Customer Reviews and Ratings

3.5 out of 5 stars

Based on 33 reviews

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Review AND Response to Roger J from Black Creek

    • Written by from Desertville

    4 of 7 people found this useful

    First the review - Excellent product for seamless simplicity and back-up. It advertises itself as back-up appliance and nothing more or less.
    HOWEVER having a user changeable option would be awesome, something a little larger that has a removable bottom plate to swap out drives and set them in various RAID modes RAID 1, RAID 0 or JBOD for Time machine back-up and be able to use one as a iTunes Server would be awesome!!

    Now to the response:
    Roger J from Black Creek -- it really depends on your router and the configuration you have them set-up in.
    The TIme Capsule is completely capable of extending various networks. you're router needs to be set-up to be extended and the time capsule will need to JOIN that network and then you are able to extend it.

    Was this useful? Review AND Response to Roger J from Black Creek

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Time Capsule 3TB

    • Written by from sherborn

    15 of 19 people found this useful

    Apple is losing the war. 4TB drives are common, USB 2.0 is so passe and where is the Thunderbolt for a shared drive? Drag this product, kicking and screaming, into 2012 with some better shared drive capability and some real capacity

  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Good so far but still lacking some functionality

    • Written by from Black Creek

    17 of 21 people found this useful

    Love having a dedicated backup device on the network which is seamless.

    Really not impressed that you can't use it to extend a wireless network with a non-Apple compatible product, at least without having to use an ethernet cable. Now Time Capsule has to live beside my router, negating any wifi usefulness.

    Was this useful? Good so far but still lacking some functionality

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Unreliable - pointless as a primary backup

    • Written by from Gibsons

    22 of 32 people found this useful

    It installed and worked perfectly with little setup. Wireless worked. Network worked. My printers didn't worked but one has a scanner and that option does NOT work when connected to TC.

    However, I have to say the continual error message saying "Time Machine completed a verification of your backups. To improve reliability, Time Machine must create a new backup for you."

    This is NOT improving reliability. It is evidence of UNreliability. The Apple site says "Back up a lifetime's worth of memories with Time Capsule..." Hmmm. No. it can't even backup (and keep uncorrupted) a week's worth of memories.

    Great looking product. Worked brilliantly for a few months. Now, useless and untrustworthy.

    Was this useful? Unreliable - pointless as a primary backup

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Love the Time Capsule, take care of it and it will last.

    • Written by from Oakland Park

    50 of 57 people found this useful

    Time capsule is something that I really was excited to get. I like the unit, but it is NOT without it's quirks.

    #1 Placement. The unit runs very hot, since this has a card drive and router within the case the worst thing you can do for it is place it on a bookshelf with books on either side thereby restricting airflow or on the floor where all kinds of dust & dirt will get into the device. It needs to be in an open area and away from any large electrical or magnetic interference (think microwave, fan motors, older HDTV).

    #2 Electrical. It's a hard drive, if you don't have it plugged into a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) you are asking for trouble with the first thunder storm where the power flashes or if your in an area where you get brown outs or spikes. My neighbor couldn't understand why his external HDD's kept failing. I walked in and asked where his UPS was... He said... UPS? He got one and hasn't mentioned any problem since. Some wireless (non mobile phone) handsets also cause interference.

    #3 Other hardware communicating with it. Think of the time capsule as a wireless freeway, but if you have any slow devices (wireless b or g) they will slow everything else down with it.

    4) It only has 3 Gigabit ports. True, but a gigabit switch is relatively inexpensive and easily increases the number of gigabit ports with no configuration needed. (I have a DLink 8 port switch connected to my setup)

    If you have taken these quirks into consideration when setting up the unit you will get excellent results. I get 14 to 20 MBPS down and 11 to 15 up.

    Working with other devices:

    Setting up a printer was practically mindless with my iMac. I plugged in my HP 2200 USB printer and powered it on. Went to my iMac and went to add a printer and it found it immediately and applied the drivers.

    Apple TV and my iMac. Apple TV immediately saw my iMac iTunes library so I could start watching my movies on my HDTV.

    Time Machine. Works quite well on my TC, the one challenge is if the backup gets interrupted for any reason you may need to reboot the TC to get the files to allow access again.

    iPhone is able to see my iTunes library and sync's automatically to my iMac through the TC.

    Back to my mac. Remote access works seamlessly through the TC so I can access my files on my iMac via my Macbook.

    Around mid January, I did have some issues with TC, but it was because my ISP was changing over to IPV6 and didn't communicate the changes (they assumed everyone would use their poor excuse for a router) so after about :30 with their tech support they told me what the change was and I adjusted accordingly.

    Overall I have been quite happy...

    Was this useful? Love the Time Capsule, take care of it and it will last.

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    A big improvement

    • Written by from Chardon

    18 of 20 people found this useful

    This is an expensive product. But it is also an excellent one.

    My wife and I both have had various Macbooks and Macbook Pros for years. We have used Time Machine since its inception, and have always relied on it for backups. Being laptops, we've preferred wireless backup drives.

    We have tried using several solutions. The most reliable seemed to be an Apple Airport with drives hooked up to the USB ports. Though this worked fairly well, there was always little problems, mostly centering around drive availability when Time Machine was ready to back up. Time Machine seems pretty sensitive to any significant latency when it's ready to do it's thing, often requiring a reboot to get everything back in line when a glitch happened. Various workarounds helped, but there were still little niggling problems now and then.

    Not any more! Since installing our 3 TB Time Capsule, things click along smooth as silk. When Time Machine wakes up to do it's thing, the Time Capsule's drive mounts on my desktop. The backup happens, and the drive disappears. Simple, quick and reliable. I also have two drives connected for extra storage, both of which work great, and three printers shared, all of which are easily accessible from my Macs, my PCs, and even my Linux boxes.

    Good job, Apple! Well worth the price!

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    terrible product

    • Written by from Pepperell

    16 of 32 people found this useful

    Using Time Machine to back up your computer is painfully slow and requires herculean efforts. To restore my hardrive, it took more than 2 days. In addition, the hard drive in the Time Capsule failed after the second year. This product is terrible. For the same money, you can pick up a cheap wireless router and an external backup drive that wont fail in less than 2 years.

    Save your money. There are better options out there.

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Time Capsule LOVE

    • Written by from BUCKLEY

    23 of 31 people found this useful

    I bought my first TC (500GB) 6+ years ago with my 24" iMac. It was a breeze to set up and has reliably backed up every hour since - saving my bacon on many occasions. My only "problem" came last year when the TC was full, at which point it obviously and understandably couldn't perform full back-ups and I had to make some manual provisions. At that point I purchased a 2TB TC, which has also worked flawlessly and now backs up both my 24" and 27" iMacs - loaded with large graphic design and motion graphic files. We had a power outage yesterday at which point I lost some unsaved files on my 27". TC saved the day yet again.

    I don't understand the problems people are having with set-up and early drive failure. If you have a problem, call Apple's legendary service line and they'll quickly resolve it for you. I never go without Apple Care for extended protection. Oh, and my 6+ year old TC? Still runs like a champ. I just use it for a back up external drive now that my 2TB has taken over as primary router and back up. Apple rocks and the TC is no exception.

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    3 TB Time capsule

    • Written by from Ottershaw

    25 of 73 people found this useful

    Hopelessly difficult to set up. Manual is the worse ever. Doesnt even have a thunderbolt port :(.

    Hope I can get a refund.

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Amazing!

    • Written by from Lockport

    24 of 31 people found this useful

    The time capsule is the best way to store your data for any reason you might have, this product has help me in so many ways its unbelievable! I've had this device for so long and I haven't even used a TB yet! 5 stars!

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Device died after only 16 months

    • Written by from Portland

    86 of 102 people found this useful

    Extremely disappointed at the reliability of this device. It worked fine for a little over a year and then died. External power supply is not the problem. It is the internal power converter that is dead. The device will not power own, even when I use an external power supply from a known good device.

    Was this useful? Device died after only 16 months

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Easiest Installation Ever!

    • Written by from Grand Junction

    45 of 50 people found this useful

    We purchased the 3TB Time Capsule to replace an existing AirPort Extreme on a hybrid Apple/Windows network. I dreaded the the changeover for fear of the nightmare it would be with all the various devices on the network. These fears were totally unfounded. It took less than five minutes to make a seamless transition. We plugged the TimeCapsule in and it all but did everything automatically. It even transferred the old settings and reset the old AE base to factory settings. I didn't have to do a thing other than make a few clicks.

    Thank you 1 Infinite Loop for making product that was so easy to install and plays very nicely with products from Redmond, WA.

    Was this useful? Easiest Installation Ever!

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    3TB Time Capsule upgrade

    • Written by from Fairfax Station

    147 of 153 people found this useful

    I've owned a 500MB Time Capsule for a few years and it has performed very well. There was an early problem with the power supply but Apple replaced Time Capsule free of charge. I was not on Apple Care with it at the time, btw.

    I imported a bunch of family videos and bought iTunes TV shows and realized it was time for an upgrade. I bought the 3TB Time Capsule this weekend. Setup was very familiar and easy for me. Running the first backup of 480GBs took about 6 hours over gigabit ethernet. I don't notice any excessive heat. I am also very impressed with wifi performance.

  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Time Capsule 3T

    • Written by from Washington

    146 of 172 people found this useful

    I have not been completely satisfied. I have had to have my Time Capsule "repaired" twice at the Genius Bar when it simply quit working. In both cases 10 days passed before I was alerted that there had been no downloads in so many days. I fear that I must say this product is unreliable. For the price, one expects far more. I would not recommend. There are other products far less expensive that do the job.

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Extremely satisfied again!

    • Written by from Berwyn

    161 of 167 people found this useful

    July of 2011 I replaced my original 1TB Time Capsule with this 3TB model as I needed more storage. (I never had issues with the first one by the way.) Contrary to some users mine has not run hot, it's always been slightly warm.

    It's connected via ethernet to a U-verse router (of which I've disabled its wireless), and use only the Time Capsule's wireless for managing an iMac, Macbook Air, two iPads, two iPhones, an Apple TV, two Airport Express units for audio, another Airport enabled powered speaker system, and three other TV products. I can honestly say I don't experience any drop outs or connection issues.

    It backs up the iMac and Macbook Air perfectly, and I can't say enough about how flawless the backups work in their timeframe slices, that execution is just excellent and easy to use.

    If something unfortunate should happen to it I'd replace it in a jiffy without hesitating. It's been a great product for me twice now.

    Was this useful? Extremely satisfied again!

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Runs VERY HOT

    • Written by from CALGARY

    93 of 101 people found this useful

    Beware that you cannot stack anything under or ontop ofthis unit as it runs incredibly HOT. I had my Mac Mini under the Tme Capsule and the mini started having problems due to the heat generated by the TimeCapsule. They were both sitting out in the open on a desk - good air flow all around. No fan for cooling the TimeCapsule means it is quiet but can cook eggs on top.

    The device is as good as a mid-range wireless base station. Having the built-in Time Machine backup drive is the big deal, though. Highly recommended for Macbooks/iMacs to have a wireless backup source.

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Just added 3T time capsule to U-Verse gateway

    • Written by from Flossmoor

    61 of 67 people found this useful

    I debated about this purchase for a week after reading many threads on the support page regarding Time Capsule and U-Verse set up. I worried for nothing! My new T3 time capsule arrived today and the set up took less than 5 minutes.

    I have it connected to the U-Verse gateway via Ethernet cable, and the Airport set up assistant did the rest. I created a completely new second wireless network (password protected), and I can choose which network I want to connect to with each of my devices. My U-Verse works flawlessly, and I am backing up my Mac Book Pro as I write this.

    I did take a tip from a post that suggested putting the TC on 2 chopsticks to elevate off the surface - to disperse some of the heat.
    I also changed the settings on my printer to print wirelessly from the TC, and that is working fine too!
    So far I am very pleased!

    Was this useful? Just added 3T time capsule to U-Verse gateway

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Gigabit ports, three?

    • Written by from McDonough

    74 of 104 people found this useful

    Still after all of this time, with all the competition using at minimum 4 ports why does poor apple still offer us only three? :(

    Let me explain what I would do with four ports on a wireless system so maybe in the future we can finally see the addition of another port.

    Port 1) My computer, you know, the beast computer. Not some lackey kids mac, but a monster mac that tells me it wants to go as fast as possible without delay or interference from my neighbors wireless. It wants to transfer files as fast as possible to my other gigabit port connected computers.

    Port 2) My mac-mini web / fileserver.

    Port 3) Mac Pro mass storage media server. Hey I have an old mac pro, I needed to do something with it right?

    Port 4) Skype Phone base station or a uplink to a second router.

    Barring this, the range is better than the last two brand's I purchased "THIS MONTH", and less headache setting up wireless printing, and external storrage even on older external storage devices. My last two routers were a Trendnet 450mbps and a linksys 450mbps dual band router.

    If I were to say anything else critical of the apple router it would be that I would like to be able to see all of my port-forwarding at once instead of having to enter each title to find out what I portered where, but that's probably because I use so many ports.

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Awesome innovation!

    • Written by from Zionsville

    77 of 79 people found this useful

    Converted to all Apple from 0 Apple in summer 2011. Have been very impressed with the Time Capluse. First, it interfaces and makes all the Apple features work on the devices connected to it (pads, phones, TV, Mini, Air's). I love the auto backups via Time Machine from the three machines in the house. I just established a periodic off-site backup protocol and Apple JV helped me configure the Airport Utility to back up the entire Capsule to external Hitichi G drive which I will take to the office in case of disaster @ home. One thing the engineers need to do though is make it possible to encrypt the backup drive for added security of offsite drives.

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    It was nice while it lasted....

    • Written by from Richmond Hill

    120 of 211 people found this useful

    This review is for the 1 TB model. Good speed, I had a bit of trouble to set it up but once done, it worked very well. Time machine is an excellent idea.

    After two years and a half, 2 1/2, the light went off to never turn on again. Apple does not carry repair parts for this product and to replace it costs 90% of the original cost with only 90 days warranty. Basically it is a sealed disposable unit with very short shelf life.

    With over $100 dollars cost per year of service, no post sales support after warranty, it is below expectations for an Apple product.

    I already had problems with the i-phone vibrator, mac book pro power cord, mac book pro battery, mac book pro hard drive, mac book pro ram memory expansion and now Time Capsule. Only one Ipad is saved from genius (bar) of Apple.

    As the products break down will be phasing out of Apple products. Back to Windows. Good marketing creative department but poor manufacturing quality and support. I know that I am not going to impact the most profitable company of the world, but at least I will not feel a fool.

    It was nice while it lasted, but I couldn't recover my $300 engagement ring!!!!

    Was this useful? It was nice while it lasted....

    Flag as inappropriate