can I use the Time Capsule without using Time Machine?

Yes, you certainly can use Time Capsule as a basic "wireless storage device" - no need to use Time Machine.

At this point in time Apple describe its storage as Time Machine-based. If that meets your needs then I think it's the product for you, but if you require other features then you may want to wait and see.

This statement about the Time Capsule from Apple's promotional information makes its storage capabilities a bit more clear:

"Time Capsule with Time Machine in Leopard is the ideal backup solution. But that doesn’t mean Tiger, Windows XP, and Windows Vista users can’t enjoy the benefits of Time Capsule, too. Because it mounts as a wireless hard drive, Tiger and Windows users simply access Time Capsule directly from the wireless network for exchanging and storing files quickly and easily."

This statement about the Time Capsule from Apple's promotional information...

That's not exactly very illuminating detail, but what we really do know is that the Windows PC will have to operate via Bonjour for Windows.

If we look at Apple Spec:

http://support.apple.com/specs/airport/Time_Capsule.html

then we see that:

For backup using Time Machine- Mac only
For AirPort Disk with a USB hard drive- Mac or PC with Bonjour

So... as Henry first replied, YES you can use Time Capsule as a backup without using Time Machine.

You can find references to that ability at
www.apple.com/timecapsule/wireless.html,
www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html, and
http://support.apple.com/specs/airport/Time_Capsule.html.

If +Time Capsule as a basic "wireless storage device"+ actually meant by a connected USB HD via airdisk on a Bonjour installed Windows PC or Mac OS X v10.4.8 or later then we may be in agreement. At present though Time Machine doesn't support Windows platform.

Hmmm, I can't see where the confusion originates. The table near the bottom of www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html has one row labelled "For backup using Time Machine" and another row labelled "For AirPort Disk with a USB hard drive".

The requirement for backup via Time Machine is OS 10.5.1 or better. Time Machine is not supported in pre-Leopard (OS 10.5) nor in Windows.

The requirement for using Time Capsule as a remote disk is identified as "Mac with Mac OS X v10.4.8 or later" or "PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista; Bonjour for Windows (included on Time Capsule CD)".

Doesn't that pretty much spell out that Time Capsule works as a network drive without the need for Time Machine?

Also Joe (the OP) never indicated any desire to use it with Windows so I'm not sure why all the discussion about Windows compatibility. ??

Also the quote posted by Henry seems pretty clear:

"Time Capsule with Time Machine in Leopard is the ideal backup solution. But that doesn’t mean Tiger, Windows XP, and Windows Vista users can’t enjoy the benefits of Time Capsule, too. Because it mounts as a wireless hard drive, Tiger and Windows users simply access Time Capsule directly from the wireless network for exchanging and storing files quickly and easily."

I believe that your current reply is very different from reply 2 in thread, and that it is more correct to inform OP that they may need to pursue a USB external HD and utilize Airdisk to achieve their goal.

Ewen - from a strict interpretation of the table provided at http://support.apple.com/specs/airport/Time_Capsule.html , I can see where the basis of your argument is coming from.

I would be very surprised, however, if Apple put Time Capsule on the market with an internal 1TB hard drive that was completely useless for anything other than Time Machine backups from Macs running 10.5.1 or later. So, I'm making - yes - a bit of an assumption that the information in that table is poorly written, and that Apple's promotional information is more correct ie that the internal drive can be used for data storage other than Time Machine backups.

I guess we'll find out when the device starts shipping.

Quoting from:

http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/

Introducing Time Capsule. Automatic wireless backup for your Mac.

So the confusion is that the label "For AirPort Disk with a USB hard drive" should probably say something like "For AirPort Disk using Time Capsule or connected USB hard drive". I think that is just a cut/paste error from the AEBS specifications.

I think the capabilities are clearly stated on www.apple.com/timecapsule/wireless.html when it states:

Works with Mac and PC.

Time Capsule with Time Machine in Leopard is the ideal backup solution. But that doesn’t mean Tiger, Windows XP, and Windows Vista users can’t enjoy the benefits of Time Capsule, too. Because it mounts as a wireless hard drive, Tiger and Windows users simply access Time Capsule directly from the wireless network for exchanging and storing files quickly and easily.

I think that is just a cut/paste error from the AEBS

One major difference imo:

*For backup using Time Machine*

+For Mac Users:+ Mac computer with Mac OS X v10.5.1 or later

+For PC Users:+ -

I'm not sure what you are getting at since Time Machine is a feature of OS 10.5 and has nothing to do with Windows. That entry would seem to make perfect sense.

Why don't we reflect back to the original questions asked by Joe...

1. Can I just use it as a wireless backup storage device?
2. ...is Time Machine the only interface for the Time Capsule?

I think, with the information provided, that we would agree that Yes Time Capsule can be used as a wireless backup storage device and No Time Machine is not the only interface for the Time Capsule.

I think you don't seem to understand what Time Capsule has been designed primarily to accomplish...If someone owns a Mac and wants to use Time Machine for wireless backup over a network then it is perfect product for them to contemplate purchasing. If they don't want to use Time Machine, but might want to use Air Disk to run an external HD then the significantly cheaper AEBS is the way to go imo. If you care to read my first reply in thread I don't believe I mentioned Windows at all, and in fact Windoze usage was raised first by another poster in topic.

If they don't want to use Time Machine, but might want to use Air Disk to run an external HD then the significantly cheaper AEBS is the way to go imo.

The Time Capsule with 500 GB internal drive costs $299.

The AEBS costs $179 and an external USB 500 GB hard drive costs $120 for a total cost of $299.

So for the same cost as an AEBS and external drive combination you also get Time Machine support.

Therefore the Time Capsule seems a very reasonable alternative to the AEBS even if you aren't going to use Time Machine.