Dif b/w timecapsule and external HD

Setting myself up here but, yes I have an ipad (Ipad 2 which is fab) and iphone (5S first ever smartphone) and am getting a Mackbook Pro BUT THAT'S NOT A CUE FOR APPLEHATERS OUT THERE...sorry for going OTT but I've seen how these posts deviate.
My question is, having once lost everything through laptop crash, I'm going to try and back up everything this time. But what's the difference between Apple Timecapsule i.e
http://store.apple.com/uk/product/ME177/airport-time-capsule-2tb
and something like this
http://www.staples.co.uk/computers-drives-accessories/drives-usb-hard-cd/external-hard-drives/my-book-3tb-usb3-0-desktop-drive

TIA

Comments

  • jem101jem101 Posts: 400
    Forum Member
    The Apple Time Capsule is a router and WiFi access point as well as having a 2TB hard drive installed in it which your MacBook can use for Time Machine backups.

    Time Machine is the backup system built into OSX which constantly (well every hour or so) automatically backs up new and changed files on the Mac and would also allow you to remotely restore the MacBook and/or lost files in the event of an accident.

    The second option is just a standard USB 3 external hard drive with a bigger 3TB disk and a bit of bundled software included. You could also use this as a Time Machine backup target but it would need to be physically plugged into the MacBook to work whereas the Time Capsule would simply work all the time over WiFi.

    On the other hand you could partition it into a number of volumes and just use one of them for the Time Machine backups and the rest for additional storage which you can't do with the Time Capsule.

    As you seem to be all Apple based products, I'd go with the Time Capsule personally.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
    Forum Member
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    The only thing i can recommend is doing a backup to something else just incase something happens to the laptop/time machine (burglary/fire/mechanical failure etc) and make sure its stored somewhere else, the more copies of the data the better your chance should something go wrong
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 367
    Forum Member
    So would the time capsule also automatically back up my phone and iPad? Even if I go abroad without it? I have icloudfor photos etc, so is that enough?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 367
    Forum Member
    OK, bear with me. So basically with the Timecapsule, I get all the same as the WD drive and then some. Will it also back up to automatically to my ipad and iphone. Say I have a doc on my MBP, can I then go out and open it on ipad etc?
  • jem101jem101 Posts: 400
    Forum Member
    OK, bear with me. So basically with the Timecapsule, I get all the same as the WD drive and then some. Will it also back up to automatically to my ipad and iphone. Say I have a doc on my MBP, can I then go out and open it on ipad etc?

    No the Time Machine backup only works for OSX machines. The iPad and iPhone will backup to iCloud if you set them up to. Sharing documents would have to be done via iCloud as well.

    I suppose that in theory if you plugged your iPad etc. into the Macbook and used iTunes to back them up, then that backup file would get backed up to the Time Capsule so in a way it would be backing up the iPhone and iPad but it would be a bit of a faff.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 367
    Forum Member
    So I can't access things on the time capsule from my iPad or phone? Which makes me wonder why not get the cheaper, bigger hard drive?
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    So I can't access things on the time capsule from my iPad or phone? Which makes me wonder why not get the cheaper, bigger hard drive?
    If the Time Capsule acts like a bog standard NAS drive in addition to being used for Time Machine back-ups then you can.

    It's not altogether clear from the Apple website if you can set up shared folders on the Time Capsule into which you can dump files you want to share between your various devices.

    You are unlikely however to be able to share files backed up using Time Machine as that is not really what Time Machine is all about. Time Machine is more about disaster recovery.

    If all you can use the Time Capsule for is making back-ups (which seems a bit unlikely) then it may not suit. But if you can use it as a simple external drive then it would do what you want.
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