October 15th, 2009
Owners set up online memorial to dead Apple Time Capsules
Owners of failed Apple Time Capsules have set up an online memorial in an effort to draw attention to the unreliability of the devices.
The Apple Time Capsule Memorial Register went live last weekend, as as of the time of writing has nearly 300 dead storage devices listed.
“To show that you’re not alone in this process, we’ve opened the Apple Time Capsule Memorial Register. Please take a moment and submit a few details of your beloved Time Capsule. You will instantly notice it will make you feel better, but will also help others facing the same difficult period in their lives.
“And hopefully, this register will also provide a reliable overview of the scale of the premature passing of Apple’s “server grade” backup solution.”
The online register is the brainchild of an Apple’s support forum member going by the name “zmippie.”
According to the memorial site, the average lifespan of a failed Time Capsule was 17 months, 2 days. The standard warranty on the device is 12 months, although by paying extra for AppleCare this can be extended to three years.
Some users suspect that the failures are down to a dodgy power supply. One owner has even posted a self-fix guide [PDF] that makes use of an external power supply.
Apple currently offers two models of the Time Capsule:
- 1TB Time Capsule for $299
- 2TB Time Capsule for $499
So far, most of the failed Time Capsules seem to be the older 500GB and 1TB devices, but there are signs that the newer models also suffer a similar fate.
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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| 10/15/09
