Why are Time Capsules going so cheap? Upgrade coming?

Cleve Nettles
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March 02, 2009
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Both Amazon ($387 for 1TB) and the Apple refurb store are selling Time Capsules at steep discounts this week.  Apple doesn't usually discount its current products nearly as sharply as this.  So why is Apple chopping prices?  Is it the economy? 

We think they are going to see a bit of an upgrade this month.  Sure, the 1.5TB/750GB point makes sense, especially with drives at up to 2TB starting to hit store shelves.  But we've heard there might be some more to it than just that.  Our sources informed us a few months ago that Apple was experimenting with caching Apple software updates on the Time Machine devices.  That would not only save some bandwidth (your whole office/family would only need it to be downloaded once), it would also make the updating process much much quicker on each client machine because the download would be local.

Software Update caching has been available on Leopard and Tiger server for years but this kind of easy setup/low cost of entry would put the software update caching in many more hands.  There is nothing to indicate that current Time Capsules wouldn't be able to add this type of functionality with a firmware update.

 

Comments (13)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 7:23am

Typo in article "Sure, the 1.5TB/750TB" .... 750 *TB*! What an upgrade! :)

I would love the software update caching feature, but agree this seems like a simple firmware update could bring this to current generation Time Capsules. I'm all for the drive size upgrades - but these days, and I never thought I'd say this... but 1.5TB just wouldn't be a large enough drive for my backup disk.
http://www.woopid.com/

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 7:35am

corrected for me :P

Kevin (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 7:31am

Interesting post, but I'm guessing that if there are updates, it's more than just adding a software update caching feature. That's not much of a reason to upgrade. Let's hope that Apple allows user-upgradable drives a la Drobo and integrates media server features like iTunes aggregation. THEN I might be interested...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 7:53am

Those look like standard Apple refurb prices.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 7:55am

My guess, price cuts are because new models are going to be 1TB and 2 TB. software caching feature seems like a simple firmware update would allow all u early adopters to do. as for upgrading the drive, its as difficult as replacing the drive on an apple TV, just remove the bottom and you have easy access to the drive itself.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 8:40am

I'd like to see additional home server features and provision for multiple drives using firewire 800 or sata

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 10:51am

the $249 has been the price of the refurb for months now.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 11:03am

My local apple store has been out of 1TB for quite some tie now....

bregalad (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 11:34am

Any relief from the original Time Capsule pricing is welcome. Hard drive prices are half what they were when those products were introduced. Apple must be making obscene profits now.

Standard Apple Store prices...

AirPort Extreme 179
Time Capsule 299
1TB Time Capsule 499

For $120 you go from an advanced router with a USB port to a unit with a built in HD and Time Machine compatibility. I suppose that's not too bad although the AirPort Extreme really should be Time Machine compatible to begin with.

But look at the next step up. Going from 500GB to 1TB adds no additional functionality just $40 worth of storage, yet Apple hikes the price by $200.

admin | March 02, 2009 - 12:01pm

you seen the price difference in iPhone/iPod touch? $100 for 8Gb

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 02, 2009 - 4:09pm

Come on, for home users, software update caching has to be a big fat...snore. It's barely even worth mentioning. So what if I have to download a 300 MB update twice every now and then. That's nothing these days.

The capacity update is much more interesting. Maybe this time maybe they'll justify the high cost by actually making the server-class drives server-class.

imagine engine | March 02, 2009 - 5:18pm

Possibly Apple is lowering the current Time Capsule prices in preparation to launch an Apple Media Server similar to HP Media Server though more compatible for both OS X and Windows systems.

Anonymous Coward Indeed (not verified) | March 03, 2009 - 3:58am

Are there any news about Airport Express?