. The TC can do backups to either the internal or external disk drives, while of course the AEBS requires an external disk. Apple seems to only "officially" support Time Machine backups on a Time Capsule or on another Mac running Leopard using a shared disk; what this really means nobody really knows.

 

[Socorso]

multiple drives

I want to be able to have multiple drives hooked up to an AEBS. One (or two) would store my data, the other would be my backup drive (Time machine plus backup software) is this possible with the new AEBS? Or should I get a TC instead and use its internal for backup?

 

[danny_w]

I want to be able to have multiple drives hooked up to an AEBS. One (or two) would store my data, the other would be my backup drive (Time machine plus backup software) is this possible with the new AEBS? Or should I get a TC instead and use its internal for backup?

I have never personally tried it, but it should work (although it would require an external USB hub, preferably a good powered hub). I have a single 750GB drive hooked to my AEBS, and split into 2 partitions (one for Time Machine and one for Other).