Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5 TB USB 3.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive in Black STAA1500100

i am comparing this drive to the Western Digital one: WD My Passport 2TB Portable External Hard Drive note: both can work with fw800 and usb3 - but keep in mind there are different models of the WD one and you will pay more for the one with both fw800 and usb3 onboard: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073SQ4P2/ref=wms_ohs_product HEAVYWEIGHTS this drive is about 280grams. it is plastic but i have had no issues with it after years of occasional use. it's small and light so i like that. i don't like that you have to buy a separate cable for fw800. that's an expense and a hassle and is non-standard. the cables have these adaptors on the ends that make it bulky if you need to carry both. the western digital drive is metal. so it's nice to know it's tough but it is heavier at 375g the cables are standard and it comes with both so that's cheaper and takes less space. CHANGING OF THE GUARDS my next drive will be the WB at 2TB and usb3 only since my new macs finally all have usb3. no more fw800. of course thunderbolt is the next update and the GoFlex drive has an advantage that you can buy a thunderbolt adaptor for it. yet another bulky thing to carry but it might be a useful option to someone out there. http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-GoFlex-Thunderbolt-Adapter-STAE121/dp/B006P1QWOQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359917498&sr=8-1&keywords=Seagate+GoFlex+Thunderbolt+Adapter according to this review with a 1TB drive there was no speed boost to using this thunderbolt adaptor [...] " For this particular drive, the limiting factor for both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt was the drive itself... not the interface. Connecting to the drive over its native SATA 3.0Gb/s we found transfer speeds to hit the same upper-limit of 80.5MB/s read and 80.4MB/s write.... We saw speeds increase from around 30MB/s over USB 2.0 to 80MB/s over Thunderbolt with the Seagate GoFlex portable external hard drive. The down side though is USB 3.0 could also offer the same speed, with less bulk and much less cost ". But if you want to connect an SSD drive that is a whole different story.

I have purchased dozens of external Hard Drives over the years, and watched the specs go up, and the prices come down, just like everything else in technology. I have gone from disappointed, to moderately satisfied, and have dealt with all the issues that most of us have. For example, drives that are supposed to run just from the USB bus, but really just barely. Ones that are supposed to run off of USB, and need the double USB cable, taking up two USB ports, or ones that are supposed to run without an adapter, but just don't at all! Also, drives that have power adapters included (which sort of takes the convenience of a portable drive, and greatly diminishes it). This drive is the first one I can actually rave about. I checked reviews on every top manufacturer, and what really appealed to me, before ordering, was the "GoFlex." I ordered it with USB 3.0, knowing I could, if I chose to, add a Firewire 800 (1394), or eSATA interface later. That, with the incredible price on a 1 TB ultra-portable had my attention. Well, no turning back! The drive is small, incredibly quiet, works perfectly off USB, and is really fast. I do not even have USB 3.0 support on any of my computers, but since it is backwards compatible with USB 2.0, it works perfectly. There are some mixed reviews of the Firewire 800 adapter, and specifically, that it runs too hot. I am hoping that is resolved quickly, as I would have ordered it already, but USB 3.0, and the flexibility of the GoFlex system made it a non-issue. I was about to purchase the brand new 3TB Apple Time Capsule (new as of June 2011) to replace a first generation 1TB Time Capsule, but now, I would just get the new Apple Airport Extreme, and rely on a GoFlex drive, and save 50% of the $500 "Apple Tax," without any reservations. If you need a very small ultra-portable HD, and like the fact that you have an edge on upgrading the interface, rather then putting it in the closet when you need something faster, this is for you! Also, since there seems to be a battle brewing over USB 3.0 versus the new Thunderbolt interface, you can grab one of these, in whatever size you need, and know you will be able to use it for a while, with FORWARD compatibility, something that is not usually the case. Remember the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD battle? Nobody wanted to waste money on the format that might lose, for both equipment, and media. With this drive, you can buy a few large ones, and not worry. Right now, you can choose USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Firewire 800, or eSATA, and add adapters as needed. I am sure they will add a Thunderbolt adapter shortly, for those of you lucky enough to grab a brand new Mac. Great job Seagate! UPDATE: I liked this drive so much, I did proceed with buying the Firewire 800 adapter. Part of the reason I needed the original drive was I had to move around a specific 120G file, multiple times. As I was thrilled with the drive, I figured adding the speed of the Firewire 800 adapter could only make me like it more. I was right. It is a speed demon, and when moving my 120G+ file with USB 2.0 (My Macs have only USB 2.0 & Firewire 800) I had to walk away, and come back. Now, I can easily just wait. Can you imagine, the difference in speed and size over the last decade? Moving around 120G+ file, on an ultra-portable, bus powered mini-drive in a few short minutes? And, I have 800G+ left over to work with! I will be adding more adapters, and probably the 1.5TB model shortly, and can now, for the first time, say I have all my data storage bases covered. 2nd UPDATE: Seagate made a press release a few months ago confirming that they are absolutely working on a Thunderbolt adapter for the GoFlex series! [...] 3rd UPDATE: I did end up with a MacBook Pro with USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt support. I now love these drives even more, and have added another. I have one ready to transfer huge files on the fly between my MacBooks and my iMac. These machines are all networked and I use an Apple 802.ac WiFi device (new Time Capsule) and I can very easily move files with my network, but now that I sometimes work with really large files, sometimes it is easier to use these for transfers. I have one plugged right into a Time Capsule, so it made my 3 GB into a 4 GB, and I keep the other handy for transfers and data just to important to trust only a cloud. I use Dropbox which I think is great plus both Apple & Amazon cloud services, but I have gone through losing stuff to crashed hard drives just one too many times. Now with SSD drives in my MacBook Pro plus Time Capsule backups AND clouds, I know that my really important stuff - might just be a picture - but whatever it is, I will always have it backed up. The GoFlex design is exactly what I wanted, totally future proof. Years after my initial review, I am using them with USB 3.0, FireWire, and now that I have a Thunderbolt port, I need to convert at least one drive to Thunderbolt. Not relevant to a review of the the drive itself, but Thunderbolt is keeping me happy too. I added an Apple Thunderbolt 27" display to my MacBook Pro and it is is better then any desktop I ever had. I have the power of the MacBook Pro with the awesome display, but can grab the laptop and put it in my briefcase in 30 seconds. Now I just have to add a 4k display!!!

Great portable external hard drive that can take some abuse. This 1tb hard drive has the space you need for a great price, is plug-and-play technology that doesn't require any installation (unless you want to use the backup service). The shell on the hard drive is very durable because I constantly was throwing this into a weekend bag and taking it with me and it only had minor scratches on it. Plus the drive itself didn't suffer or become damaged in any way. The part where the USB cable connects to the hard drive feels week and like it could snap (thankfully it hasn't) although the danger is always there. If you do travel with this hard drive make sure you unplug the USB cable to prevent any mishaps. As a storage device this product worked wonderfully. I didn't not have a need for the backup software (as it usually is slow, bloated, and process heavy). I did not use the software included with the hard drive and cannot comment in it. Good 1TB Hard drive with USB 3.0 technology for fast transfer speeds. Does what is needed.

I have this in the older 2.0, and got this 3.0 as I needed more storage. It has a slightly thicker USB cord than the 2.0 drive. When I tried to use it, it demanded I register immediately (that was ok) then install the dashboard, software, and allow it to connect to the internet when it wanted. This was NOT ok. I keep work and research on it and can not use a 'smart' drive that connects without permission. I was worried about deleting the software and dashboard, possibly making it unusable. I contacted Seagate, got a person after a short wait, and after telling her I need a 'dumb' drive that stores data without connecting and doing other things, she said I could format it, which would remove everything on it, and it would still work perfectly fine as a dumb drive. I saved the owner's manual and registration folder, then she had me back out to 'My Computer' and highlight the drive, right click on it, then click 'Format'. It took less than 30 seconds to format. I was then told if I ever wanted the dashboard and software again, I could download it free. I now have a very nice dumb drive that works perfectly. I can play and read stored media in it easily, like the training/education videos, DVD's and PDF's I use and show, by connecting the USB to a computer or player. Seagate customer support is excellent. Fingerprints come off the glossy surface with a dry soft cloth. It has a 18" cord, but since I usually have it on top of, or next to the computer or player, it's not a problem for me. The cord disconnects from the drive, so I'll probably check with Seagate to see if there would be a problem using a high quality 3' cord. I am very pleased with this drive, and intend to get another later. I recommend this as an easy backup drive, as it doesn't need a power cord, just plug in the USB and transfer. You can read PDF's RTF's, docs, and store and play videos without having to transfer them to a computer.

I received router two days ago which arrived within 2 days of ordering. It's small and compact, easy to carry if you need too and has one of the best appearing menus I've ever used. Just another reason why I purchased Seagate since the first one I ever bought has given me the best performance, very easy to wipe clean and use on another PC or Laptop if you desire. One of the great things about this device and other Seagate products, if you have two or three or just one PC or Laptop that runs the same Firmware, ie: Windows XP or Windows 7, you can easily hook up the USB provided cable and backup information from them all individually. I would recommend that you rename the files if you wish to keep the files, otherwise those folders and files of the same name will be replaced with the latest version. If you only want to back up movies or save them direct and no other files, Seagate gives you that opportunity to do just that. Since I have a different schedule than my husband, I can easily save a downloaded movie to the Seagate external drive, attach my HDMI from my Laptop or PC to the HD-Tv, click on the movie I desire to watch and stream it to be viewed on the Big Screen HD-Tv. The Seagate is setup to make removing stored information easy by simply selecting and pressing the delete button. You also can select to move files directly to the external drive (after you screen them for virsus) to free up space on your PC/Laptop. Free up space keeps your computor running faster and less opportunity for having fragments too. I highly recommend this External Seagate Hard Drive to those looking to save files, save movies and photos and/or music or anything you want to protect, including backing up your PC/Laptop. It's smart, simple and easy, just plug it in, load the setup file and the rest is automatic everytime you connect the Seagate to your PC or Laptop. Is designed to automatically backup updated or new files while you work if you have it attached and save your information. Its fast, so it just takes seconds. The intial backup will take time, since the Seagate must format your files before intially backing up, but even that doesn't take long if you don't have a great deal of information on you PC/Laptop that you plan to use Seagate with. Amazon direct purchasing from support Merchant is the way to go, since the packaging is given great care, quality assurance and Seagate brand new comes with a Two year Warranty. I doubt you will ever need it, but do register your new device, since you never know when you might happen to get a Lemon. On this particular 1TB Seagate External Hard Drive, additional offer to backup and save files via their internet feature for a minimal yearly fee, just another way to backup your backups. haha Or if you travel for work and forget or loss or have your Seagate stolen, no fear the Seagate via internet backup service can save the day and in a click or two you can change your password to insure no one access your information. "But what about the stolen Seagate Hard Drive?" No fears, if it doesn't reconize the computor, its going to what to clear the memory and reformat the Hard Drive. Does that save you from an expert? Of Course not, but you must be a pretty important person with some pretty valuable information for someone to want to work that hard to access the hard drive. Just saying, don't be a worry wort. Buy it, you'll love it!

This 1.5TB drive is a solid performer. I've had multiple experiences with USB powered 2.5" format external drives and too many have given me some level of trouble with insufficient power causing flaky behavior (Cough-WD-Cough). This drive performs flawlessly on a laptop (Dell Latitude D830, USB2) even when the laptop is only on battery power, all WITHOUT any need for some special data plus power cable (taking up two USB port). Furthermore, it provided sustained HD level (100MB/min) data streams without glitches. Also tested on a small HD IPTV adapter (WD TV Live Plus - excellent device, highly recommended) and it was literally plug and play. Fantastic. On an older USB2 PC I have transferred hundreds of GBs to the device without issue (except that at USB2 speeds this does take more than a few minutes). I love USB powered drives, no extra brick to drag around, find a plug, etc. If these devices are reliable they are a pleasure to use. This model appears to be a solid performer. I've owned it several weeks and not seen any indication of flaky behavior. I plan to purchase more. I have not tested the device with a USB3 port so I cannot report what the sustained data transfer rates are like with a USB3 device. I have not tested this device on an Apple Mac - Seagate supposedly supplies NTFS read and write drivers since Apple does not natively support this Microsoft File System format. I would like to test this external drive on an MacBook "Air". The only "Con" I have with this drive is that it is only available in one color - Black. I would like to buy several more for media storage purposes and it would be nice if it were available in multiple colors so that it would be easier to distinguish them from each other.

I purchased this External HDD way back in May of 2011 for around $99. It was bought primarily to perform bulk transfers of over 250GB of data at a time. To this day, the hard drive is going strong and performing its job admirably. The USB 3.0 speeds are phenomenal averaging at around 50-60 MB/s and even USB 2.0 speeds are quite fast usually averaging at around 18-20 MB/s. I have noticed that the speeds are in many ways dependent on the size of data that you are transferring, so millions of very small files will give you a different speed as compared to one very large file. For a 1 TB HDD, I found this little guy to be very portable, measuring approximately 2cm high (3/4"), 13cm long (5"), and 9cm wide (3 1/2"). It has got a glossy finish that over time will probably end up getting small scratches (mine has minor scratches, but it has gotten a lot of use) while the bottom has a rougher textured material to avoid scratching when placed on a surface. The USB 3.0 port can actually be upgraded to use other interfaces such as firewire or thunderbolt, but you have to buy those upgrades from Seagate and I have not needed to purchase one yet. All in all, I really like this External HDD and it hasn't failed me yet. However, there are many more options out there today for an external HDD, so unless you find this for a great deal, I probably recommend going for a newer drive. If you have any questions that I did not cover in this review, please comment and I will do my best to answer.

BUYER BEWARE! MAC USERS SHOULD NOT BUY THIS DRIVE!!! A very common issue with this drive (google it!) is that it puts itself to sleep and disconnects randomly from your computer -- on either a PC or a Mac. If you're a video editor this can be especially frustrating while working on an open project. PC users have the ability to disable the "sleep mode" in the included Seagate Diagnostics software, but Mac users do not. So if you're connecting with the included USB cable, the drive will disconnect itself randomly (usually once about every couple hours, from my experience). Some users have noted that the problem can be fixed with the optional $25 Seagate FireWire 800 adapter, but that adapter poses a new problem: extreme overheating. One look at the reviews for that adapter will show there is an issue with such high heat where the proprietary plastic connector meets the drive that it has caused drive failures and even melting of the plastic! Also, reviewers have pointed out that the FW800 connector is slightly too large and fits so tightly into Macs that they actually can damage the FW port! I have had no issues with external Western Digital USB drives, I only bought two of these Seagates because the sale price was so good before Christmas. I wish I didn't buy them -- and I strongly suggest you buy any other brand for this size drive. (To be fair, I do use internal Seagate drives in my Mac Pro and have never had an issue with them.)

One of the best portable hard drive its fast in windows 7. I will definitely recommend this one so go buy it you wont be disappointed.