Apple"s Time Capsule backup device has a lifespan of less than 18 months, if device users are telling the truth.
This figure comes from The Apple Time Capsule Memorial Register, which is a new site at which Time Capsule users log the serial number of their device, the date of purchase and the date at which the device ceased to function.
The site has currently logged over 260 dead Time Capsules since its launch less than 10 days ago.
Disgruntled Time Capsule user, "zmippie" created the register in response to the number of complaints he read in Apple"s own support forum. "In the end, hopefully, by getting a better view on the size of this premature TC [Time Capsule] failure, we can poke Apple to take action", "zmippie" wrote in one forum post. He continues, "I don"t think this problem ends after the first batch of TCs have all died, because apparently the design hasn"t been changed since the initial release in early 2008".
There are presently two main complaint threads on the Apple support forums about the Time Capsule failures that hold more than 600 messages from users. Most speculate that the Capsule"s power supply has failed, or an internal connection to the supply has failed.
In a credit to Apple, however, users have reported that Apple has been replacing dead devices under the standard 12 month warranty issued on purchase of a Time Capsule, as well as under the AppleCare replacement warranty, if the user has purchased it.
Apple"s latest Time Capsules include a 1TB model and a 2TB model. The failing models are largely being reported as the older generation 1TB and 500GB models.
Apple has yet to release a statement in response to these claims.