At first glance they look identical, but under the hood they do have some minor differences. Apple's new AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule should provide your home with the best wireless connection and the most reliable backups. It's high time to subject Apple's white turrets to a review.
This review therefore concerns two devices, the AirPort Extreme and the AirPort Time Capsule. The two devices seem identical in appearance and internally there are also many similarities. For example, the AirPort Extreme is a wireless router, while the AirPort Time Capsule is too, but adds a hard drive for network backups. In this review, I'll discuss router functionality for both devices first and then look at the AirPort Time Capsule's backup capabilities later.
Design
The new AirPort devices have been given a striking design. Where most routers or network drives are located, Apple has chosen to process the hardware in standing towers. This looks very good and would improve the performance of the devices. What I do find difficult about this is that it is less easy to hide the new AirPort devices and is more or less forced to put them in plain sight. Fortunately, if you have the space for this, this is no problem, because the towers are really a feast for the eyes in all their simplicity.
Installation
In the box of both devices you will not find much more than the striking white tower and a cable for the power network. Unfortunately, a network cable is missing, which I find a bit scanty for a device in this price range. Installation begins by connecting the AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule to the power network and an Internet connection from your modem.
The devices are configured using the AirPort Utility. This is software available for OS X, Windows and iOS. If you have a Mac, AirPort Utility is usually preinstalled. Setting up the devices using this program is very easy and most of the settings are retrieved automatically. For example, entering a desired name and password for the devices was enough for me. This is something comparable products can learn from.
In the case of the Time Capsule, the backup functionality also needs to be set up. You do this using the Time Machine application on a Mac. Again, this is as easy as setting up the router functionality. It is a pity that Apple does not include software for Windows computers, so setting up backups on these computers requires a little more effort.
Usage
Both devices have three Ethernet connections, a USB port and support for different WiFi standards, including the new ac. I find the number of Ethernet connections a bit on the poor side for a router, but fortunately the AirPort devices compensate for this with excellent WiFi functionality. For example, broadcasting takes place on different frequencies and the use of the new WiFi ac standard provides very good performance. Please note that you need a laptop, smartphone or tablet that supports this standard to take advantage of it.
I myself tested wifi ac with the new MacBook Air and the results were very impressive. So you no longer have to worry that you will quickly run out of range if you have a large house or a large garden. However, it may still take some time before all your devices use this new technology.
When you use the backup functionality on the AirPort Time Capsule, you will hardly notice its presence. For example, in the case of a Mac, backups are made automatically. This is very fast and when you want to consult a backup, the data is also restored in no time. I personally find it very useful that, in addition to a backup, you can also store other files on the AirPort Time Capsule. For example, you can make all your music, photos or videos available to all computers in the house. Unfortunately, it is not possible to access the data from outside.
Price
Except for the hard drive, the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule are identical devices. The Extreme is sold for just under 200 euros, while you pay just under 300 euros for the Time Capsule with 2 terabytes of storage memory. Looking at the specifications of the products, I find 200 euros on the expensive side for a device that is not much more than a router. However, when you look at Time Capsule, for 100 euros more you get a device that can back up different computers and has a 2 terabyte hard drive. So if you are planning to purchase one of the devices, I would recommend going for the Time Capsule.
Conclusion
The AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule are two striking devices with which you can set up a fast and reliable network in no time. However, you will only benefit from this high speed with relatively new smartphones, tablets and laptops. The design of the AirPort devices is very nice, but not very practical if you want to hide them. The AirPort Time Capsule adds to all this an easy-to-set-up backup functionality for Mac users. Given the price of both devices, it is advisable to choose this Time Capsule instead of the AirPort Extreme, because 200 euros for a router is on the expensive side.
Apple AirPort Extreme
Price € 199,-
Connections 3 x Ethernet, 1 x USB
wireless wifi a/b/g/n/ac
Dimensions 16.8 x 9.8 x 9.8 (H x W x D)
Weight 0.95 kg
Pros
Beautiful design
Easy to install
Fast connection
Negatives
Duration
Difficult to store
SCORE: 8/10
Apple AirPort Time Capsule
Price € 299,-
Storage 2 terabytes
Connections 3 x Ethernet, 1 x USB
wireless wifi a/b/g/n/ac
Dimensions 16.8 x 9.8 x 9.8 (H x W x D)
Weight 1.48 kg
Pros
Easy to install
Fast connection
Great integration with OS X
Negatives
Difficult to store
No software for Windows
SCORE: 8/10
