What started out as a fairly routine review of the Apple Time Capsule expanded into some very useful behind the scenes tips, a good account of the user experience, and history of the AirDisk alternative in ComputerWorldis review on Friday.
After the typical recap of the Time Capsule pricing and size options, Ken Mingis started getting into the details that any prospective buyer will want to hear about. For example, he reminded the readers that while Time Capsule can be used on a wireless network for storage with Tiger, only Leopard includes an additional key item, Time Machine.
Also, since the very first backup is over a wireless connection, it will take longer than with a wired connection. The author advises a launch of the first full backup before going to bed. Subsequent incremental backups will go faster.
Later, Mr. Mingis got into the tactical details of Time Capsule vs. the AirDisk option, that is, adding a USB hard drive to an Airport Extreme, and Appleis support (and lack of it) for that option.
Finally, the reviewer quoted Jai Chulani, Appleis senior product marketing manager for AirPort, who explained the advantages of the "server grade" drives in the Time Capsule and tried to put that into context with the recent flap about MTBF numbers. In addition, the archive capability of the Time Capsule was covered.
For anyone planning to buy a Time Capsule, this review is excellent reading.