Time Capsule - A Starry Problem

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So, I have been looking at the Time Capsule for the longest time, and I have yet to make up my mind about it. I have plowed through the reviews on various IT websites, forums and videos on YouTube, and I am still unsure.

Reason being is that I have read by one star reviews and five star reviews, and the variety of reviews here are not helping with my decision making at all. I have heard connection problems, problems with backing up, problems with wireless coverage, problems with the speed of the first back up, yada yada yada. Then there are the reviews that say that they don't have any of those problems at all.

My question is whether or not it is an individual problem with the faulty Time Capsules, or the product as a whole? And I read something about the firmware causing a lot of issues, and I am wondering if that is going to be a problem for me as well.

I am using an iMac, and I currently am on an ethernet connection through a router.

Thanks!
 
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one way to find out if you would run into problems would be to average the amount of problems and amount of god reviews. it's quite simple. If the problems outweigh the goods by a lot, dont grab it. if they are pretty much even, just as much problems as there are goods, you might as well flip a coin. If the goods outweigh the problems by a lot, then grab it.
 
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Well, I took the plunge yesterday. Not that my existing setup wasn't working. I had an AEBS with a LaCie Drive backing up with SuperDuper.

Setup of the Router part of TC was straightforward and not an issue. Setting up Time Machine was more problematic, and it took some reading on-line and Applecare this morning to walk me through it. So, you might want to make a setup checklist first if you decide to go ahead.

Short name for TC device
Airport off when doing first backup (connect via Ethernet)
Sleep and screensaver off.

I have an Apple TV as well, and there were some complications getting that to work with TC, I don't know why. Finally I reset the Apple TV to factory status, downloaded the 2.0 update again and then everything worked fine.

Time Machine is doing the first backup right now, so we shall see how it went once I get home.

I have the 1TB TC, I wanted to partition it for TM and just another drive for storage. People have posted information about how it can be done. (Creating a disk image in Disk Utility) We shall see.

I will post more as I go through the process.

I would wager that Time Machine is a good idea for people who work on lots of projects and multiple versions of their work. This allows for easy recovery of older versions. If you just need to back up on a scheduled basis, any external drive with SuperDuper will work just fine.
 
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I have a 250GB external, and it works fine. although, sometimes I cant find things that I am looking for, which isn't a big problem, but it's not very helpful.
 
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lol sorry I wasn't very clear in my last post. I meant in Time Machine! =P

and for the record, Spotlight is VERY awesome. I use it everyday!
 
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Well, I took the plunge yesterday. Not that my existing setup wasn't working. I had an AEBS with a LaCie Drive backing up with SuperDuper.

Setup of the Router part of TC was straightforward and not an issue. Setting up Time Machine was more problematic, and it took some reading on-line and Applecare this morning to walk me through it. So, you might want to make a setup checklist first if you decide to go ahead.

Short name for TC device
Airport off when doing first backup (connect via Ethernet)
Sleep and screensaver off.

I have an Apple TV as well, and there were some complications getting that to work with TC, I don't know why. Finally I reset the Apple TV to factory status, downloaded the 2.0 update again and then everything worked fine.

Time Machine is doing the first backup right now, so we shall see how it went once I get home.

I have the 1TB TC, I wanted to partition it for TM and just another drive for storage. People have posted information about how it can be done. (Creating a disk image in Disk Utility) We shall see.

I will post more as I go through the process.

I would wager that Time Machine is a good idea for people who work on lots of projects and multiple versions of their work. This allows for easy recovery of older versions. If you just need to back up on a scheduled basis, any external drive with SuperDuper will work just fine.

I shall be waiting for your review then!

I'd like to know your backup speed, and also wireless coverage which is why I am getting Time Capsule over other other external hard drives. I'm kinda sick of dragging ethernet cables around the house, it's pretty irritating.

Why do you think there is such a vast difference in the first backup speed anyway?
 
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lol sorry I wasn't very clear in my last post. I meant in Time Machine! =P

and for the record, Spotlight is VERY awesome. I use it everyday!

I believe you can search for files in Time Machine via Spotlight as well?
 
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Like I could just type a file name or "all" and the files would show up in their specific category or would there be a category named "Time Machine"?
 
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Like I could just type a file name or "all" and the files would show up in their specific category or would there be a category named "Time Machine"?

I haven't used Time Machine before actually, but from the research that I have done about it, I believe you can do so straight from Time Machine itself.

You know that fancy "outer space" effect when you want to search for an old file in Time Machine? Basically it's a long row of Finder, right. On the top right of every Finder there should be a search box, like Spotlight, for you to look for your stuff.

Once the file is found, it should take you directly to the file itself.
 
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ohhh thanks!! i forgot about the spotlight in Finder, actually. silly me, since I use that in iTunes almost daily =P
 
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I'll have to check the Backup speed, as I was not at home when it was working. As for wireless, I live in a 700 sq ft condo, so coverage and range are not an issue.

First backup does the whole drive, later backups only whats changed.

I have a fast connection at home as we are with Novus, a company that brings fiber right to the building. So no modem to slow things down.

Time Capsule uses the same protocol as the AEBS. I have an MBA as my other device, so I don't have any problems at all

I shall be waiting for your review then!

I'd like to know your backup speed, and also wireless coverage which is why I am getting Time Capsule over other other external hard drives. I'm kinda sick of dragging ethernet cables around the house, it's pretty irritating.

Why do you think there is such a vast difference in the first backup speed anyway?
 

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