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

Let's be honest, USB 3.0 is not prevalent. The majority of us are still using USB 2.0. So, even though this drive is USB 3.0, most of us will care more about performance under USB 2.0. I just transferred 21GB of data, about 7000 files that were about a 2-5MB each, in under 15 minutes. Not lightning quick, but pretty fast at a 24MBps average. I just got the drive, so I can't speak for reliability. If I run into any issues, I'll update. Other than speed, the connectors are solid (one of the things I was worried about). The USB 3.0 interface adapter has no locks, but it connects snugly into the base unit and doesn't have much play (so far). The USB 3.0 connector itself is proprietary so you probably don't want to misplace that. However, it also plugs in snugly into the interface adapter (though it can wiggle a bit). I don't really like the glossy finish or the rounded corners, but that's a minor point. After transferring about 50GB of data, the drive is only moderately warm.Summary:Pros:- Fast. USB 3.0 connectivity standard. Even USB 2.0 averages about 24MBps on a Macbook Pro.- Comes with Paragon NTFS for Mac ($20 value) that allows you to read and write (vs read only) on Mac with an NTFS partition. This is especially useful if you want to have files over 4GB that work on Mac and Windows.- Large capacity. I got the 1.5TB version, which I don't imagine filling anytime soon.- Future proof. Upcoming Thunderbolt connection, and also supports adapters (extra cost) for Firewire 400/800 and eSATA.- No power supply needed.Cons:- Proprietary cables and adapters. If you lose the one that comes with you drive, you're obligated to purchase a new one.- Plastic casing doesn't help with heat dissipation, though the drive itself does not get hot.

i am comparing this drive to the Western Digital one: WD My Passport 2TB Portable External Hard Drivenote: 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_productHEAVYWEIGHTSthis 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 375gthe cables are standard and it comes with both so that's cheaper and takes less space.CHANGING OF THE GUARDSmy 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+Adapteraccording 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.

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.