That makes it a cinch to use as a network-based backup system for the Mac. AirPort Utility, found in the Utilities folder of your Mac, can help you set up and manage an AirPort Extreme within a couple minutes of opening the box.Īpple's Time Capsule is much the same story - it's the exact same device as the AirPort Extreme, though it's equipped with an internal 2 TB or 3 TB hard disk drive that's visible to the Time Machine software built into OS X.

A fourth Gigabit Ethernet WAN port is used to connect to your Internet device - a cable or DSL modem or router, for example.īut what really makes the AirPort Extreme special is the software that Apple includes on the Mac and makes available for free download for the PC. It comes with three Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back, along with a USB 2 port to attach a printer or an external hard drive that can be shared on the network. The AirPort Extreme was introduced last year, when Apple's Haswell-based MacBook Air made its debut - the first Mac to support 802.11ac, the faster Wi-Fi implementation that's now standard across the board in every Mac that Apple's released since then. The software's great at connecting your Apple router to the Internet and making sure it's properly configured for whatever you need to do. It's included in OS X in the Utilities folder you can download a Windows version, and a free App Store version is available for iOS devices. The AirPort Utility, by comparison, makes it a dream to set up and run an Apple router. What's drawn them, by and large, to Apple equipment is because they know it's easy to use and comfortable for them. They're just regular consumers who know they need Wi-Fi in their home. Most people buying these devices aren't IT people. Hell, I worked in IT, and I find setting these things up intimidating. Setting up a Wi-Fi router can be tremendously intimidating to the layperson. They present you with page after page of configuration information, myriad checkboxes and radio buttons that are either not well-described or not described at all, clad in techno jargon. They require you to use web-based interfaces. That's because, put frankly, most Wi-Fi router manufacturers absolutely suck at making their devices easy to set up and use. And that goes a long way to effectively targeting Apple's customer. Apple makes its network devices as easy to use as the Mac and the iPhone. There's a lot more to recommend Apple's devices than simply 'brand loyalty,' as Raja dismisses.

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