Time Capsule alternative

angeldrangeldr
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I'm seriously considering buying a time capsule or the alternative airport extreme w/ usb external HDD. Is either of the two a better alternative? I know that you can eventually upgrade the TC if you need more space, plus I would think that this option would provide a faster data transfer than the other.



Here's what I'd like to do w/ my configuration. I have 2 laptops (work PC and iBook) which have small HDDs. I would like to put all my movies/pics/songs in an external drive but would like to access it wirelessly. I previously had a regular external drive that died with one drop on the floor when I had it connected to the ibook and wanted to take it for a walk. Needless to say, I don't want another regular external drive, since I'm afraid I might do the same to it . In the configuartion I want could I play my songs through iTunes while the songs are in fact saved on the TC? That is ultimately what I want to do. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    angeldrangeldr Posts: 2member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by angeldr View Post


    I'm seriously considering buying a time capsule or the alternative airport extreme w/ usb external HDD. Is either of the two a better alternative? I know that you can eventually upgrade the TC if you need more space, plus I would think that this option would provide a faster data transfer than the other.



    Here's what I'd like to do w/ my configuration. I have 2 laptops (work PC and iBook) which have small HDDs. I would like to put all my movies/pics/songs in an external drive but would like to access it wirelessly. I previously had a regular external drive that died with one drop on the floor when I had it connected to the ibook and wanted to take it for a walk. Needless to say, I don't want another regular external drive, since I'm afraid I might do the same to it . In the configuartion I want could I play my songs through iTunes while the songs are in fact saved on the TC? That is ultimately what I want to do. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.



    Well I bought the Time Capsule yesterday, and needless to say i'm happy w/ the purchase...
  • Reply 2 of 4
    nano2gfteonano2gfteo Posts: 99member
    HP MediaSmart 485! This thing is going to ship very very soon and I am hunting for it still!. It supports TM and PCs as well. With 4 bays, it will hold 8TB using 2TB disks. This is something Apple should build but HP beat everyone else to it. Fantastic box for $599 which is a steal of a price compared to a TC which is not really expandable....
  • Reply 3 of 4
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    I think the Time Capsule is pointed at the general consumer as backup appliance with wireless routing capabilities. A general consumer doesn't need more than 1 TB of space. Apple isn't going to build something to fill every single niche. I would consider myself a power user and it takes me almost a year to fill a 500GB Time Capsule from Time Machine backups even with some other items stored on it as backup.



    Time Capsule is a great device. Its 100% gigabit ethernet (all 4 ports WAN and LAN). Its 802.11n, it has USB 2 so you can plug in a printer and/or external HD to expand your TC. It DOES support plugging in a USB 2 hub if you want to plug in both a USB printer and USB 2 external HD. Its fully Apple supported. Its not really that expensive considering what it does. What's not to like?
  • Reply 4 of 4
    mikesgroovemikesgroove Posts: 2member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nano2Gfteo View Post


    HP MediaSmart 485! This thing is going to ship very very soon and I am hunting for it still!. It supports TM and PCs as well. With 4 bays, it will hold 8TB using 2TB disks. This is something Apple should build but HP beat everyone else to it. Fantastic box for $599 which is a steal of a price compared to a TC which is not really expandable....



    Agreed, the MediaSmart is a sick piece of hardware. One thing the OP should keep in mind is that while it works with Macs, you must have a PC in the network to setup and admin.
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