Time Capsule or Airport Extreme Base Station?

Niagaramark · Jan 23rd, 2009, 03:37 PM

Other than the integration of the HD on the Time Capsule, are there any other differences between a Time Capsule and AE Base Station?
Looking at the reviews at Apple.Com, there seem to be a lot of unhappy TC users vs AE Base Station. Does anyone have experience using both?

chas_m · Jan 23rd, 2009, 03:46 PM

I would DEFINITELY not use the reviews at Apple.com as any sort of guide to any of their products. Only the very very bitter people even bother to write, the millions of happy customers are not really represented.

As for which is "best," I think that largely comes down to cost and flexibility factors.

monokitty · Jan 23rd, 2009, 03:54 PM

Unless you want or need wireless Time Machine Backups, buy a standard Airport Base Station.

crawford · Jan 23rd, 2009, 05:04 PM

oops, double post

crawford · Jan 23rd, 2009, 05:05 PM

I don't have a TC, but it's one less thing to plug in to your wall and to your Mac if you plan on using Time Machine to do backups (compared with an external HDD).

Is it possible to upgrade the HDD in the TC?

fyrefly · Jan 23rd, 2009, 06:14 PM

Airport Extreme Base Stations will also allow you to connect an external USB Hard Drive to them, which allows them to perform the same function as a Time Capsule (wireless or wired timed backups via time machine).

AEBS+External HD = cheaper than time capsule. Especially if you can get a deal on an AEBS (Apple Refurb store or SIG Electronics).

Lawrence · Jan 23rd, 2009, 06:35 PM

Save your money, Buy an Airport Express and use Super Duper to back up to an
external hard drive. (Build your own external drive, Save even more money)

PierreB · Jan 24th, 2009, 01:43 AM

I would go with the Router only option. Why? A router will last a really long time but a hard drive will die (the isssue is not whether it will die, but when). So I would thing that going with an Extreme and getting external hard drives may well be the better solution in the long term.

phuviano · Jan 24th, 2009, 02:51 AM

I agree with firefly. Buy the AEBS, and USB external hdd seperate. Its cheaper, and if your hdd dies, just replace it with another one. You can also use any hdd size you want.

I currently run the AEBS + external HDD setup. Setup works fine.

Sevenstring · Jan 24th, 2009, 07:45 AM

I've been looking at the Air Port Express for a long time...it announces itself as a method of playing iTunes wirelessly on to your stereo system. This thread seems to be aimed at using the Air Port Express as a method of connecting a USB Hard drive to do backups.

My question: Can you connect a USB Hard Drive and use Time Machine to do backups to the Hard Drive to the Air Port Express?

If not....Can someone explain exactly how they use the Air Port Express in their daily life apart from using it to play music

Thanks in advance

RC (Sevenstring...because I build 7-string guitars)