About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

The pros outweigh the cons, especially for Leopard and Snow Leopard users who rely on Time Machine for backups . You can back up your home computers and create a reliable home-wide wireless network, all with a single Time Capsule.



Pros

• Designed for Time Machine (but works with other backup systems, too)
• Supports multiple Macs
• Works with PCs
• Built-in AirPort base station with 802.11n wireless capabilities

• Server-grade hard drive

Cons

• Hard drive is not easily user replaceable
• Less expensive NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices are available
• No external antenna options

Description

• Available in 1 TB or 2 TB configurations
• Requires OS X 10.5 or later for Mac clients
• Can serve as a standard network hard drive for Windows users
• Uses Bonjour technology for simple setup
• Can turn a USB printer into a shared network printer
• Has a 1 Gigabit Ethernet WAN port
• Has a 3 Gigabit Ethernet LAN port
• Lets you add more hard drive space through its USB port

Guide Review - Time Capsule

Take one AirPort base station, add your choice of a 1 TB or 2 TB SATA hard drive, sprinkle in Bonjour, and what do you get? Time Capsule.

Time Capsule performs three main services for Mac and Windows home networks. It serves as the network's Internet router, routing data between your DSL, cable, or other Internet connection and the computers on your home network. It provides sharing services for a USB-based printer, so you can share a single printer among multiple computers.

And most importantly, it provides a hard drive that serves as a backup destination for Time Machine, so all of your home computers can use a single Time Capsule for backups.

Time Capsule is available in two nearly identical configurations; the only difference is the size of the hard drive. Apple doesn't specify the make or model of the internal hard drive. The only clue about what's inside Time Capsule comes from Apple's published technical specs for the device, which state that it houses a 1 TB or 2 TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA server-grade hard drive.

What exactly is a server-grade hard drive? Generally, server-grade hard drives are optimized for continuous use. They have a higher MBTF (mean time between failure) than consumer-grade hard drives. They also have longer warranty periods; usually 3-5 years, rather than the more common 1 or 2 years that come with consumer-grade drives.

Plug Time Capsule into your network, and by the time you walk over to your Mac, it will have already discovered the Time Capsule hard drive that is now available as a network resource. If active, Time Machine will have already discovered Time Capsule and offered to use it as a backup destination. That's what I call easy to use.