Conclusion:

Once again, Seagate has combined a solid hard drive with a really good piece of software, and this time they have added in the GoFlex Media App to create a really well rounded product. While Wi-Fi is obviously the most interesting connection option on the device, the inclusion of a USB 3.0 cable is a nice bonus as most companies are still shipping USB 2.0 cables with their drives. Just like the other Seagate GoFlex drives we have seen in the past year, the GoFlex Satellite didn't disappoint. Even though it lagged in our 'wired' transfer tests, it was certainly the most responsive of all of them.

The Wi-Fi feature is a great idea whose time has finally come. The device was easy to connect to via either the web browser based interface or the App available from Apple's App Store. Sharing files with an Apple iPad is straightforward and is an easy way to expand the capacity to make sure all of your movies, music, and other files are accessible.



We can hope that Seagate updates the software to allow users the option of attaching the drive wirelessly to a home network. Of course, you could always plug this in to your home server or router via the USB cable to share - or your Airport Extreme/Time Capsule stations - but that kind of defeats the purpose of the unit.

If we could change one other thing about the Satellite, it would be to address the fact that when connected to the GoFlex Satellite you can not connect access the Internet wirelessly. Other manufacturers are working on similar devices that actually have two wireless radios so that when you are connected to the device, it can also share a connection to the Internet. Hopefully Seagate can release something comparable very soon.

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite is currently available from Amazon.com for $199.99. This may seem like a lot for a 500GB external drive, but if you add in the Wi-Fi feature, the small form factor, the extreme portability, and the ability to stream to three devices simultaneously - the larger price tag becomes much more reasonable.

All things considered, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite 500GB mobile wireless storage device earns the Bigbruin.com "Highly Recommended" and "Great Idea" Awards.



Pros:

» App and web-based interfaces make media access user-friendly
» Comes with USB 3.0 cable and car power adapter
» Compatible with other GoFlex device cables
» Ability to share content to multiple devices simultaneously

Cons:

» Cannot (currently) access wireless Internet while attached to the device
» Priced much higher than other GoFlex drives

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