Bring the Time Capsule back with Apple Silicon?

[neinjohn]

As Apple is developing their own wireless chips at house what do you think about bringing back the Time Capsule as updated product?

As the time aren't the same, they could bring a few key factors for marketing/real values that Apple are seemly interested:

> simplify and allow access remotely from the iPhone, iPad, Mac as replacement for the iCloud backup service (as Nextcloud for example), it would necessitate a review on their services strategy though it's a new hardware sale;
> top integration with Apple devices through customs silicon allowing faster, stable or far reacher Wi-Fi network;
> introduce further security on out communication from all devices in-house;
> introduce DNS queries, tracking protection, tracking report, all the things that are already on iOS, iPadOS, MacOs;
> a NAS that actually gets security updates;

Beyond the connection to Apple TV, HomePods, their HomeKit, etc.

 

[leman]

Frankly, I would buy an Apple-branded NAS in a heartbeat. I only want user-replaceable hard drives (with some sort of RAID) and the ability to run VMs on the device.

 

[Fishrrman]

It won't be coming back...

 

[jz0309]

As Apple is developing their own wireless chips at house what do you think about bringing back the Time Capsule as updated product?

As the time aren't the same, they could bring a few key factors for marketing/real values that Apple are seemly interested:

> simplify and allow access remotely from the iPhone, iPad, Mac as replacement for the iCloud backup service (as Nextcloud for example), it would necessitate a review on their services strategy though it's a new hardware sale;
> top integration with Apple devices through customs silicon allowing faster, stable or far reacher Wi-Fi network;
> introduce further security on out communication from all devices in-house;
> introduce DNS queries, tracking protection, tracking report, all the things that are already on iOS, iPadOS, MacOs;
> a NAS that actually gets security updates;

Beyond the connection to Apple TV, HomePods, their HomeKit, etc.

I hope not, or I should better say, it will be a no no for me. The time capsule I had was the worst router I ever owned, had to reboot at least once/week ... and I do not want any more proprietary devices beyond computers/phones/iPad, I prefer such devices being configurable to standards, esp a hard drive built in.
Besides, it's a rather saturated market of routers/NASs and it would be a niche product

 

[leman]

Besides, it's a rather saturated market of routers/NASs and it would be a niche product

There are only two NAS brands on the market worth buying: Synology and QNAP. Both have their problems. A home user oriented Apple NAS running on something like a A12 and focusing on essential features would be an incredible product.

But I agree that Apple is not likely to be interested in this market. But frankly, I am considering getting a refurb Mac Mini and setting it up with an external hard drive array just so that I can retire my Synology...

 

[anthonymoody]

Honestly it's hard to fathom a home-based solution for remote access to files that's more robust than a massive cloud system. I have some misgivings about my stuff being in the cloud (and I do back-up locally) but be honest here...which is more likely to have 99.999999999% uptime, iCloud, or the internet connection - and related wired/wireless stuff - in your home?

No way Apple is bringing back Time Capsule IMO. Now if they brought out a robust wifi mesh system I might try it out to replace my Orbi set up...

 

[Apple_Robert]

I agree with @Fishrrman. Apple got out of the router area business and I don’t see a compelling reason for them to reinvent past products.

There is more profit for them with iCloud.

 

[solouki]

But frankly, I am considering getting a refurb Mac Mini and setting it up with an external hard drive array just so that I can retire my Synology...

Hi leman,

I agree with your strategy, as I keep an older Mac for the expressed purpose of supplying a backup service...and with the current crop of 18TB NAS hard disks from several vendors I now don't even have to rely too heavily anymore on RAID-ed disks and their occasional (at least in my hands) troubles.

Solouki

 

[jz0309]

There are only two NAS brands on the market worth buying: Synology and QNAP. Both have their problems. A home user oriented Apple NAS running on something like a A12 and focusing on essential features would be an incredible product.

But I agree that Apple is not likely to be interested in this market. But frankly, I am considering getting a refurb Mac Mini and setting it up with an external hard drive array just so that I can retire my Synology...

That's fair, I had a NAS (Buffalo Terastation) like almost 20 years back, liked the idea and the actual product, but my needs are different today and I am happily using 3 hard drives for my backup needs, so, I have not really closely followed the NAS market.
Besides, as others have pointed out, I think Apple will rather make iCloud more attractive than creating a NAS ...

 

[leman]

Besides, as others have pointed out, I think Apple will rather make iCloud more attractive than creating a NAS ...

I will happily retire my NAS if they give me a 20TB zero-encypted storage space (which includes over the cloud Time Machine) for under $200 per year

Then again, my NAS is running scripts to collect live market data, can't replace that with a cloud solution...

 

[profcutter]

Not a chance. Unless it’s features are locked behind subscriptions. iCloud is too much of a cash cow.

 

[cmaier]

Not a chance. Unless it’s features are locked behind subscriptions. iCloud is too much of a cash cow.

They make MUCH more money off of hardware than icloud, and nothing in their past behavior shows that apple is afraid of cannibalizing existing products.

Hell, a future NAS/router product could easily increase icloud revenue by acting as a cache to cloud data (Like many other NAS products can do)

 

[lederermc]

I hope not, or I should better say, it will be a no no for me. The time capsule I had was the worst router I ever owned, had to reboot at least once/week ... and I do not want any more proprietary devices beyond computers/phones/iPad, I prefer such devices being configurable to standards, esp a hard drive built in.
Besides, it's a rather saturated market of routers/NASs and it would be a niche product

I used an Airport when I had Comcast. However, the DSL Modem Centurylink sold me was the worst. I'm now using Unifi and very happy with it.

 

[diamond.g]

They make MUCH more money off of hardware than icloud, and nothing in their past behavior shows that apple is afraid of cannibalizing existing products.

Hell, a future NAS/router product could easily increase icloud revenue by acting as a cache to cloud data (Like many other NAS products can do)

As much as folks would hate the idea, they could buy out Ubiquiti and get all the cool stuff (surveillance, entry control, networking gear, UISP long range stuff, etc). Unifi Dream Router screams for Apples touch…

 

[WHM]

What is the best mobile SSD external hard drive to use on the 2021 MacBook Pro Max

 

[diamond.g]

What is the best mobile SSD external hard drive to use on the 2021 MacBook Pro Max

What do you mean my best? What are you looking to use it for?

 

[boss.king]

Won’t happen. Apple makes more by selling you iCloud upgrades than they would off networked storage.

 

[WHM]

Reliable- small light weight with at least 2TB. Looking at the LaCie Mobile SSD Secure. Is anyone using this for Time Capsule

 

[cmaier]

Reliable- small light weight with at least 2TB. Looking at the LaCie Mobile SSD Secure. Is anyone using this for Time Capsule

Doesn’t really serve the purpose of Time Capsule (unless, I guess, you have just one mac and it’s a desktop).

Synology NAS’s do a pretty good job filling in for time capsules, given their support for network Time Machine. I’ve actually got three large ones that I use for that purpose (among many other things).

 

[elvisimprsntr]

It’s too saturated market for Apple to cost effectively compete in, not to mention the huge no profit customer support overhead.

Wifi standards and chipsets are constantly evolving and firewalls have to be constantly patched for vulnerabilities. NAS products are no/low margin commodity appliances and as OEM NAS manufacturers know are constantly under attack when novice consumers publicly expose their NAS.


Pick a wifi appliance from a reputable company and you can roll your own NAS

https://pfsense.org enterprise class open source firewall software, which runs on almost any x86 HW

https://www.truenas.com enterprise class open source NAS software, which runs on almost any x86 HW

https://www.engeniustech.com/engenius-products/802-11ax-4x4-managed-indoor-wireless-access-point/ enterprise class AP

 

[mcnallym]

Apples Time Capsule and Router products served there purpose much like the xserve did in that filled a spot in the market.

Unifi wireless works nicely, I am using older meraki kit that got through CMNA course but likely replace with Unifi when subscription runs out.

NAS boxes with Network Time Capsule make the dedicated TC box pointless and whilst my Airport Extremes with Vigor 120/130 was flawless then the Meraki and Unifi offer more.

Other people now stepped in and provide for mac's what Apple used too and don't need to anymore.

 

[glenthompson]

But frankly, I am considering getting a refurb Mac Mini and setting it up with an external hard drive array just so that I can retire my Synology...

Exactly what I did. Using a 2012 Mac Mini with a JBOD enclosure. One drive serves up media files and the other is a destination for backups. All our Macs backup up to the Mini and it backs up offsite to BackBlaze. The Mini is in a very different part of the house so it reduces the chance of loss due to theft or disasters.

 

[jdb8167]

I hope not, or I should better say, it will be a no no for me. The time capsule I had was the worst router I ever owned, had to reboot at least once/week ... and I do not want any more proprietary devices beyond computers/phones/iPad, I prefer such devices being configurable to standards, esp a hard drive built in.
Besides, it's a rather saturated market of routers/NASs and it would be a niche product

I stopped using my 2 TB time capsule as a router pretty early but it has worked for years as a NAS doing Time Machine backups. This was the last generation before the vertical model.

But frankly, I am considering getting a refurb Mac Mini and setting it up with an external hard drive array just so that I can retire my Synology...

I’m using my 2013 Mac Pro as mostly a NAS now. Kind of expensive solution but it is utterly reliable with an OWC Thunderbolt 2 four drive bay with SoftRAID. I’m afraid to upgrade it to Monterey though.

 

[senttoschool]

iCloud is better for 99%. For the 1%, they are technical enough to buy the right network gear.

 

[diamond.g]

iCloud is better for 99%. For the 1%, they are technical enough to buy the right network gear.

iCloud doesn't backup stuff in the ~/Library folder right?