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Apple introduces new 2TB Time Capsule, drops price of 1TB model
Apple quietly today introduced a new 2TB Time Capsule, its combination of a wireless router and network hard drive, for $499, while dropping the price of the 1TB model to $299, and discontinuing the 500GB model. The new 2TB Time Capsule is available immediately and is shipping today from Apple's online store. This should hopefully be a welcome addition for those who back up many computers with Time Machine, as many use more than 1TB for their Time Machine backups.[via MacRumors]
Apple unveils 2TB Time Capsule, ships today for $499
Nearly four months after we first saw evidence that a 2TB Time Capsule was in the works, Apple has finally come clean and listed said device for sale in its webstore. So far as we can tell, the 802.11n router + NAS drive isn't any different than existing models save for the internal capacity, and it looks to be shipping today for $499. If you'll recall, that's exactly what Apple was charging for the 1TB model yesterday, which has today stooped to just $299. As for that 500GB model? Looks like the clearance / refurbished section is your only option there, where it's currently listed for $199.
Ask TUAW: Lotus Notes to iPhone, Time Capsule storage, uninstalling Haxies, and more
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly Mac troubleshooting Q&A column! This time we've got questions on syncing an iPhone with Lotus Notes, expanding storage on a Time Capsule, preventing iCal event invitation emails, uninstalling Haxies, and more As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.
Apple updates Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station firmware
Last night Apple released a firmware update for Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n. Here are the fixes: Fixes some problems with extending and maintaining connectivity with extended networks Fixes an issue with clients that enable 802.11 "Power Save" Fixes connectivity issues with some third-party devices Fixes an issue when the base station is configured for PPPoE Fixes some Back To My Mac issues with connectivity and support for third-party routers All of those sound like issues that could affect quite a few people -- especially those with (gasp!) "third-party" devices. I've certainly had issues with Back To My Mac using a Netgear router, so we'll see if this helps. In any event, firmware updates are recommended especially if you've had any of the above symptoms.
2TB Time Capsule in the works?
Apple just updated the Airport Extreme and Time Capsule last month, so we don't know if the timing is right for a storage bump, but tipster Brandon just noticed that the ClubMac's promo pic of the TC box features an unmistakable 2TB badge. Makes sense to us -- 500GB is laughably small for a device designed to back up multiple machines, and standard-height 2TB drives are now available from Western Digital and soon from Seagate. We'll keep an eye out -- anyone else hear anything?[Thanks, Brandon]
Time Capsule disk corruption issues? Base station firmware may fix it
If you've been having issues with corrupted Time Machine images either inside the Time Capsule or connected externally to your base station, the 7.4.1 firmware update (for all base stations from 2007 to today) plus the 10.5.6 update might help, according to TidBITS. Apple says this update will fix problems that lead up to corruption issues, but TidBITS recommends you essentially start fresh just to make sure -- after using the Archive feature in Disk Utility to copy your previous Time Machine disk to an external drive. Don't have enough drives to do the data shuffle? You can always take your chances that you either don't have a corrupt Time Machine backup (which is pretty likely, honestly) or do a little soul/data-searching for anything you might want to preserve for posterity.I don't use Time Machine as a sort of universal undo, but I understand some might. In either case: update your system and firmware as recommended by the manufacturer.
Screen Grabs: Time Capsule holds all sorts of Life's secrets
Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. While Reese got grilled and Crews got one step closer to figuring out who stabbed him in the back decades ago, Robert Stark happened upon what Captain Tidwell thought was a small computer. Clearly, someone failed to tip him off on the fact that a Time Capsule isn't in any way a Mac mini. Ah well, at least some gal finally convinced him to get a haircut.
Apple rumor Monday, late edition: leaked specs, model numbers, announcement tomorrow?
The flood of Apple hardware rumors just won't let up -- not only did commenters dig through those Airport Extreme and Time Capsule FCC filings and find evidence that the new models will indeed support simultaneous 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation, we've got iMac model numbers and leaked specs for Mac mini and Mac Pro, all of which are said to be arriving as soon as tomorrow. Of course, given the conservative / obvious nature of these updates, all of this information could be coming from some fanboy lair deep in a parents' basement somewhere and still sound plausible, but hey -- we'll find out soon enough, right? Here's what we know so far: The iMac will apparently come in an entry level MB147 20-inch model, as well as three 24-inch SKUs: MB148 "mass-market," MB149 "high-end," and MB420 "ultimate." All models will go to mini DisplayPort and feature Core 2 Duos up to 3.06GHz. The Mac mini will indeed feature five USB ports and that funky dual mini-DVI / mini DisplayPort configuration, but it's also apparently going to an NVIDIA chipset like the MacBooks and iMac. The base MB463 model will start with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, and there's also a "high-end" MB464 configuration. The Mac Pro will come in eight-core configurations from 3.0GHz to 3.6GHz and 16-core configurations in 3.6GHz and 4.0GHz flavors, and it sounds like it's going to be even funkier on the video tip -- our tipster says it has two regular DVI ports and a mini DisplayPort. Sure, okay. It's also apparently a bit lighter than the current model, at 35 pounds instead of 42. Tipster Tom noted that the Airport Extreme and Time Capsule FCC filings contain direct references to simultaneous 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation, so that's looking even more probable. Obviously we'll let you know if all this stuff slips out with no fanfare tomorrow, but with PMA and CeBIT both going on right now, we think that March 24 date is more likely -- Apple does like to hog the attention, after all. Anyone else have any secrets to share? We're all ears.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Apple rumor Monday: Nehalem Mac Pro, new Airport Extreme and Time Capsule in FCC, Mac mini box
Lots of Apple rumors today following the weekend whispers of a March 24 desktop hardware event, and they fall neatly along the plausibility spectrum: First up, we'd say a bump of the Mac Pro to Intel's upcoming Nehalem-EP Xeon processors is looking quite likely -- famed OS X hacker netkas was poking around in a test build of OS X 10.5.7 and found support files for i7 chips lurking about, as well as drivers for ATI's Radeon 4000-series GPUs. If you're making a chart, this one's right up there with an NVIDIA-powered iMac refresh -- it's a pretty obvious move. Second, new entries for the Airport Extreme and Time Capsule have popped up in the FCC, and while the listed dimensions are exactly the same as the current editions, there are no model numbers and something internal has to have changed enough to raise ol' Sammy's brows. That could be as simple as a new radio hardware supplier or bigger drives, but if we were placing bets, we'd say both units are getting updated for simultaneous 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation -- Apple's really high on 5GHz for laptops and Apple TV, but the iPhone and iPod touch are 2.4GHz-only. Let's call this one even odds, shall we? Lastly, a new picture of that improbable five USB port Mac mini has surfaced, this time purporting to show the outside of the box. Considering the Photoshop wars the last image of this thing set off, we'd say this is the least likely candidate for a Philly Schills reveal, but then again, Apple's been pretty leaky lately. That's everything we know -- anyone else have something to share with the group? Read - Ars Technica on the Mac Pro Read - New Airport Extreme FCC listing Read - New Time Capsule FCC listing Read - One More Thing Mac mini image [Via TUAW]
Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station (802.11n) Firmware 7.3.2
Along with the Mac OS X 10.5.4 update tonight, Apple also released firmware 7.3.2 for Time Capsules and AirPort Base Stations. Apple states that it "includes general fixes and compatibility updates" for both Time Capsule and AirPorts with 802.11n. Most likely your AirPort (or Time Capsule) will find and download the update automatically; however, you can also visit the Apple Support Downloads page to download the installer package for Leopard, Tiger, or Windows. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
How would you change Apple's Time Capsule?
Now that Time Machine's all buddy-buddy with AirPort Extreme's AirDisk feature, we can see the demand for Time Capsule sinking considerably. Still, Apple's own NAS drive / WLAN router combo has likely found its way into quite a few households, and now that you've had a chance to back up your life a couple times over, we're interested to see how you'd tweak things. Are you really pleased with the interface? Are transfers snappy enough? Want a little more freedom with how you're able to configure things? Would you rather it not function as a substitute for a portable stove? Let's be honest -- Time Capsule's a pricey piece of kit for what you get, so feel free to let Cupertino know exactly what's keeping you from being absolutely satisfied in every respect.
TriBand antenna for Time Capsule
Quickertek has produced an antenna for the Time Capsule which, according to them, increases the device's range by 50%. It's compatible with 802.11 A, B, and G, and comes either as a self install kit or an installation service. Or, if you don't have a Time Capsule just yet, you can order one from Quickertek with the antenna pre-installed. It comes with a good amount of cable so you can spend your weekend obsessively placing and replacing it in your home until it's just right. So that will be fun.The 500GB self-install kit is $129.95US, and the service is $200US. Prices are the same for the 1TB version kit and service. If you want to do it all in one fell swoop, you can order a 500GB Time Capsule + pre-installed kit for $500US, or $700US for the 1TB version.[Via Engadget]
Quickertek antenna promises to boost Time Capsule's range
It won't do much to complement the Time Capsule's minimalist looks, but if you've been itching to get a bit more range of out thing, you now have a new option to consider from Quickertek, which recently introduced its new TriBand Antenna for the device. Available either as a self-install kit or pre-installed on the Time Capsule of your choice, the slightly janky-looking rig promises a 50% increase in range over a standard Time Capsule, with ample coaxial cabling provided to let you position it just right. As if that wasn't enough, Quickertek is also promising that the antenna will let you reach speeds "much closer to the theoretical yield of 300 megabits per second," although it apparently isn't making any firm claims on that matter. If that sounds like the boost you've been looking for, you can grab the self-install kit now for $130, get Quickertek to install the antenna on your existing Time Capsule for $200, or get a 500GB or 1TB Time Capsule with it pre-installed for $500 or $700, respectively.
Changing a Time Capsule's hard drive
French Mac site HardMac has posted the step-by-step process of changing a Time Capsule's hard drive. Specifically, they swapped the original 500 GB Seagate SATA drive for a Western Digital 1 TB Green Power drive. The actual removal of the existing drive won't be too tricky for people used to tinkering with hardware. In fact, the whole thing was simple. The Time Capsule immediately recognized the unformatted drive, formatted it and made it available to Time Machine.They chose the Green Power drive because they're designed to use a varied rotation speed, based on demand so, it's much quieter than the original Seagate (according to HardMac).
Time Capsule: everything you wanted to know
So we spent the weekend playing with Time Capsule and we've discovered some interesting answers to all your questions, as well as a few accompanying annoyances. Our main takeaway? It's a solid product, but you shouldn't expect it to do anything more than back up your files -- and Apple really needs to step up and enable general NAS support for Time Machine. Read on!
Time Machine plays nice with USB HDDs on Time Capsule
Well, would you look at that. It seems as if Time Machine is all buddy-buddy with externally connected HDDs on Time Capsule after all. If you'll recall, many Apple users were miffed (to put it gently) by the disappearance of said feature from vanilla AirPort Extreme Base Stations just before Leopard hit the streets, but according to a hands-on report over at Macworld, "you can perform Time Machine backups to drives attached to the Time Capsule via USB." Granted, it wasn't exactly speedy or anything, but at least the functionality is tucked away in there -- hit up the read link if you're still spinning in disbelief.[Via TUAW]
Time Machine works with USB external HDs on Time Capsule
Over at Macworld, Glenn Fleishman has an initial hands-on report about Apple's new Time Capsule combination Airport Base Station and NAS, and he's confirmed something folks were wondering about: "you can also perform Time Machine backups to drives attached to the Time Capsule via USB." This is interesting, because Apple originally said that Time Machine backups would be possible to an AirDisk (that is, an USB external drive on the regular AirPort Extreme Base Station). Just before Leopard shipped, that feature quietly disappeared, leaving some early-adopters who had counted on that capability in the lurch. The obvious questions now are whether there's any technical reason why Time Machine to AirDisk wouldn't work on the AEBS, and whether Apple is holding the feature back just to promote the Time Capsule. In any case, it's good to know that if you get a Time Capsule you're not limited to the internal storage, perhaps making the smaller 500GB model that much more attractive.
Time Capsule teardown
Apple's Time Capsule hasn't even been shipping for a week yet, and Flickr user "nakedmac" has already dissected his Time Capsule. What may be surprising is that the Time Capsule is no more than an Airport Extreme with a hard drive. But remember when Steve said that the Time Capsule would feature a "server-grade hard drive?" Well, it features a Hitachi Deskstar hard drive. According to the Typical Mac User Podcast blog, the Hitachi hard drive isn't necessarily rated for "server-grade."[via Engadget]
Time Capsule opened despite it not yet being the future
You kind of miss the point if you open your Time Capsule after just a day or two, but at least we now know that future generations can, in fact, expect an active drive cooling system (by way of a blower fan).
Time Capsule first impressions
Okay, so we've got our Time Capsule up and running here -- we'll be back with a full review once our full 516GB backup is completed, but here are some quick first impressions: You can definitely hear the disks spin up and access. It also sounds like there's a fan in there, but there are no obvious vents for one and we can't feel any air coming out, so the drives might just be that loud. The top is getting quite warm during the backup -- we'll see if it cools down once we stop hitting the drive this hard, but if there really isn't a fan we're a little concerned. Hope those server-grade hard drives like being cooked. You can't transfer an existing Time Machine backup to Time Capsule. Sure, it's easy enough to switch back and get at your old data, but it's still a pain -- and now we have a 1TB drive sitting here with months of backups on it that we can't erase and reuse. Time Machine doesn't prioritize network activity on your machine, so it's slamming our network connection right now as it backs up. That's not a huge problem since we're backing up over Ethernet, but we'll see what happens when we try this over WiFi later. We tried to back up a second machine while the first was in progress, and not much happened -- it created the disk image and got to "Preparing..." and then did nothing. We're assuming these can only happen one at a time. The wireless side of things is basically the same as the Airport Extreme, nothing shocking there, although the setup assistant has been substantially revised to make things easier. The setup assistant now asks if you already have a 2.4GHz network and offers to create a 5GHz secondary network, which is interesting. That's about it for now -- there's not much we can try out while this backup is in progress. Anything else you guys want to know?
