Apple introduces 2TB Time Capsule backup appliance
Apple doubled the capacity on its Time Capsule router with integrated hard drive Thursday, giving users a full 2 terabytes of storage in the top-of-the-line model.
The new model is available for $499 from Apple.
Rumors of a 2TB Time Capsule first broke this April, when a picture of a box with the expanded capacity first appeared at ClubMac. At $499, the 2TB model has replaced the price point of the 1TB model. The lower-end Time Capsule is now available for $299.
Earlier this year, the company introduced new AirPort Extremes and Time Capsules with dual-band support. The new models allow simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking. With dual-band, base stations can simultaneously support iPhones and other 802.11b/g devices operating at 2.4 GHz, while also broadcasting 802.11n wide signals in the 5GHz band to maximize throughput for notebooks and devices such as Apple TV.
Time Capsule drives were also made accessible over the Internet for MobileMe subscribers. Additionally, the new Guest Network feature allows users to set up a secondary network for friends and visitors with Internet-only access without handing out a WiFi password.
Time Capsule pairs the existing AirPort Extreme with a hard drive to serve as a backup appliance for Leopard machines running Time Machine, in addition to acting as a simple file and print server. It is offered for both Mac and Windows users, although Windows PCs (or Macs not running Leopard) won't have Time Machine and therefore will access it only as a regular file and print server.
The new model is available for $499 from Apple.
Rumors of a 2TB Time Capsule first broke this April, when a picture of a box with the expanded capacity first appeared at ClubMac. At $499, the 2TB model has replaced the price point of the 1TB model. The lower-end Time Capsule is now available for $299.
Earlier this year, the company introduced new AirPort Extremes and Time Capsules with dual-band support. The new models allow simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking. With dual-band, base stations can simultaneously support iPhones and other 802.11b/g devices operating at 2.4 GHz, while also broadcasting 802.11n wide signals in the 5GHz band to maximize throughput for notebooks and devices such as Apple TV.
Time Capsule drives were also made accessible over the Internet for MobileMe subscribers. Additionally, the new Guest Network feature allows users to set up a secondary network for friends and visitors with Internet-only access without handing out a WiFi password.
Time Capsule pairs the existing AirPort Extreme with a hard drive to serve as a backup appliance for Leopard machines running Time Machine, in addition to acting as a simple file and print server. It is offered for both Mac and Windows users, although Windows PCs (or Macs not running Leopard) won't have Time Machine and therefore will access it only as a regular file and print server.
Comments
i still think apple should make a home server with switch out drives, so two can mirror and can add others
could you use the usb powered drives say from iomega (i have those) and daisy chain those
but adding storage should be easier
Why does Apple keep making products that I want to buy?
After a little over a year's worth of Time Capsule use, I'm not sure you really do want to buy one.
I put two units into service, each of them backing up about six or seven computers apiece. I "staggered" the initial backups so that the units would not be overloaded. Even with just one computer backing up at a time, the backup was unbelievably slow, and that was over a gigabit LAN. Other systems with locally attached disks were faster. The only bottleneck I can see would be the processor used in the Time Capsule.
Some computers never worked properly with Time Capsule. The issues I saw most were backups that stalled for no reason, sudden prompts for the Time Capsule password, and sparse disk images that became corrupted. It didn't matter if the computer was an older PPC model or a new Intel system.
A year and two months out of warranty, one of the Time Capsule units died with a flashing yellow light. Opening it up revealed some kind of a reaction that had taken place in the thermal transfer pads--a kind of oil had leaked out of them and covered the circuit board. Apple has been unwilling to even offer a pro-rated price on a new one.
Even when they work, these things run frightfully hot.
One unit still survives and works about as well as it ever did. Which is really too bad, as this could have been such a cool idea...
Time Capsule = Sloooooooooooooooow
Not! Mine isn't slow at all. The initial backup takes a couple hours, but other than that its fast. Snow Leopard is supposed to improve Time Machine backup/restore speeds.
As for the Timecapsule being slow, yeah, it is when you're doing the initial transfer, and if you're backing up large files over wireless, but I've found that not having it update my scratch folders where I move large dataset files around keeps the versions I care about backed up and performance in a good (enough) range.
Nice update, but when the hell are they ever going to update the AppleTV?!?! 40GB on the low end and only 160 for the "high end"??? I know its not a big product in terms of sales, and there may be a much improved version in the pipe, but come on... at least update the HD to a respectable size and I may think of getting one...
As for the Timecapsule being slow, yeah, it is when you're doing the initial transfer, and if you're backing up large files over wireless, but I've found that not having it update my scratch folders where I move large dataset files around keeps the versions I care about backed up and performance in a good (enough) range.
Apple TV doesn't really need a big HD, I have the 40GB model, my iTunes library is nearing a gig and I just stream everything. Why would anyone buy the 160GB model?
Why would anyone buy the 160GB model?
because they can
Time Capsule = Sloooooooooooooooow
The initial backup can take a while depending on how much data you have to backup (which is why Apple recommends doing the initial backup via ethernet connection). But after that, I hardly notice wireless incremental backups. They, and my wifi/internet connection, are pretty snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapy.
I just got my TC a few months ago, and I was relieved to finally do it. I'd suffered an internal HDD failure the year before and lost a lot of data. Not again, knock wood. It does sting a little that Apple has already doubled TC's storage capacity for the same price I paid. But hey, that's gonna happen?
After a little over a year's worth of Time Capsule use, I'm not sure you really do want to buy one.
I put two units into service, each of them backing up about six or seven computers apiece. I "staggered" the initial backups so that the units would not be overloaded. Even with just one computer backing up at a time, the backup was unbelievably slow, and that was over a gigabit LAN. Other systems with locally attached disks were faster. The only bottleneck I can see would be the processor used in the Time Capsule.
Some computers never worked properly with Time Capsule. The issues I saw most were backups that stalled for no reason, sudden prompts for the Time Capsule password, and sparse disk images that became corrupted. It didn't matter if the computer was an older PPC model or a new Intel system.
A year and two months out of warranty, one of the Time Capsule units died with a flashing yellow light. Opening it up revealed some kind of a reaction that had taken place in the thermal transfer pads--a kind of oil had leaked out of them and covered the circuit board. Apple has been unwilling to even offer a pro-rated price on a new one.
Even when they work, these things run frightfully hot.
One unit still survives and works about as well as it ever did. Which is really too bad, as this could have been such a cool idea...
Are you kidding ??? could you please explain in great detail exactly how many? what kind of mac ? etc etc on each set up .
FULL DETAIL
and how you set this up at all .
Nice update, but when the hell are they ever going to update the AppleTV?!?! 40GB on the low end and only 160 for the "high end"??? I know its not a big product in terms of sales, and there may be a much improved version in the pipe, but come on... at least update the HD to a respectable size and I may think of getting one...
As for the Timecapsule being slow, yeah, it is when you're doing the initial transfer, and if you're backing up large files over wireless, but I've found that not having it update my scratch folders where I move large dataset files around keeps the versions I care about backed up and performance in a good (enough) range.
I find its best to add a folder a week and judge the speed .
Apple TV doesn't really need a big HD, I have the 40GB model, my iTunes library is nearing a gig and I just stream everything. Why would anyone buy the 160GB model?
My iTunes files alone are 80GB and growing. How do you stream the movies you own?
My iTunes files alone are 80GB and growing. How do you stream the movies you own?
From your Mac or PC running iTunes. My iTunes files are well over 80GB, but I have no trouble using my 40GB Apple TV to access any files from my Mac.
Apple TV doesn't really need a big HD, I have the 40GB model, my iTunes library is nearing a gig and I just stream everything. Why would anyone buy the 160GB model?
What AppleTv needs is a way to store my files (especially movies) on it and it alone. My computer's hard drive is overloaded with entertainment for the AppleTV and shouldn't need to be.
From your Mac or PC running iTunes. My iTunes files are well over 80GB, but I have no trouble using my 40GB Apple TV to access any files from my Mac.
I'd rarther those file be on the AppleTV than my computer's drive anyway.
No, I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer.
I work in a home studio so I have an odd set up. My itunes is on an external drive so I don't back it up via the TC. I work with video so the files are huge. I scratch to an external in mirrored raid so don't need the TC for that either. I use my TC for the wifi router and for backing up my basic files, email, the project files, ichat sessions with partners. that sort of stuff. and even then I have a secondary backup where about once every month I do a manual copy of my home folder just to be safe.
as for the fellow that had the melted TC. putting 6-7 computers on there might have been a culprit. the software is likely set up for on the hour, not an hour later. so all 7 were hitting it at the same time. you don't mention if you ever took it in while under warranty. so if you had a defective unit they couldn't replace it. and once out of warranty it's not a shock they wouldn't do anything for ya. that's why warranties are limited. sucks but that's the way the game works