Apple Time Capsule for Mac

Legacy_user

Hi, I'm thinking of getting an iMac or MacBook Pro with Retina display. Is it ok to purchase from the refurb store, if you invest in Apple Care if you can make a big saving?
Also when looking at reviews for the Time Capsule the reviews were poor with feedback that they don't upto last two years in many cases. Are there other alternatives which mac users use please?

RobTang

Summer01 wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinking of getting an iMac or MacBook Pro with Retina display. Is it ok to purchase from the refurb store, if you invest in Apple Care if you can make a big saving?
Also when looking at reviews for the Time Capsule the reviews were poor with feedback that they don't upto last two years in many cases. Are there other alternatives which mac users use please?

I dont think you will fine a retina mac book in the refurb store for a while, im sure their refurbs as fine and they come with a 1 year warranty even without apple care.

As for the Time Capsule any NAS should be fine, personally I have a Synology unit because they let you tweek it without having to hack it a bit.

System

Thanks RobTang. It's just if I went down the iMac route I was considering the refurbs. Just really wondering if it is worth considering the refurb store over a brand new one - will check out the savings. I guess I should consider the Apple Care in month 11?

Mr_Toad

Summer01 wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinking of getting an iMac or MacBook Pro with Retina display. Is it ok to purchase from the refurb store, if you invest in Apple Care if you can make a big saving?
Also when looking at reviews for the Time Capsule the reviews were poor with feedback that they don't upto last two years in many cases. Are there other alternatives which mac users use please?

Refurbs are fine, I know several people who have bought them, they come with the same warranty as a new one.

regarding the Time Capsule, they are very good, I have one and it's over 2 years old.

What you have to remember is that people who don't have problems rarely feed back while those who do will and to as many people as they can. These people would have you believe that failure is almost certain when in reality it isn't.

System

Thanks masonn, with the same warranty you can't really go wrong I guess? Are they generally ex-display?

Good point about feedback. I just didn't want to spend £250 on a product without doing abit of research first. Is it really easy to use and can you back up iPhone and iPad to it also.

Mr_Toad

Summer01 wrote: »

Thanks masonn, with the same warranty you can't really go wrong I guess? Are they generally ex-display?

Good point about feedback. I just didn't want to spend £250 on a product without doing abit of research first. Is it really easy to use and can you back up iPhone and iPad to it also.

Some are ex-display, some are Macs people have bought, opened decided they don't like and returned.

All refurbs are as new and have been tested and gone through quality control. The only reason not to buy a refurb is if they don't have the model you want.

Time Capsule is very easy to use. Connect it and Time machine backs up to it, job done. :cool:

Your iPhone and iPad are backed up to iTunes on the Mac which in turn uses the Time Capsule so in a roundabout way they do back up to the Time Capsule, just not directly

The Time Capsule isn't just a backup device, it's also a wireless base station and has network and USB ports on it.

It can be used as a normal external disk drive to store data on that can be accessed from any machine on the network.

diable

Find a student and get them to use their discount for buying the Mac, I bought my TimeMachine from the refurb store about two years ago and its still working fine.

System

Thank you. What discount do they get? Can a student order it online for you or do you need to go in store?

diable

Summer01 wrote: »

Thank you. What discount do they get? Can a student order it online for you or do you need to go in store?

Dependent on Uni it's about 14% so is usually the same or better then the discount on the refurb store. Better to take them in to the shop flash the id you pay and viola its yours oh and if you but the 3 year Apple care warrantee at the same time it's usually £49.

System

masonn wrote: »

Time Capsule is very easy to use. Connect it and Time machine backs up to it, job done. :cool:

Your iPhone and iPad are backed up to iTunes on the Mac which in turn uses the Time Capsule so in a roundabout way they do back up to the Time Capsule, just not directly

The Time Capsule isn't just a backup device, it's also a wireless base station and has network and USB ports on it.

It can be used as a normal external disk drive to store data on that can be accessed from any machine on the network.

The Apple store suggested I might be better off buying a hard drive for £100 than a time capsule if I opt for the iMac and connect it directly to it. Said it would do the same job. I was quite surprised as thought they would recommend the time capsule.

Mr_Toad

Summer01 wrote: »

The Apple store suggested I might be better off buying a hard drive for £100 than a time capsule if I opt for the iMac and connect it directly to it. Said it would do the same job. I was quite surprised as thought they would recommend the time capsule.

They are quite right, in my case I have both an iMac and a MacBook Pro laptop so the Network connected Time Capsule allow me to backup both, the iMac via Ethernet and MacBook via Wireless.

Using an external drive on a MacBook Pro is a pain if you move about or don't bother to connect it after the first few times.

I have an apartment over two floors in an old Manor house where the walls are 3 foot thick. My router is downstairs and I have an Ethernet cable run upstairs to my study with the Time Capsule on it. This means that I have wireless all over the apartment for the MacBook, due to the walls the signal from the router didn't reach upstairs before getting the Time Capsule.

If you get an iMac what they are suggestion makes sense, if you opt for the MacBook then being able to back up and store files tirelessly is a definite benefit.