High-quality photos and notes on Apple's Time Capsule
Outside, Time Capsule is nearly indistinguishable from its AirPort Extreme sibling -- the device has only a slightly larger surface area (7.7 inches versus 6.5) and height (1.4 inches versus 1.3), as well as a mirror-finish Apple logo. For standard networking, the device is also virtually identical and provides up to 802.11n Wi-Fi as well as gigabit Ethernet and a USB port for printers or shared storage.
AirPort Extreme is not going away and will cost the same $179 as before, according to Apple. Time Capsule nonetheless appears to have been internally codenamed as a different device, M52. At Macworld, the device also bears an unknown "Wilma" card name.
The new router's storage is, of course, a critical difference. The storage allows one or more Mac OS X Leopard systems to automatically recognize Time Capsule as a Time Machine drive and backup over the network whether it's using Ethernet or wireless. No special software is needed other than Mac OS X 10.5.1, even if the Capsule's disk is shared between systems.
The Mac maker also says the drive works as a standard NAS drive.
Apple hopes this feature will separate Time Capsule from a small but growing field of multi-purpose routers.
While no existing rival offers as simple a backup method, a few manufacturers such as ASUS ship hard drive-equipped routers that also include network services Apple doesn't, such as BitTorrent clients and remote FTP servers. Some also offer remote backup software that allows more fine-tuned backup options.
At one terabyte, however, the top-end Time Capsule is believed to be one of the most capacious devices of its class.
AirPort Extreme is not going away and will cost the same $179 as before, according to Apple. Time Capsule nonetheless appears to have been internally codenamed as a different device, M52. At Macworld, the device also bears an unknown "Wilma" card name.
The new router's storage is, of course, a critical difference. The storage allows one or more Mac OS X Leopard systems to automatically recognize Time Capsule as a Time Machine drive and backup over the network whether it's using Ethernet or wireless. No special software is needed other than Mac OS X 10.5.1, even if the Capsule's disk is shared between systems.
The Mac maker also says the drive works as a standard NAS drive.
Apple hopes this feature will separate Time Capsule from a small but growing field of multi-purpose routers.
While no existing rival offers as simple a backup method, a few manufacturers such as ASUS ship hard drive-equipped routers that also include network services Apple doesn't, such as BitTorrent clients and remote FTP servers. Some also offer remote backup software that allows more fine-tuned backup options.
At one terabyte, however, the top-end Time Capsule is believed to be one of the most capacious devices of its class.
Comments
Wireless drive sharing
Time Capsule also works great as a wireless hard drive whether you have a Mac or PC. It sets up in a snap, giving you a networked hard drive you can use for storing and sharing any kinds of files.
man, I wish they did a dual drive setup with this thing for RAID purposes.
EDIT: I just saw that it still came with a USB port so you can still hook-up an external drive to it. Software RAID if you must.
Any word on whether any ol' external hard drive hooked up to a regular Airport Extreme Base Station will be able to do Time Machine wirelessly?
AMEN! I was wondering exactly that the second this thing was announced....
I wish I would have waited. I just bought an external Lacie D2 Quadra 500GB hard drive a few weeks ago. I could have gotten Time Capsule. Oh well.
Your LaCie drive will be a heckuva lot faster.
EDIT: I just saw that it still came with a USB port so you can still hook-up an external drive to it. Software RAID if you must.
The USB drive is for setting up a shared printer. Not sure if it'll recognize a drive.
Not sure if it'll recognize a drive.
It will. Link
What would you do? Advice, please?
Aaargh.... I am torn. Should I p1$$ of the Mrs. and buy it right now -- I sooo want it! -- or wait six more weeks until it's my birthday, so that she can "surprise" me?
What would you do? Advice, please?
Well, it's not available until February.
Well, it's not available until February.
Thanks for pointing that out (I missed that). That still (possibly) leaves four weeks......
I wish I would have waited. I just bought an external Lacie D2 Quadra 500GB hard drive a few weeks ago. I could have gotten Time Capsule. Oh well.
I just bought a MyBook 1TB HDD and an 802.11n router few weeks back. i wish i would have waited.
Well, it's not available until February.
Cause it isn't available in January.
i get the impression that the drive isn't readily accessible, so you're then without a router while you're getting your backup drive fixed... and especially if you have multiple machines constantly backing up to this thing, i could see a drive failure definitely happening at some point.
i *love* the idea of this device, but it would be fantastic if it had an easy access port to swap in the drive (the way that the HDs in macbooks and macpros slide in and out make for such easy access and upgrades or replacements)
even fancier would be to add in an audio port so that it could stream music like the airport express
possibly more far fetched would be to add in a standalone cd drive, to include the remote-CD reading functionality that the new macbook Air models will be using.. but probably not worth the extra costs.
AMEN! I was wondering exactly that the second this thing was announced....
I really hope so - it makes a lot of sense, they finally fix time machine to work wirelessly AND make a product out of it as well. I don't want to replace my extreme, I just want to plug my lacie in the back and time machine it.
here's hoping - anyone know for sure?
High quality photos I think not. Someone needs to learn that the aperture controls depth of field just as much as it allows more or less light in. With modern DSLRs you can bump the ISO up a bit and use a larger f/stop and bring more of your photo into focus. These photos are all but useless in that there is only a very little bit of the image in focus. This may be artistic if used correctly but it does not lead itself to displaying a new product very well.
then go there and take them yourself. what an ugly comment.
then go there and take them yourself. what an ugly comment.
I would happily take the photos for them if they wanted to pay for my trip.
As for an ugly comment I think it's simply an opinion just like yours. I didn't curse or say anything rude I simply stated my opinion not unlike you just did.
High quality photos I think not. Someone needs to learn that the aperture controls depth of field just as much as it allows more or less light in. With modern DSLRs you can bump the ISO up a bit and use a larger f/stop and bring more of your photo into focus. These photos are all but useless in that there is only a very little bit of the image in focus. This may be artistic if used correctly but it does not lead itself to displaying a new product very well.
Being educated in photography I have to agree with this.