Canon Puts Efficiency On PressSeagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro (500GB)
Manufacturer: Seagate Technology Part number: STAD500400
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Though other external hard drives offer a preset menu of ports, the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex cuts costs by letting you pick from a buffet of "personality cables" so that you buy only the connections that suit your system profile. We applaud Seagate for making data backups easier than ever, and recommend the FreeAgent GoFlex external hard drive for extra data storage now and easy upgrades in the future.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro (500GB) price range: $106.18
- Reviewed by: Justin Yu
- Edited by: Rich Brown
- Reviewed on: 05/05/2010
- Released on: 05/04/2010
The good: Interchangeable "personality cables" add value in versatility and speed; inexpensive; works with Mac and Windows OS; three-year warranty; Memeo backup software included.
The bad: Three-year warranty, compared with five years for older FreeAgent drives (still better than most portables hard drives).
The bottom line: Though other external hard drives offer a preset menu of ports, the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex cuts costs by letting you pick from a buffet of "personality cables" so that you buy only the connections that suit your system profile. We applaud Seagate for making data backups easier than ever, and recommend the FreeAgent GoFlex external hard drive for extra data storage now and easy upgrades in the future.
Shopping for an external hard drive usually means choosing the device that corresponds to the fastest port (most commonly USB 2.0) on the back of your computer. Although other connections, like FireWire 800, USB 3.0, and eSATA, are quickly gaining popularity for their impressive transfer speeds, most shoppers settle on USB 2.0 because of the premiums that companies charge for the extra ports.
Seagate proposes an alternative solution with its latest product, the FreeAgent GoFlex external hard drive, which features exchangeable "personality cables" that put the port selection in the hands of the consumer. At only $100 for the 320GB model, the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex portable hard drive is well-deserving of our Editor's Choice Award and is a solid bet for budget-minded data gobblers who want to stay ahead of the connection curve.
Design and Features
The GoFlex shares many of the same design characteristics with the other drives in the Seagate FreeAgent Go lineup, including a 0.55-inch-thick case and a sleek, unassuming silhouette. Seagate offers the drive in four colors (silver, red, black, and blue) and a variety of capacities ranging from 320GB all the way up to 1TB, each at a fair price-per-gigabyte considering the increased functionality over "standard" hard drives (see "Cost per gigabyte" chart below).
| Drive type | 2.5-inch external USB Flash hard drive |
| Connector options | USB 2.0, eSATA, USB 3.0, FireWire 800 |
| Size (LWH) | 4.1 by 3.2 by .6 inches |
| Weight | .34 pounds |
| Available capacities | 320GB, 500GB, 750GB, 1TB |
| Capacity of test unit | 320GB |
| OSes supported | Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Mac OS 10.4.6 or higher |
| Software included | Memeo Backup Software |
The casing separates the GoFlex into two parts: the hard drive and a proprietary cap that ends in a USB 2.0 plug. To go along with this new drive, Seagate sells a variety of "personality cables" for $30 apiece to fit USB 3.0, FireWire 800, and eSATA, in addition to docks and accessories that let you access data on the go using software licensed from Pogoplug.
Inside the drive itself, you'll find a 2.5-inch hard disk that spins up to 7,200rpm, giving it an extra boost in speed compared with the typical 5,400rpm drives in most external hard drives, especially when paired with the USB 3.0 cable. And though the personality cables cost more than their standard off-the-shelf counterparts, they also offer you the flexibility of purchasing only the cords you need, while still leaving the option open for connection upgrades in the future. Product reps from Seagate tell us that a personality cable is in development that supports Light Peak, Intel's new cable technology intended to replace USB, FireWire, HDMI, SATA, and SCSI as the standard.
Another boon for the GoFlex family is its capability to access and exchange files between computers running both Mac and Windows operating systems. Seagate has partnered with Paragon Software Group to embed its NTFS for Mac OS software onto every GoFlex drive, and setting it up is as simple as a one-time installation when you first plug it in. From there, the drive will mount on both Macs and PCs with full read and write access without any degradation in speed.
The only catch is that the drive won't work with Time Machine if you're using NTFS for Mac at the same time, since Apple requires all external storage to be HFS+ formatted. Luckily, Seagate gets around that issue by offering its own watered-down backup software through another partnership with software developer Memeo.
We should applaud Seagate for doing away with installer CDs and bundling all the software installer files you need directly on the drive so you have them everywhere you go. That said, installing the Memeo backup software is a breeze on both Mac and PCs. Once you're up and running, you'll see that the Seagate Dashboard (also powered by Memeo) on the desktop serves as a hub for viewing previous backups and also provides an overlying view of data on the drive.
Memeo is a file-based backup system, meaning you have to specify on the Dashboard exactly which files and folders are to be saved--you can choose to back up the entire contents of the GoFlex in one swoop. The software also automatically updates with version-control, copying files in the background so your backed-up data remains up-to-date. Unfortunately, file-based backups don't keep a record of the applications you install on your system, but Seagate makes the service available with the Memeo Premium Backup plan available for a one-time upgrade fee of $29.95.
Cost per gigabyte
The FreeAgent GoFlex keeps Seagate's promise to offer more features than the competition at the same cost per gigabyte. At only $0.26 cost per gigabyte, the GoFlex is certainly one of the least expensive drives out there, and though it can't beat out the LaCie Rikiki for the top spot, it's worth noting that the Rikiki has only one USB 2.0 port, a two-year warranty, and a simple means of automating backups.
Performance
The speed chart below compares the GoFlex only to other drives with USB 2.0 ports, since this review is for the basic package that includes the drive and a USB personality cable. The GoFlex is a solid performer in both the read and write tests and can clearly keep up with the competition, but the big speed gains are much more noticeable when you pair the drive with USB 3.0; our anecdotal tests with the Maingear Vybe transferred a 6.62GB file at 70 megabytes per second with USB 3.0 and eSATA, whereas the FireWire 800 reached speeds around 37MB/s on our testbed hardware.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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USB Read (MB/s) | |
USB Write (MB/s) |
Service and Support
Seagate protects the FreeAgent Go against factory defects with a three-year warranty. We're a little disappointed that Seagate isn't offering the five-year plan that came with the original Seagate FreeAgent Go, but we'll let it slide since most hard drives only come with a one-year warranty anyway.
In addition, the Seagate Web site contains a comprehensive list of forums, knowledge bases, driver downloads, installation help, and FAQs to help you troubleshoot your drive. Phone support is also available via live chat, e-mail, and phone from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. Unfortunately, Seagate offers no support during the weekend.
User reviews
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I will think twice about buying a Seagate again.
by JohnPav1 on January 9, 2011
Pros: None - well it appeared to work good enough when i was moving my data onto the drive.
Cons: The drive has stopped working after a very short period of time, all of my data will be lost and I have to pay to have the defective product shipped back to Seagate.
Summary: It worked long enough for me to copy information on to the drive (about 4 hours) but it doesn't work now. Now I need to send the drive back ...
Summary: It worked long enough for me to copy information on to the drive (about 4 hours) but it doesn't work now. Now I need to send the drive back to Seagate for replacement, which I have to pay for, and all of my data will be lost.
Pros - I could pay $130 to buy a "Data Recovery" program from them.
Cons - Why should I have to pay for anything as it relates to their defective drive!5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good machine, ruined by software
by CliveT on November 16, 2010
Pros: Fast, quiet, compact, feels well built.
Cons: Only the software, IMO the Memeo software is a disaster
Summary: I like this drive, but for the provided back-up software caused so much pain that that I had to give it a low rating. It trashed my new $2,000 ...
Summary: I like this drive, but for the provided back-up software caused so much pain that that I had to give it a low rating. It trashed my new $2,000 Vaio and I had to rebuild the SSD from back-up disks. For some silly reason, I tried to install Memeo on my new "best component" desktop, (Seagate Momentus XT drive) same problem, but at least I was able to restore from four restores back. This was a real shame, because in my experience Seagate software has always worked so sweetly in the past.
The USB 3 accessory is cool, although I am not convinced it is much faster, perhaps the higher transfer speed exceeds the read/write capability of the drive.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Software unable to find the drive most of the time...
by JtJt12944 on December 18, 2010
Pros: Drive works well-WHEN it works,
Cons: Memeo software constantly loses track of the drive. Memeo customer service slow to help.
Summary: Backing up is pretty simple. Software menu system is a bit bloated. Password system is redundant. Says you can access your files from "anywhere in the world." I'd be ...
Summary: Backing up is pretty simple. Software menu system is a bit bloated. Password system is redundant. Says you can access your files from "anywhere in the world." I'd be happy if it could just find the darned drive within the house! Many restarts of router, backup drive and laptop required to backup. Doesn;t leave me with a secure feeling for a backup drive. Most of the time it indicates it cannot find the drive on the network, yet I can access files from the desktop. Whatever, returning it and not buying another Seagate product.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Sadly Dissapointed~Flex Go 1.5 Terrabyte
by mlj1111 on March 30, 2011
Pros: I guess the multiple connectors would be counted as a pro. 1.5 terrabyte.
Cons: What happened to 5 yr warrantys! Bad descision on someones part at Seagate Corporate. This was always a easy sale to my customers when I used to be able to say 5 yr warranty, now I have to talk them out of Western Digitals that sell cheaper. Way slow tra
Summary: I, as a computer guru, find myself consistently backing up all of my customers data. As bigger drives come out, I buy them.
I was very happy with the 1 ...Summary: I, as a computer guru, find myself consistently backing up all of my customers data. As bigger drives come out, I buy them.
I was very happy with the 1 terrabyte Freeagent Go that I have and would would give that 10 stars if the rateing went that high, but this new drive really leaves alot to be desired. It really is slow as far as transfer rates on usb 2.0 ports, and when I say slow I mean it.
Not enough people have computers that even utilize usb 3.0 ports yet to begin with, so I really think this issue needs to be addressed, as the bulk of the people that do purchase this product, will more then likely have 2.0 ports on thier computers. I have always been a big supporter of Seagate, but this time I think that they have overhyped this product.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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- Seagate (poor)
by usavyadams on March 16, 2011
Pros: None...nothing good.
Cons: I have had 2 Seagate products, the latter being the GoFlex & after 7 days it crashed. Called tech support & would cost $150 to get the stuff of the drive. Bought from Office Depot.....will never buy a Seagate product again.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Dead on arrival - USB Device not recognized
by R3141 on February 14, 2011
Pros: Pros: Hard to determine Pros when the device won't even install.
Cons: Cons: Wasted my time and energy trying to get this thing to work. Taking it back to the store today
Summary: While this seemed like a simple problem, none of the usual fixes resolved the issue. Tried this on multiple PCs and operating systems, all gave the same error. Seagate support ...
Summary: While this seemed like a simple problem, none of the usual fixes resolved the issue. Tried this on multiple PCs and operating systems, all gave the same error. Seagate support was no help at all. Searching their forums showed I am not the only one that has encountered this problem. Others have lost their backup files due to the same error after installation. At least I was spared that disaster.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Does not work
by Ed_Jameson on December 31, 2010
Pros: Easy install and initial backup; then failed to work.
Cons: Software does not recognize presence of Seagatge drive. Says files are being backed up, but Windows Explorer shows files have not been stored on backup drive. Worse than no backup - - you believe you've got backup, but you don't.
Summary: This product is junk.
Summary: This product is junk.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best external drive and software available.
by glasscats on May 6, 2010
Pros: The drive is plug and play, and the backup software is simple and easy.
Cons: Can't think of a thing.
Summary: I really like this backup drive. For some reason, I have a problem figuring out Acronis. There are two things I want an external drive to do; either clone a ...
Summary: I really like this backup drive. For some reason, I have a problem figuring out Acronis. There are two things I want an external drive to do; either clone a drive or backup specific folders. With just those two choices, I don't understand why backup software has to be so complicated. The software with the Seagate is plain and simple....I love it!
3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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DO NOT BUY IF YOU HAVE A MAC!
by mdarmocida on August 17, 2011
Pros: None if you're a Mac owner
Cons: 1) Not Mac compataible even though the package says it is.
2) Seagate has no interest in supporting this product if it's on a MacSummary: I bought two of these drives (one for my PC and one for my Mac). I chose the Seagate product because the package listed it as Mac compatible. I brought ...
Summary: I bought two of these drives (one for my PC and one for my Mac). I chose the Seagate product because the package listed it as Mac compatible. I brought it home to find that a few things have to be configured before it will work with the Mac so it's not plug and play. My main issue, however, is that when you move a file from the Seagate GoFlex to the Trash the trash will not empty. If you move the file back to the GoFlex then the Trash will be empty but you're stuck with the original file. If you unmount the GoFlex then the Trash will be empty but will show full again when you remount it.
When I first called Seagate Tech Support I was told by the tech that there's nothing he could do. When I insisted because the package said "Mac Compatible" he told me to use Apple's Disk Repair utility and if that didn't work then tough. Luckily it did work but I had to use it again after I tried to delete the next file. I gave the drive a negative review on Amazon and someone from Seagate support (David B) send me an email asking me to contact them in order to resolve the issue. After a few times of constantly using the utility the problem went away for a couple of weeks so I emailed him that I would see what happens and remove my review in the mean time. Well, it happened again but now I have to use the utility every time I try to delete a file and even then it doesn't always work until I've used it multiple times. I requested help from Seagate at the email address that David B sent and to paraphrase the reply I got was pretty much to go f*ck off.
So here I am, once again, warning everybody that owns a Mac not to waste your money on this product. It may say Mac compatible but it isn't and Seagate has no interest in supporting this product when it comes to Macs. You would think this wouldn't be the case considering the recent popularity and growing market of Mac users.
Seagate if you read this please do not contact me unless your serious about resolving this issue and only then, maybe, will I remove this review once again.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Please, save your money.
by Drayith on May 31, 2011
Pros: It was fast, portable, and very ascetically pleasing.
Easy to use for a beginner, no question set up and menu.Cons: Pretty much everything else.
Summary: It does what it should, store all of your things and flash pretty lights at you so you know it's working, that is, for as long as it lasts. ...
Summary: It does what it should, store all of your things and flash pretty lights at you so you know it's working, that is, for as long as it lasts. The problem is, you might not get very long out of this product. This specific external hard drive only lasted me about six months before it started beeping at me.
Little did I know that this was the beginning of the end. The next time I tried to plug it in somewhere, it didn't work! I looked around and apparently this is a very common problem with this brand and the company will very happily fix it under their warranty.
That is, fixing it involves deleting all of your data, and they will charge you a very hefty fee to pull the data off the drive so you can have it back. About seven times what you pay for the thing! Needless to say, I saved the money and just got a new drive.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Seagate Technology
- Part number: STAD500400
- Description: As the most upgradable drive, and the core of the GoFlex storage system, the GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive gives you all the flexibility you need to get the most from your digital life. The GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive delivers premium backup with encryption, which automatically and continuously protects all the files on your computer. The GoFlex Pro includes a convenient desktop dock with built-in capacity gauge, which allows you to easily view your drive's remaining storage capacity.
General
- Device Type Hard drive - External hard drive,
( Portable ) - Capacity 500 GB
- Form Factor 3.5"
- Interface Serial ATA-300
- Connector 7 pin Serial ATA
- Width 3.23 in
- Depth 0.55 in
- Height 4.14 in
- Weight 0.86 lbs
Performance
- Interface Transfer Rate 3.0 Gbps (SATA)
- Spindle Speed 7200 rpm
Expansion & Connectivity
- Interfaces 1 x Serial ATA-300
- Compatible Bays None
Power
- Power Device None
Software & System Requirements
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- OS Required Microsoft Windows Vista / XP / 7 ,
Apple MacOS X 10.4.6 or later Miscellaneous
- Microsoft Certifications Works with Windows Vista
- Enclosure Color Black
- Localization English / United States
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 3 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 3 years
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Seagate Technology products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Seagate Technology
- Address:
920 Disc Dr., Scotts Valley, CA 95066 - Phone: 1-405-324-4700
- Fax: 1-405-324-4702
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