The choices that consumers have these days for external storage has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years, and most recently the size and performance of those drives has closed in on internal drives. Seagate is one of the premier storage leaders and has been for may years thanks to both their internal and external solutions.

The latest from Seagate is their FreeAgent GoFlex line of ultra portable hard drives, which is an improvement on the FreeAgent Go line introduced a short time ago. Seagate now brings the same high quality, dependable storage devices, but with the flexibility of not only interfaces, but of OS platforms. The newest generation brings both Mac and PC compatibility and the flexibility of not only USB, but Firewire800 and eSATA interfaces; all on the same ultra-portable platform. The beauty of the platform is that the drive housing uses a standard SATA connector and the cables have various connectors on the end; so you can buy just the ones you need and not the ones you don't, ultimately saving the consumer a few bucks in the process.



The promotional image above reveals what our review will be focusing on today, the FreeAgent GoFlex ultra portable drive. While there are many sizes (320GB, 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB) and colors (black, red, silver, and blue) to choose from, we will be looking at a silver 500GB unit.

Before taking a closer look at the sample provided for review, lets take a look at some of the published information available from the official product page on the Seagate website.

Features:

» Features USB 2.0 plug-and-play connectivity
» Includes pre-loaded easy-to-use backup software
» Lets you upgrade to USB 3.0, FireWire® 800 or eSATA
» Allows you to access your content on your TV, network and on-the-go when combined with
   other GoFlex devices
» Encryption: 192-bit Triple DES
» Automatic Backup Software: PC & Mac
» Warranty: 2 years
» Height: 111mm (4.39 in)
» Width: 83mm (3.19 in)
» Length: 14mm (.57 in)
» Weight (typical): 150g (.33 lb)
» Shipping Weight: .28kg (0.617 lb)

Specifications:

» Model Number: STAA320100
» Interface: GoFlex
» Capacity: 500GB

What's in the Box:

» GoFlex ultra-portable drive
» Pre-loaded backup software with encryption
» GoFlex USB 2.0 interface adapter*
» 18-inch USB 2.0 cable*
» Quick Start Guide

In addition to the standard GoFlex items, Seagate sent along both the Firewire 800 and eSATA cable kits for testing; which we'll explore later on in the review.