While many Leopard users, such as myself, love Time Machine, there is one major flaw with it — no backing up to Airport Extreme-attached hard drives. While iTimeMachine is an unofficial solution to that, Apple now has it’s own, called Time Capsule.
Time Capsule is essentially a full-featured Airport Extreme base station, complete with 802.11n, Gigabit Ethernet, and a USB port, with a built-in “server grade” hard drive. The device functions just as an Airport Extreme, except that up to 50 Macs on your network can automatically perform Time Machine backups to its drive. Time Capsule costs $299 for a 500GB version and $499 for a 1TB one, both of which are available for pre-order, with shipping in February.
While it’s great that Apple has finally released a network-attached-disk-Time Machine backup solution, I still think that this functionality should have been built into the Airport Extreme’s Airport Disk ability from the beginning. Still, it’s better than nothing.
This has to be fixed. I have been waiting for this as an update with Leopard since it arrived and was discovered to be hidden. I don't want to buy a Time Capsule for $299 - I have an airport extreme and air disk that's a much cheaper combo at just $179 for the Airport Extreme and about $125 for the 500 gig drive - come on - just put out a software fix and be done with it.
Jay is right - Apple could have just as eaisly updated the Airport Extreme to give that capability to existing owners. No matter how much I like and appreciate the consistent architecture of Apple products, there is always a user limiting factor to all products that just galls. Other examples are the lack of user control of where all iLife applications put files/projects. Inexcusable.
I bought an Airport Extreme JUST to use as the host for a 1 TB USB hard drive. My previous NetGear router worked just fine. I will be pissed if Apple doesn't fix the firmware in the Airport Extreme before they release Time Capsule.
Remember, Steve Jobs said the Airport Extreme would work as the host of a Time Machine hard drive at his keynote and it was listed as a feature on the Web site until an Orwellian edit.
It is ridiculous that Apple can charge $20 for forgotten features as in the iPod Touch, but does nothing when they remove a promised feature.
@Jay 179 + 125 = 304
You're all getting ahead of yourselves. It doesn't ship until February, maybe there will be an update to Leopard that makes Time Capsule and Airport Disk backups possible.
I feel like I've been had! I bought Leopard to get a good backup solution including wireless backup to a remote disc. I needed a backup that was away from my computer desk. Despite being in the pre release information Wireless use of Time machine was not in the released product. I bought a firewire disc so I could at least use time machine for regular backup. I supplement this with a slow manual copy to a remote disc from time to time. I was expecting the wireless use of time machine to be fixed in a future release.
I think this is a slap in the face for people who have already invested in Apple products. I have an Airport n router, and discs for backup. Why do I have to pay out more $$$ to get to the solution I was led to expect would be available.
I hope they fix this in a future release. It is an issue that has seriously eroded my faith in Apple.
At first it seemed like Apple was having problems while backing up wirelessly so they removed the feature last minute. Now you can see the big picture.
I am in exactly the same boat as everyone else here but, as David-O noted, since Time Capsule will not be available until February it is best to wait until then before complaining. If Time Capsule launches and the issues with the original AEBS have not been fixed so that I can use that (which was bought explicitly for use with Time Machine as it was described) then I will be sending letters of complaint and anything else that I can do because this is unacceptable behavior. Perhaps this is a "count to 10" moment and see what really happens. Perhaps February will bring 10.5.2 and a fix to the AEBS firmware that finally allows it to deliver what it was advertised to do.
Regardless of the result of this I will not be buying a Time Capsule.
There's a very simple way to enable Time Machine to work with networked or Air Port Extreme disks:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=4446263&postcount=126
I've used this for over a month now with no issues... Time Machine works just as it would with the disk plugged directly in.
I agree that we need to wait and see. At least we will know Apples intentions as soon as Time Capsule ships and the subsequent upgrade to OS X arrives.
I also found another workaround at:
http://www.xiotios.com/itimemachine.html
I haven't tried this myself yet but post it here should anyone wish to investigate.