A new GitHub project is trying to retrofit Apple’s discontinued Time Capsule with modern SMB support, notes AppleInsider.
If this works, Time Machine backups to and from the hardware will still work, even after Apple kills it off in macOS 27, which will almost certainly be unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June.
Apple stopped developing its AirPort lineup (The AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule) in April 2018. Devices like Time Capsule have static firmware that doesn’t match evolving SMB protocols or modern security requirements.
Developing the AirPort lineup was a mistake. Apple should revive it. And there’s a a petition filed on change.org by IT professional and developer Gary Longsine for the tech giant to do just that.
History of the AirPort line-up
I want to see a WiFi 7-compatible AirPort mesh networking system akin to that of the Eero and Orbi with a base station that doubles as a server hub for Apple’s HomeKit to make smart home devices easy to set up and use.
An Intego blog by Kirk McElhearn from June 15, 2020, perfectly sums up my feelings (just think 7 for the Wi-Fi part):
A mesh wi-fi system could form part of a broader Apple home network. Imagine if the HomePod, Apple TV, or future Apple in-home devices, acted as a satellite for a wi-fi access point, as well as being a HomeKit hub; this could get more people to buy these media devices, knowing that they would serve more than one purpose.
In addition, the Time Capsule, an AirPort base station with a built-in hard drive, was a great way to ensure that people backed up their Macs. It meant that both desktop Macs and laptops could be automatically backed up without needed to connect an external hard drive. This was not without its quirks, but the technology was seamless. Apple could have extended this backup to iOS devices as well, allowing local backups instead of or in addition to iCloud backups.
Beyond these two elements, it’s Apple’s abdication of the core technology we use to access content on our devices at home that seems surprising.
With all the concerns about privacy and the exploitation of user data, this is an area where Apple could have taken a stance. They could have built their AirPort devices into a mesh wi-fi system, perhaps adding that capability to the HomePod as well, which could give more value to that device. Perhaps Apple has some plans for this in the future, but for now, Amazon has a huge advantage in the smart home market.
Discontinuing the AirPort line-up was, like Apple’s decision years ago, to discontinue its own line of external monitors is a mistake. With the Apple Studio Display and Studio Display XDR, the tech giant again launched its own line of displays. Let’s hope history repeats itself with the AirPort line of products.
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