Heads up: Time Capsules

[Faolan]

For those following the recent quality control issues with Apple this probably won't come as a surprise. If you're using an Apple Time Capsule you could be sitting on a Time Bomb.

Time Capsules failing after 18 months. (http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/11/are-apple-time-capsules-out-of-time/)

N.B. If you are using the Apple Care Plan to swap the unit they won't restore your data. So basically it's FUBAR if you break open the capsule to recover the data yourself.

To be fair to Apple it could be a bad batch of PSUs...

[OdiN1701]

You must be wrong. Everything Apple makes "Just Works™"

[René Damkot]

In this case it "Just works™" until it "Just stops working™" it seems :mrgreen:

Big bummer for the users however.

[MaxxuM]

You must be wrong. Everything Apple makes "Just Works™"

In this case it "Just works™" until it "Just stops working™" it seems :mrgreen:

Big bummer for the users however.

People like to bash ya down when you're on the top (Customer Satisfaction & Customer Service). Just like Microsoft's red ring of death with the xbox - 35% failure rate - now that's impressive failure ;)

If there is enough complaints Apple will extend the warranty - like they've done before. Just make noise. Personally, I don't like the Time Capsule though the idea is interesting. I'm an old school physical wire needing IT guy.

Also, failure rate is not know it would appear. Apple customer's are usually a more vocal and involved group than the average HP, Dell or big box computer user. If 50,000 shipped in the last quarter and 3% failed, that would be around 1,500 dead units. In Apple terms, that is a lot of upset people.

[Pete]

Well, if you insist on relying on a single backup strategy.....

[mattyb240]

Well, if you insist on relying on a single backup strategy.....

+1 I'm considering a third at the moment when funds allow.

[basroil]

People like to bash ya down when you're on the top (Customer Satisfaction & Customer Service). Just like Microsoft's red ring of death with the xbox - 35% failure rate - now that's impressive failure ;)

If there is enough complaints Apple will extend the warranty - like they've done before. Just make noise. Personally, I don't like the Time Capsule though the idea is interesting. I'm an old school physical wire needing IT guy.

Also, failure rate is not know it would appear. Apple customer's are usually a more vocal and involved group than the average HP, Dell or big box computer user. If 50,000 shipped in the last quarter and 3% failed, that would be around 1,500 dead units. In Apple terms, that is a lot of upset people.


Numbers are off. RoD is only a few percent in the long term. And the 35% figure you give includes non- RoD failures.

If there is an issue with apple's version, just buy an NAS that supports time machine and be done with it. In the end, it'll be cheaper and faster too. And start demanding a refund now. It took over a quarter million defective iPods and a 100+ initial claimant lawsuit for apple to give free battery replacements on the third gen ipod, so start finding other people with faulty units and in a year or two something will change.

[Kent Clark]

Matt K. at Lightroom Killer Tips posted (http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2009/non-lightroom-related-consumer-alert/)some information about his experience with this, especially about the Apple Care Program being misapplied by local Apple stores.

[overclicker]

+1 I'm considering a third at the moment when funds allow.

Backblaze sure looks affordable:
https://www.backblaze.com/internet-backup.html

$5 per month unlimited
Download any files you need over the Internet for free. Or order your files on a DVD ($99) or USB drive ($189)

[René Damkot]

typical home connections can backup online 2 - 4 GB per day

That's a real downside ;)

[basroil]

That's a real downside ;)

Their numbers really don't match with what I know a home connection to be, at least on the east coast. My home cable connection gives me 200kb/s upload, so that results in 16gb/day. Download is nearly 10x faster. Really all depends on your connection, but if you are paying $50/month or higher, you're bound to have faster backups.

[overclicker]

Their numbers really don't match with what I know a home connection to be, at least on the east coast. My home cable connection gives me 200kb/s upload, so that results in 16gb/day. Download is nearly 10x faster. Really all depends on your connection, but if you are paying $50/month or higher, you're bound to have faster backups.

Yeah, I think they are choosing to err on the down side of probable... but on dialup it's gonna hurt. For me, their speed test said 88.14453125 GB/day if http://www.convertunits.com/from/MB/to/GB is to be believed.

[basroil]

Yeah, I think they are choosing to err on the down side of probable... but on dialup it's gonna hurt. For me, their speed test said 88.14453125 GB/day if http://www.convertunits.com/from/MB/to/GB is to be believed.

You would have to be running a 10Mbps connection for that. and only one I know selling that is verizon fios, and costs well over 100/month

[overclicker]

Nope, plain-jane cable. They have a faster/more expensive version that's supposed to be quicker that FIOS, but I think it's like $50-$75/mo compared to I think $30something that we're paying now w/Comcast. Maybe you have too many users on your node...?

[basroil]

Nope, plain-jane cable. They have a faster/more expensive version that's supposed to be quicker that FIOS, but I think it's like $50-$75/mo compared to I think $30something that we're paying now w/Comcast. Maybe you have too many users on your node...?

If you mean the 101 service, it's $150/mo, not 50-75.