Answers...

to commonly asked questions.

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Scotty, I saw on your answers page that you are on record as not being a Fan of time capsule.  I'm curious as to why.  

I've been wondering if I should be backing up in a different way??  
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I have lost faith in that product for several reasons. I do not like the process that Apple uses to store data on Time Capsule.

First, it uses a sparse image bundle instead of Time Machine’s open folder structure when a hard drive is directly connected over usb, thunderbolt, or firewire. These sparse image bundles are very unreliable in my experience as they are easily corrupted. I have had too many clients who relied on time capsule to recover data after a hard drive failure but when the time came, the sparse image could not be opened. I’ve even stated that my experience leads me to feel that time capsule is only about 60% reliable.

Secondly, the speed of backing up data wirelessly or restoring data wirelessly is painfully slow when compared to just using a USB drive to recover files.

Third, I feel that Time Capsule is overpriced.

I prefer that clients use a physically connected usb, thunderbolt or firewire drive to backup using time machine. It is important to note the difference between time capsule and time machine. Many people get the two confused. Time capsule is a piece of hardware. It is a wireless router with a hard drive inside. Time Machine is a piece of software. It is included in the operating system. While I do not like time capsule, I do support the use of time machine. Time Machine used in tandem with a usb drive is a wonderful combination. In fact, with OS X 10.8 and later, you can use time machine to backup to more than one drive. this allows you to keep one drive connected while occasionally bringing another drive in from another location to backup a second time then getting that drive back out of the house in case of theft or fire.
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