Time Capsule: The Best Overlooked Macworld Announcement

The recent Steve Jobs keynote at this year’s Macworld event was no-doubt dominated by the announcement of the MacBook Air. However, in my opinion, the very first announcement of the day was the most exciting.

Backing up your files is something that you either a) do on a regular basis or b) wish you did on a regular basis. Just the thought of losing all of your photos, music or heaven forbid, your entire hardcore digital porn collection, can bring a deep cringe to even the most casual of computer users.

Forunately, Apple has answered our prayers and come up with a new product that not only automatically backs up your data but also serves as your home’s wireless router.

Time Capsule is both a Wi-Fi base station and a gigantic external hard drive in one. Mac OS X Leopard already delivers a seamless backup of your files (via Time Machine) but it can only do so when your computer is plugged into an external hard drive. Time Capsule serves as said drive but there’s no need to connect anything. In fact, as long as you’re in range of the base station (i.e. in your house), your Mac’s files will constantly be backed up in the background as you work. Furthermore, it can also take the place of that lousy wireless router you’re renting from Cox Communications that you always have to turn off and back on when it stops working.

Besides being a great addition to your Mac, Time Capsule also has a USB port for connecting a printer so that all of the computers in your house can print without the need for any cables, PCs included. And since it mounts as a wireless hard drive, Windows XP and Windows Vista users can take advantage as well (just not automatically).

Not too shabby, Apple. Not too shabby.