macOS 27 Golden Gate — which should arrive to end users in September or October — removes AFP support, ending Time Machine compatibility with Time Capsule after nearly two decades.
However, as MacRumors notes, a GitHub project called TimeCapsuleSMB, created by James Chang, an engineer at Microsoft, offers a potential workaround for owners not yet ready to move on.
That’s cool, but, as I’ve said repeatedly, Apple definitely should consider reviving its AirPort line-up.
History of the AirPort Line-Up
In 2016, Apple discontinued the AirPort Express, the AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule line of wireless router/backup hardware. I think it ranks as one of the top two dumb ideas the tech giant made in discontinuing products. (The other is when it quit making semi-affordable Mac displays. Thankfully, it reversed course on that.)
In November 2016 Bloomberg reported that this was a move to try to sharpen the company’s focus on consumer products that generate the bulk of its revenue. The AirPort Express, the AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule, which cost US$99, $199, and $299, respectively, made up a small slice of Apple’s revenue and were part of Apple’s “other products” category on its financial statements.
What I want to see
With Apple’s planned entrance into more smart home products (rumored to be a doorbell, tabletop robot, and more) 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: 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.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
