Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 500 GB USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive STAA500100 (Black)

by Seagate

• USB 2.0 plug-and-play drive
• Easy-to-use preloaded backup and encryption software
• Upgradable to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or eSATA or access content over the network and on TV

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.3 x 4.3 inches ; 5.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B003BLQHN4
• Item model number: STAA500100
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (502 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 4, 2010

Product Description

Capacity: 500 GB | Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

The GoFlex ultra-portable drive makes it easy to store, back up and encrypt all your files with its plug-and-play USB 2.0 connectivity. This drive is great for taking with you on business trips, vacations and on the go allowing you to save or access your videos, photos, music or files. The GoFlex ultra-portable USB 2.0 drive interface returns fast transfer speeds and the GoFlex system allows you to upgrade to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or eSATA by pairing the drive with the appropriate GoFlex upgrade cable. Extend your content beyond your PC and enjoy it on your TV, over your network, or on-the-go by using it in combination with our GoFlex family of products.

Store over 16,000 hours of music on the 1TB GoFlex Drive

Available in a variety of colors to suit your style. View larger

Store, back up and encrypt all your files with plug-and-play USB 2.0 connectivity

Protect your files with GoFlex's built-in back-up software

Plug-and-Play with Automatic Backup Software

The Seagate GoFlex's built-in backup software ensures automatic continuous backup of your data. It secures your backed up files and protects your privacy with powerful encryption software. The Seagate Dashboard management tool software provides easy management of backup schedules, file encryption, and at-a-glance drive statistics, including available capacity.

Access Files with the Interface of Your Choice

Use the standard USB 2.0 interface for maximum compatibility with standard desktops and laptops. Or upgrade to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or powered eSATA by pairing the drive with the appropriate GoFlex upgrade cable.

Free your Files

With the included NTFS driver for Mac, you can now interchangeably store and access files from PC and Mac computers without reformatting. The NTFS driver is simply installed once on your Mac computer, allowing it to access and store files in a PC compatible format. (Reformatting to HFS+ required to use backup software for Mac or Time Machine software.)

Extend Your Content Beyond the PC

The GoFlex ultra-portable drive is the heart of the GoFlex Storage System, and by combining it with other GoFlex Storage System products you can enjoy your content on your TV, access files from any PC or Mac computer on your network, from a mobile device, or via the internet while on-the-go.

Enhanced Versatility Is a Snap

Plug-and-play connectivity options let you protect, store, and do more. The GoFlex Storage System allows you to upgrade the way you access your digital content without having to replace your drive. Upgrade cables and kits make it easy to move up from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire 800 for up to 10x faster transfer speeds for your large files and HD movies. Extend your digital life so you can access and share your files from anywhere.

What's in the Box

The Seagate GoFlex ultra-portable drive, backup with encryption software pre-loaded on drive, NTFS driver for Mac pre-loaded on drive, GoFlex USB 2.0 interface adapter, 18-inch USB 2.0 cable, quick start guide, 2-year limited warranty.

Get the Most from Your Drive with GoFlex Upgrade Cables

GoFlex USB 3.0 Upgrade Cable 10X faster transfer speed than USB 2.0 Backwards-compatible with USB 2.0

GoFlex USB 3.0 Upgrade Kit 10X faster transfer speed than USB 2.0 Includes PC Card adapter, USB power connector and USB 3.0 cable --everything needed to upgrade your laptop to USB 3.0 Backwards compatible with USB 2.0

GoFlex eSATA Upgrade Cable 6X faster transfer speeds than USB 2.0 Powered by eSATA/USB combo port, no external power required

GoFlex FireWire 800 Upgrade Cable 2x faster transfer speeds than USB 2.0

Seagate GoFlex Ultra-Portable Drive Specifications

	320GB1	500GB1	750GB1	1TB1
Model Number	STAA320100	STAA500100	STAA750100	STAA1000100
Interface	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
Available Colors	Black | Silver	Black | Silver | Blue | Red	Black	Black
How Much Will it Store?
Digital Music (Hours)	5,331	8,330	12,495	16,660
Digital Photos (Files) Average file size using cameras highest resolution JPEG mode	102,400	160,000	240,000	320,000
Digital Videos (Hours)	320	500	750	1,000
DVD Quality (Movies) Based on standard 2 hour movie	80	125	188	250
HD Video (Hours) Based on H.264 compression at a 6.75Mbs bitrate	80	125	188	250
1One gigabyte, or GB, equals one billion bytes and one terabyte, or TB, equals one trillion bytes when referring to hard drive capacity.

The Seagate GoFlex Family Hard Drives

GoFlex
Ultra-Portable Drive

GoFlex Pro
Ultra-Portable Drive

GoFlex Desk
External Drive

GoFlex Home
Network Storage System

Product Description

The Seagate STAA500100 external portable drives are compact and perfect for on-the-go. Instantly add more storage space to your computer and take large files with you when you travel. Set-up is straightforward, simply connect a single USB cable and you are ready to go. The drive is powered from the USB cable, so there is no need for an external power supply. Plus, it is automatically recognized by Windows operating system, so there is no software to install and nothing to configure. Saving files is easy too, just drag-and-drop. It’s not just easy to use, but it’s fast and energy efficient too. And with the optional accessory, you can get extra function such as USB3.0 port, FireWire port, net media sharing and more. Enjoy fast data transfer speed with USB 2.0 connectivity and 5400 RPM drive performance.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

259 of 264 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Format this drive first to avoid issues with this drive!! March 4, 2011

By lasfk

Color Name:Black| Size Name:500 GB|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was expecting this drive to be like a spare drive to back up files and store data on and allow me to edit some files as I wanted. I really was expecting it to work just like a jump drive does, but have a lot more storage space. I didn't want to have to plug it into a wall, you know, portable. I wanted to be able to take it to several computers I have at home and at work. What I found out after I placed my order was that these drives by Seagate have pre-installed software on them that once connected to your computer will ask you to load, after a two minute wait. If you install this software "Dashboard" and whatever else is there, you may have some of the issues like all of the other negative ones I read. YOU DON'T NEED THIS SOFTWARE, SO DO NOT INSTALL IT!!! Seagate must think that the only purpose to buy this drive is to do a back-up on one computer and to have it auto run every so often, hence their software. I personnaly am not interested in their software, especially everything I have read to date on it.

So I started by removing the software from the drive, then just using the drive as a back up and to copy some work files to. All seemed fine, then took to work and tried to update a file and found out the the whole drive is read only format, no update capabilities allowed from another machine. Did some more reading and discovered that if I Format the drive completly, (don't do the quick format) do a full format which will take about 1 hour per 100 Gig, so make sure you have plenty of time to do this. When your done the drive will be free of Seagate's software and read only formats for file updates. The drive will work just like a jump drive allowing you to take it from one computer to another, update files as you see fit, back up files and so on...you get the picture.

I think if Seagate wants to keep their good name, they need to offer better instructions on their products and they should not pre-load this software on their drives. All of the issue, at least most of them, appear to be with this software and not really the drive itself. At least this is my finding after I performed this format, the drive is now what I expected to use it for.

So for a rating, out of the box, I give it a 1 STAR, because I had to figure this out, and spend 5+ hours to format the drive.

Rating after the format, I give it 5 STARS!

I hope others find this review helpful, as I am a little tech savy, but no comparison to most of you smart people out there.

506 of 537 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good drive, potentially misleading claim June 7, 2010

By Mark Colan TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Black| Size Name:1 TB|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This drive has a large capacity (by today's standards) and is very portable. It is convenient and highly compatible, not fast, but no slower than others in its class.

I seriously doubt the claim that buying a USB 3.0 adapter for the drive will speed it up noticeably, and certainly not 10x. I discuss this point below. [Update 8/10/10] See below. A discussion in the comments has convinced me that the optional adapters may indeed make a difference for transferring very large files, such as video, but not a 10x difference.

PROS:
large capacity for portable drive by today's standards
small and not too heavy, similar to competitive products
USB 2.0 offers terrific compatibility (Win, Mac, Linux when drivers are available)
alternative interfaces available (eSATA, USB3, Firewire)
USB provides power, so no power supply needed
very standard USB connectors on both ends of cable
compatible with Windows and Mac, and probably Linux (not tested)
[Update] ability to connect directly to TV for playing audio and video without computer via new dock [see below.]

CONS:
misleading claims of value of changing cables [Update: maybe not, see Updates below]
slightly larger and heavier than WD Passport
glossy top attracts fingertips (like Passport)
black case is hard to find in my black computer backpack, but probably other colors will be available in the near future

NEUTRAL:
not fast, not slow, about the same as competitive products, slower than desktop drive or many 3.5" external drives, but far more portable

SPEED

The drive spins at 5400 rpm. This is not as fast as most desktop drives (which are 7200 rpm), but 5400 rpm saves power and runs cooler. It could be that 7200 RPM drives could not be used for an application like this without a power supply. Big drives make great archives, and archive drives don't need to be as fast as the drives that contain your system, programs, and files you are working on.

I copied my audio collection - over 50,000 files totaling 383 GB - to this drive, starting empty, and (separately) to an empty 500 GB WD Passport drive that had been freshly formatted. Both drives took about the same amount of time: a bit under 7 hours, with Windows 7 reporting 16-18 MB/second. The Passport was a little faster, but not enough to make a difference.

CHANGEABLE INTERFACES: QUESTIONABLE VALUE, MISLEADING CLAIMS [see UPDATE in this section]

The included "Personality Cable" allows this drive to be used with USB 2.0. You can get others for USB 3.0 and eSATA, and they CLAIM that this will speed performance by up to 10x. I haven't tried to be certain, but I sincerely doubt that this is true.

You see, USB 2.0 is capable of 57 MB/sec, yet my drive runs at 16-17 MB/sec, so it is performing at only 29% of the maximum USB 2.0 speed. I think the disk itself is the limiting factor. Although eSATA and USB 3.0 are faster interfaces, they can't make a 5400 RPM drive go 10x faster. By comparison, copying files from my internal 7200 rpm drive to an internal 10,000 rpm drive with direct SATA interface maxes out at 66-70 MB/sec, which is about 4x the speed.

By analogy, your car may be capable of 100 mph, but on a lot of roads you're only going to be able to go 25 mph. Putting a faster engine in the car won't help. In this analogy, the disk is the road, and the interface is the car.

Many manufacturers have been very misleading about disk speeds. They often rate the performance as that of the interface, when the device itself is significantly slower. The ONLY time any drive reaches the interface speed is when the data you wanted is already in the cache - that is, you just read it or wrote it, and now you're reading it again. Because the cache is tiny compared to the disk capacity, this is an uncommon situation.

In summary, I doubt the optional interfaces are worth buying.

UPDATE 8/10/10: This section triggered considerable and interesting debate in the comments, and I stand corrected. The upshot is that when transferring "smaller" files (jpg's, mp3's), the transfer rate may be limited by drive performance, but for "large" files (video files, say ~200 MB and larger), sustained reads may indeed mean that the drive is pumping out data faster than the interface, and using a faster interface such as firewire or USB3 could improve performance for transferring large files.

Also, I ordered an eSATA interface kit. For a system with SATA drives, I suspect this interface will be faster than Firewire or USB3, but I'm guessing. I will run some new tests and probably rewrite this review with the results.

CONNECT THIS DRIVE TO YOUR TV!

UPDATE 8/10/10: This is a cool innovation. A dock for this hard drive, which you connect to your TV to allow playback of photos, audio (including SPDIF digital audio), and video (including HD), is now available. See: Seagate FreeAgent Theater+1080P HD Media Player STCEA201-RK. That dock would be handy for people who don't have a computer connected to their home entertainment system but want to play back their media library there.

RELIABILITY

This is the most important feature, and only time will tell. New drives rarely have any problems, and I saw none. The drive has a 3-year warranty, less than some. *Many* years ago I had a Seagate drive fail and I lost data, and I have always held a grudge. With massive changes in technology and manufacturing, this grudge amounts to superstition, but I still normally prefer WD, because they have never failed me.

UPDATE 11 Feb 2011: I started experiencing some serious problems with the drive, amounting to USB failures. At times it would not be recognized; sometimes Windows said it needed to be reformatted; sometimes it did not appear at all; in all cases there were times that I could not access files, and later I could. Then I noticed that I was using a cable that was not the one that shipped with it, but was plug compatible. Now I'm using the original cable. So far, none of these errors. I'll update again if that changes. Lesson: not all USB cables are created equal, even when they are plug compatible.

THE CASE AND WEIGHT

Early drives are always boring black, and they are hard to find in a black computer bag. The comparison drive I used was a red Passport, which is easy to find, and I like the color.

The case is slightly longer than the Passport 1TB, and the drive is a little heavier 9.9 oz vs 7 oz for Passport 1TB, or 41% heavier) , according to the manufacturer's specs.

PRICE

1 TB is currently the largest size for this kind of disk. Starting with the 250 GB drive, these drives have started at the same price when new, and then decrease as larger ones come out, which is a good thing for consumers. Now we get 4x the capacity of the original 250GB drive for the same price.

BOTTOM LINE

Drives like this are now commodity items, with little to differentiate them aside from their size, so you can choose based on color/style or price. Seagate is a name brand and the drive should last. The WD Passport is somewhat lighter, slightly smaller, very slightly faster, and a little more expensive. The product is very good but does not excel, hence 4 stars.

UPDATE: My claim that the drive works for Mac is based on what Seagate says; I did not test that. I have read in other reviews people who have said that it did not work for their Mac. In one case, the review said he was running OS X 10.3.x. Someone suggested that this drive is said to require a later version of OS X, like 10.4.6(?). Please note: I am not a Mac user and my memory of OS X version numbers is not exact. The point is, Mac users might have more luck when the latest OS is installed.

DISCLOSURE: This product was provided to me by Amazon free of charge in return for a review. All of my reviews are written honestly - exactly as I see them.

191 of 204 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Failed Within a Month September 3, 2010

By Matt W.

Color Name:Black|Size Name:1 TB

I've had my eye open for one of these since before they existed. I work in the Multimedia industry and require a large amount of space to store my data. I purchased this drive on August 8, 2010. Yesterday, Sept. 2, 2010, it failed. I contacted Seagate and they referred me to their data recovery team who offered to recover my lost data for up to $1500. Not expecting to have the hard drive fail immediately, I was still in the process of backing up my files and lost almost all of them.