AirPort Time Capsule (802.11n)
A Wi-Fi router with a built-in hard drive for Time Machine.
Overview
Time Capsule was designed around Time Machine, the automatic backup feature in Mac OS X Leopard. Instead of requiring an external drive, the unit put a server-grade hard drive inside the same enclosure as a draft-n router, so every Mac on the network could back up wirelessly.
The white, rounded square looked like a larger AirPort Extreme. It offered three Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port and a USB port for a printer or extra drive, and shared files across the network as a simple NAS device. Capacity started at 500 GB.
Drive failures and overheating became a known problem over time, and it was never a fully managed backup system, but the concept was simple enough to appeal to non-technical users. Time Capsule stayed in the lineup in various forms for a decade.
Why it mattered
Made automatic wireless backup a one-box purchase for ordinary Mac users.
At a glance
- Announced
- January 15, 2008
- Released
- February 29, 2008
- Launch price
- $299
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- 500 GB or 1 TB internal hard drive
- Built for Time Machine
- Draft 802.11n Wi-Fi
- Gigabit Ethernet ports
- USB printer or drive sharing
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Storage
- Storage
- 500 GB or 1 TB internal hard drive
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n (draft), backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g
- Ethernet
- One WAN and three LAN Gigabit ports
- Ports
- USB 2.0 (printer or external drive)
- Smart home
- Not applicable
Network
- Security
- WPA2 Personal and Enterprise
Design
- Shape
- Flat square base station with internal hard drive
