Time Capsule?

Why not just buy an external hard drive? ( by everything do you mean files etc. or an entire clone?)

 

Hitachi 1TB HDD on sale at Microcenter - $59
Macally external HDD case that looks like a mini MacPro - $40

My MacBook Pro backed up via time machine when it's plugged in? Priceless

 

I would only buy the Time Capsule if you need a wireless router anyway. I have had one since they came out. First one was replaced out of warranty due to the power supply defect. The latest ones should be fine. Otherwise, just buy a cheap 1TB drive.

 

you would be fine with a 500 GB external hard drive, the time capsule is amazing, but if you have a decent wireless router then you don't need a time capsule.

 

Good advice, I have had a 500 gig Time Capsule for quite a while, it makes an excellent wireless backup solution... tho I have hung a Drobo FS of the back of it and now have have a 5-terabyte backup solution which is expandable what ever the largest five sata hard drives are available, curretly that is 10TB, which is a lot of photos and and audio files...

 

Something like this would work:

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...DBABW0010BSL-NESN/dp/B003DC8D8I/ref=pd_cp_e_2

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1283650754&sr=8-1

The first drive is USB 2 only and so it would be a bit slower than the second drive (which also supports FireWire 800).

 

Is there a way to make your own time capsule? I dont really care about wireless router that comes with it, but I want to make my own Wireless backup solution that will be compatible with OSX.

I stopped going to apple shops here in Thailand, they are just savagely expensive (authorized resellers) they have some 1.5 TB HDD for 700 dollars there, or time capsule for 450. That is rip off.

 

You just need a wireless router with a USB port that you can plug an external hard drive in and run Time Machine pointing it the disk.

Apple's Airport will work, but so will something like D-Link Systems D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless 108G USB Storage Router DI-624S Wireless router - http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD0Q8wIwAg#

or

the belkin model like this one http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=459640

 

I don't think you will be able to point TimeMachine at the USB connected Drive that is on the Network.

The only way I have heard to do that is basically a "Hack". My understanding is that Timemachine does not natively support writing backups to "Network" drives other than Timecapsule. When I just tried on my MBP it does not see any of the drives as an option on my network.

 

I am doing it now by pointing Timemachine to my TM partition on my droboFS...

 

You can also route your time machine backups to a USB HDD plugged into an Airport Extreme.

Anyway, OP, I would just say to buy a hard drive if you don't mind plugging in whenever you need to backup. However, if you want wireless, get a time capsule. I've had mine since it came out, and it's saved me more times than I can count!

 

Does a time capsule ONLY do time machine backups? Or can I place any one file to it?

 

That's a good question. I can move files to my TC manually. I wish the TC was the default storage location.

Can that be done?