So, Apple’s Time Capsule has finally hit the streets. It comes in two versions: 500GB version goes for $299, and the 1TB version for $499 USD. In case you aren’t familiar with what the Time Capsule is, it is essentially a wireless, external hard drive that is capable of backing up all of your files and data on your Mac or PC. Specs of the ‘back-up wonder’ are as follows:

* 500GB or 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive
* Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2)
* Wireless security (WEP) configurable for 40-bit and 128-bit encryption
* NAT firewall
* Support for RADIUS authentication
* 802.1X, PEAP, LEAP, TTLS, TLS, FAST
* One Gigabit Ethernet WAN port
* Three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
* One USB port
* 802.11n wireless support
* Length: 7.7 inches
* Width: 7.7 inches
* Height: 1.4 inches
* Weight: 3.5 pounds

Good:
+ Easy to setup. Install software and plug Time Capsule into network
+ Can backup USB drives connected to Time Capsule

Bad:
- Single hard drive. No adding additional drives
- Can’t transfer existing Time Machine backups to Time Capsule
- Loud? Can hear the hard drive spinning
- Heating issues? Can get quite warm while backup is in progress
- Cannot prioritize network activity. May hog bandwidth during backups (especially on wireless mode)
- Can only backup one system at a time

The Apple Time Capsule seems to be quite expensive. In fact, I think it is expensive. Granted, the Time Capsule is wireless, but I don’t see why you would want to backup your files over the air. It’ll hog your bandwidth. You can of course connect the device via Ethernet, but at that point you might as well buy an external hard drive which would be alot cheaper. Unless you plan on doing your backups wirelessly during late nights (when network activity is low) or want the convenience of a ready-to-go package, then get the Apple Time Capsule. Otherwise, skip it.

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