Amazon.com Product Description
When its time to back up and protect your digital content--photos, music, documents, and more--it doesn't get much easier than the Seagate Free Agent Desktop 500GB USB Portable Hard Drive. Simply plug it in to any power source, connect the USB cable to any computer, and you're ready to go. This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler, giving you more space for your other desktop items, but with the capacity to hold the files you need protected. Access to the items on the drive is password-protected, so you can give permissions to whomever you choose without compromising your personal data.
Powerful storage device with a sleek new design.
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Takes up less room on your desk than a stapler. |
Keep all your digital content in a safe and secure location. |
Portable Performance and Security
If you're still relying on your personal computer or back-up CDs or DVDs to store your digital content or vital personal or family documents, you're running an unnecessary risk. Your computer can only hold so many files and can crash at any time, leaving you helpless to access your content. DVDs and CDs have a place in archiving, but they get easily scratched and lost. It's too risky to store everything in your computer, and too time-consuming and cumbersome to have a drawer full of CDs or DVDs.
The Seagate Free Agent is big enough to store a huge portion of your digital content in a safe and secure environment, but small enough to let you take that content with you wherever you go. In other words, having the Seagate Free Agent is like having your entire computer with you at all times, but in a package that's a small fraction of the space and weight of your computer.
The sleek and slim design of this hard drive--only measures 7.5 x 1.6 x 6.4-inches (H x D x W)--and a weight of less than four pounds. The Seagate Free Agent lets you transfer files seamlessly from your computer via its USB 2.0 connection at a brisk transfer rate of up to 480Mb/sec. The drive delivers a spindle speed of 7,200 RPM, giving you the high-speed performance you need to back your data up quickly and safely.
The Seagate Free Agent is ready to use out of the box with a PC, but it can be made Mac-ready in a matter of minutes with Mac OS X's Disk Utility. This portable hard drive is already compatible with Windows Vista (as well as Windows XP and Windows 2000), allowing you to backup your content regardless of operating system upgrades.
At this compact size, and with this high performance, you now have the ability to take your data with you anywhere you go, so your digital content finally has room to breathe. A five-year warranty is also included, giving you complete peace of mind.
What's in the Box
FreeAgent desktop drive, USB 2.0 cable, AC power adapter, and quick start guide.
Product Description
With a footprint no bigger than a stapler, the Seagate FreeAgent is an external desktop hard drive that can fit anywhere. The FreeAgent is designed to conveniently hold all of your digital content in one place. This drive can hold 500GB worth of data and is ready to go as soon as you plug it in. Mac Compatibility - Power PC G3, G4, or G5 running OS X 10.3.9 (or higher), or Intel Core Duo or Core Solo running OS X 10.4.6 (or higher) (drive is formatted NTFS, you will need to reformat for Mac using Disk Utility) 5-Year Limited Manufacturer Warranty Unit Dimensions - 7.5 (h) x 1.6 (w) (w/o 3.2 base) x 6.4 (d)
Customer Reviews:
Even works for Dummies!.......2007-12-28
It should be illegal to sell most computer equipment to someone as technologically challenged as myself but this thing is "a piece of cake." Kinda like a big honkin' flash drive with an A/C powercord. At 500GB, I never even want to know as much info as this thing will store. Backed up EVERYTHING from my MAC on it and it was like putting a B-B in a Boxcar! For my home use, even with mountains of photos and graphics, the storage capacity of this thing is nothing short of "cavernous."
I lost over 7 years of data..........2007-12-28
I didn't knew that with a little fall over the table...obiously an accident i had, the drive just refuse to work, stopped working, cant be recognized anymore, emits a low buzzing and beeps every once in awhile....with all my data inside with no chance to return it to my pc, about 7 years of data. Then i just fell in anger and destroyed the drive...i think not even 10.000 years of warranty can cover that....BTW, no more seagate products in the future, at least not the freeagent.
Died after 1 month.......2007-12-27
Well, I lost all my data within a month. The drive just died one fine day. I cracked it open and discovered the circuit board was burnt. I thought I could atleast get my data back by putting the drive in an external enclosure. No luck there as the drive itself seems dead. Well thats the last time I buy a Seagate. There are a ton of bad reviews about this thing on the net, so be careful. Buy it only of you don't care about the data you put on it.
Seagate 500GB USB Drive.......2007-12-26
The drive was easy to connect and begin using right out of the box; 1 1/2 minutes were required to be precise to get the drive up and running. It is totally plug and go and it is powerful and fast. I'm a computer professional and it is all I expected of a external hard drive. I would buy it again.
My recommendation: buy this Seagate 500GB drive if you are in the market for a lot of extra external computer storage.
It annoys me -- find a different one........2007-12-12
I've always had good luck with Seagate drives... But this drive really sucks, I am already looking for a replacement after 2 months.
It frequently makes a loud high pitched noise.
And it frequently goes missing from my machine -- I have to power cycle the drive to get it to show up.
Get a different drive. Other reviewers seem to see similar problems.
I didn't believe them at first, but I believe them now.
Amazon.com Product Description
The Cavalry CAXM37500 3.5-Inch 500 GB SATA External Hard Drive is superb external mobile solution for all your data storage needs. The hard drive features an aluminum casing to keep the pre-installed 500 GB SATA hard drive nice and cool to extend the life of the drive. The CAXM37500 supports an incredible transfer rate of 3 Gbps (SATA) and 480 Mbps (USB 2.0), making it easy to add storage to any system with either SATA or USB connectivity. And with it's portable design, and plug and play, hot-swappable connection, Cavalry makes it hassle-free to take your data with you anywhere.
What's in the Box
Cavalry CAXM37500 3.5-inch 500GB SATA external hard drive, power adapter, power cord, eSATA to eSATA cable, USB cable, vertical stand, installation CD, and user's manual.
Product Description
This SATA to USB 2.0 / eSATA unit provides not only SATA to USB 2.0 interface, also SATA to eSATA interface to connect with PC. The Bason Cavalry CAXM37500 follows standard SATA specification, which provides 3Gbit/sec throughput to reach better data-storage performance.
Customer Reviews:
It works smoothly.......2007-12-28
A very quiet external drive and very good price for a 500gb disc.
Is fast enough and Im using it as a backup unit for my laptop.
Mine didn't work :-(.......2007-12-27
I am so disappointed with this item, so far at least. It didn't work, I purchased it based on reviews on Amazon and had high hopes for it. After setting it up the computer did not recognize it and after spending an hour on the phone with tech support, they said "it happens sometimes" and to send it back. It was a gift for someone and I am very embarrassed that it didn't work.
Tech Support said it was purchased at BEST BUY....Amazon didn't bother to tell me that :-(
I hope the replacement, if they give me one, works.
Solid Reliable backup!.......2007-12-23
This is a great esata drive that even comes with an esata pci card space hook-up bracket. Worked like a charm from the moment I hooked it up. Why waste time with usb or firewire when you can have a blazingly fast esata connection? Great for graphics, 3d animation, video editing -- any application where you need to move lots of data fast. It's also super quiet. The blue light is quite bright, but I like it. You can cover it with something if you find it distracting but it does serve a function by pulsing red into the blue when it is crunching data.
Rugged, reliable and full featured.......2007-12-18
It is nice to find an external hard drive in a rugged metal case with a built in cooling fan. Most such products are in plastic cases without a fan. Also, this unit is much smaller in overall volume than are the Maxtor and Western Digital external drives I've bought in the past. Finally, the inclusion of ESATA interface alone with the necessary adapter to make it work with a SATA based PC is a very nice touch. Unfortunately I'm using this one as the external drive for a Dish Network box, so SATA doesn't apply , but the drive also includes USB 2 connectivity.
Nice job Cavalry! Hi ho Silver!
Works with the HR21-700..........2007-12-18
I got this today to expand my DVR. I opened it up right away to make sure everything was secure inside, it was. I got a WD Caviar SE produced in July 2007. Better than the Seagate IMO.
Mine looked totally different, more like the CAUM37500, but it is labeled on the box in three places as CAXM37500 and once on the device itself. I read a couple of reviews that said this drive had a fan that could be turned on or off. Mine has no fan. The product description says nothing about a fan. sol.
I plugged the drive into a laptop to make sure it worked and the USB picked it up immediately. Next was the DVR, turning the drive on and plugging it in had no effect, had to power down the DVR. Lost all the shows I had recorded, but that's an issue with the DVR. It works though and that's all that counts. Good drive, gets a little hot though.
Amazon.com Product Description
Maximize the power and potential of your home network with the HP EX470 MediaSmart Server, which enables you to conveniently centralize your files and access them from multiple PCs in your home. Based on Microsoft's Windows Home Server platform and a 1.8 GHz, 64-bit AMD Sempron processor, the MediaSmart Server enables you to back up your home's PCs as well as share and enjoy digital music, home videos and photos from any computer or entertainment system on a home network. The server also has the expandability to grow with your family's changing needs.
The stylish HP MediaSmart Server easily fits into your living room or office decor. |
Its small size will fit on top of even the most crowded desk, and it offers wireless access when connected to a Wi-Fi router (via the Gigabit Ethernet port). |
This sleek, streamlined micro-tower design is perfect for use in the home office or the living room, and its perforated steel exterior panels provide cool, quiet operation. The EX470 MediaSmart Server features a 500 GB internal hard drive (SATA, 7200 RPM), 512 MB of installed DDR2 RAM, four hard drive bays for additional expansion using off-the-shelf SATA I or II hard drives, a Gigabit Ethernet port for ultra-fast networking (and connection to a wireless router), four USB 2.0 ports (1 on the front, 3 on the back) for connecting to additional hard drives, and an and an eSATA port for high-speed data transfer to external storage devices--up to 6 times faster than existing solutions.
It's quick and easy to set up your HP MediaSmart Server and create up to 10 user accounts using the Microsoft Windows Home Server software. You can also open a predefined Guest account for additional file sharing capabilities. The HP MediaSmart Server also lets you set up your own secure personal web address to allow file access by remote users.
Easily Enhance Your Network
Expand your storage possibilities with the MediaServer's four hard drive bays. |
Every PC on your network will have the Control Center software, giving users the ability to browse shared folders on the HP MediaSmart Server, add photos to the HP Photo Webshare and perform an immediate backup of their computer. Set the access privileges for each user at the shared-folder level to allow Read/Write, Read Only or No Access. You also control the remote access privilege for each user. Approved users will then be able to remotely access shared files and even applications on their home PC through a secure connection from any Internet-connected PC.
Share Your Media
Use included HP Photo Webshare software to easily and securely share photos stored on your HP MediaSmart Server with select friends and family. A quick link to Snapfish allows easy photo printing. Enjoy digital music, photos, video and files from any networked PC. Stream content directly to your home entertainment center using a digital media adapter (DMA). The DMA device accesses the media files and coordinates the streaming process between the HP MediaSmart Server and your entertainment device.
Protect Your Data
Keep your PC files safe with automatic backup for multiple PCs. You can customize the frequency of backups and how many backups are stored. Files accidentally deleted can be easily found on the backup image and copied to your PC. In the event of hard drive failure, the included HP PC Restore disc is all you need to return your PC and all your data to their original condition.
Other Features
- Centralize your iTunes music libraries and playlists on the server for playback to any PC or notebook running iTunes on your home network.
- Incremental backups: After initial backup, only changes are backed up.
- Efficient single copy backup: A single copy of each file is backed up, no matter how many computers that files resides on in your home network.
- Add an internal or external hard drive to the HP MediaSmart Server, indicate that you want to add the disk in the Windows Home Server Console, and the HP MediaSmart Server storage grows. No need to power down the unit or manage drive letters for multiple hard drives.
- Remote access compatibility: Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Media Center Edition 2004 or higher, or Windows Vista Ultimate or higher
- File sharing compatibility: Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Professional SP4, Mac, OS X, Linux.
- Backup compatibility: Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP
What's in the Box
HP MediaSmart Server, power cord, Ethernet cable, software installation disc, PC restore disc, server recovery disc, Quick Start and HP support guides.
Important: The HP MediaSmart Server is not a stand-alone computer. You connect it to your networked computer system. No monitor is needed because its user interface is accessed from another computer.
Customer Reviews:
Works Like Advertised.......2007-12-31
I often buy new products and do so with some fear and trepidation as there are generally lots of hitches. This device installed with almost no problems. I had to manually configure the Belkin N1 router for the ports necessary for outside access. I had no problem adding the other computers in the house. It found my iTunes files and copied them to the server without a hitch. The server showed up in all installed copies of iTunes and songs can be played from the server. I added two 320 drives that I got for 60 bucks each in the empty bays and the server added them flawlessly. It appears to me that HP and Microsoft have hit a homerun with this device.
HP home server.......2007-12-29
Installed easily and seems to work just fine for the intended purpose...sharing files. It seems to do pretty much what other Windows servers do save for web site hosting, centralized internet access, and other such things, usually not needed in a home or small office setting.
I have experience with Windows servers, and the set up could be done by most computer users INHO.
Excellent product in a well rounded package........2007-12-28
Very impressed with Home Server, i have had it now for about 4 weeks, and love it. I have added some extra drives and have about 1.5TB of space. Duplication of data works fantastic, and using JungleDrive lets me have piece of mind for my critical items like photos and personal files.
Cannot think of a better way to do this, thanks Microsoft and Windows Home Server!
Dead on Arrival.......2007-12-25
I am generally a big fan of HP products (the computer I'm using right now is an HP) but I was sorely disappointed when I went to set up the HP EX470 on Christmas morning to find out it was "dead on arrival". When I contacted HP about it they told me that they were aware of the problem (4 red lights on the hard drives) but they don't have a replacement process in place so the only remedy is to contact the store I bought it at and ask for a replacement, which isn't much comfort since the EX470s are currently on backorder.
Chancy--no HP product support.......2007-12-25
Could be a good product, but I've had a file copy problem with one of the PCs on our network, where that PC can't copy to the server, though the PC has full access privileges. I'm sure it's a simple issue, but there is no HP support of the product. No email support, no live chat. The phone help is a joke: the first call resulted in 30 minutes of trying to find someone whou would recognize that this was an HP product, then the support person who finally got stuck with the call had absolutely no suggestions, then dropped the connection on me after an hour on the phone. The next call had me on hold for 30 minutes, with no pickup.
This is very unusual for HP. I don't know if HP wants Microsoft to carry the freight on product support or what, but I've been left high and dry.
Would not buy until the product has matured.
Product Description
The FreeAgent Pro is an external hard drive with a sizable 500GB of storage capacity. What sets it apart from most other external drives is its ability to move that data to where you need it most. Automatically send a project to a flash drive, copy audio to your MP3 player, upload photos to Shutterfly, and put your entire "My Documents" folder on your website for anytime/anywhere access. Those are just a few examples of what FreeAgent Pro can offer you. To keep everything working smoothly, FreeAgent Pro can also perform automatic revisions of your content. Automatic revisions of your content help keep you safe from goof-ups 5-Year Limited Warranty Interfaces - FireWire, USB 2.0 and eSATA PC Requirements - Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home or Pro, or Vista Mac Requirements - Power PC G3, G4, or G5 processor running OS X 10.3.9 (or higher), or Intel Core Duo or Core Solo processor running OS X 10.4.6 (or higher) (FreeAgent Pro software and drive formatting works only with Windows, but drive can be reformatted for Mac using Disk Utility) Unit Dimensions - 7.5 (h) x 1.4 (w) (w/o 3 wide base) x 6.3 (d)
Customer Reviews:
Not bad.......2007-12-29
Works well, and looks nice. I wish you didn't have to swap the interface on the bottom for USB and Firewire, but that's a minor gripe. The only thing that I really don't like is the power switch. Looks cool, but is a PITA to use.
Unique Auto Backup.......2007-12-21
The Seagate FreeAgent Pro 500 is very easy to setup. The most exciting aspect of its operation is the Auto Backup feature of the software. After the initial complete backup of whatever files you designate, individual files are backed-up when they are modified. There are no "scheduled" backups.
It's so freaking bright.......2007-12-05
I haven't had much of a chance to test it out yet. A hard drive is a hard drive. My biggest issue is with the light they decided this hard drive needed. I have an older Seagate external that I've been happy with, so I decided to buy a new Seagate. The old one had a bright blue LED indicator on the power button and that was it. I covered it with some electrical tape, problem solved. This new one lights up on the front, back, and the top. And not just a little LED indicator.. it's a nightlight, casting a dim light on everything in my room. Why do I need such a bright indicator that my external hard drive is turned on? I'd rather just check in Finder.
So the nice metallic case is now covered in duct tape to block out the light. Seagate, maybe next time, just go with a dim LED? Or some sort of switch for us people who don't care.
Great external hard drive for e-SATA with the right cable!.......2007-12-01
I read good and bad things about this hard drive, and still wanted to give it a try, because every single brand out there have good and bad reviews. I couldn't find any external drive that didn't go wrong with someone.
Anyway, it's great to store. I don't use it for any of the automatic backup and all that, I just wanted to edit video and store huge files, and for that it's a great product.
Another thing is that if you want to use the e-SATA connection, be sure to buy the right e-SATA cable!!! Some cables don't get full contact, so better buy a good brand one,like SIIG ones. You can get a expresscard to use it with your laptop in SATA.
It took me a few weeks to find this tip, so the more people knows it, the better, because i tried several Expresscards and none of them worked, and it was the cable not the cards.
Oh, and the powerup button is great, pretty cool. Some people say theirs doesn't work. I give you an advise.. just put a coin on it and it will work (maybe you don't have good enough conduction in your fingers, who knows).
It's also fanless... so you don't hear a thing.
Terrible Product.......2007-11-26
I bought this product following a friend's recommendation who had read a glowing review in one of the PC magazines. I had installed it a month ago and now Windows (Vista Premium) does not recognize the drive. It used to recognize the drive when it was first installed, but for some reason it has now ceased to. I have been using the USB connection. Contrary to the claims, the back up process is neither user friendly nor intuitive as claimed on the packaging. And to worsen matters, I did not even realize that there was on an on/off switch on this device - blame it on the very sparse documentation. When I did finally discover the on/off switch, (that switch is embedded in the metal casing) I found out that it requires considerable pressure to be turned on or off.
In retrospect, I would have been better off just buying an external hard disk and using Windows' in-built back-up software rather than plunking down $200.00 for this poorly designed but creatively marketed device
Product Description
Speed is what you need when for video editing, big design projects, or managing photo shoots and thats what this drive delivers with FireWire 800 and eSATA connectivity. With our automatic backup capability your creative masterpieces will be backed up the minute you save them.
Customer Reviews:
DO NOT BUY! .......2007-12-17
I generally don't write reviews but felt compelled to in this instance because there's something peculiar going on with these new My Book drives. I've gotten two of these exact model (500GB) back to back and had to return both because they would die out the same day I got each of them. In each instance, I checked the AC plugs, all the ports, and could not get the drives to spin up again. Like the other reviewer noted, the issues with this particular drive are known and should be avoided. Shame really, as the new drives look quite nice. However, reliability is the only factor you should be looking for in an external drive. I'll be downgrading to an older version of their My Book line to be safe, until WD works out the kinks with these new ones. (PS. These were used with Macs).
ONCE AGAIN, MY FRIENDS, DO NOT BUY THIS DRIVE.
Great Product and cheaper on Amazon than I have ever seen it. .......2007-12-15
This product is great, especially now that it is engineered for Mac. It is as cheap on this site and for more storage space! We have been really hapy.
I really WANT to like this drive, but..........2007-12-09
Like it says in the review title, I really WANT to like this drive. Unfortunately, I can't. I don't. And I probably won't. Ever. Why?
I bought one of these from another vendor (sorry Amazon, their price was better). I installed the drive on my 24" aluminum iMac (which I DID buy from Amazon, good job, guys). The drive recognized fine on firewire 800, and I set Time Machine to use it for backups.
Then the problems started. The drive would "freeze" when it went into suspend mode, and it wouldn't come back. OS X is too stupid to stop trying to access a "dead" drive, so the suspended/frozen drive would hang the system. The only solution was to power down the drive (if possible), or remove the firewire cable. Worse, sometimes the drive wouldn't power down using the power button, so I had to pull the power cord. NOT good.
Once the frozen drive was out of the firewire chain, the OS would recover semi-gracefully, with a "Device Removal" error. I figured it was a fluke, so I put the drive first in the firewire chain. No luck. Then I changed cables. No luck. Okay, try the drive as the ONLY firewire drive. No luck. It would still freeze, and still hang the system.
So, I figured I just had a defective drive. No problem. I already had another on order, so I sent the first back to the vendor and waited for the second to arrive.
Same problems with the second drive. I used every connection available: firewire 800, firewire 400, and even USB (iMac's don't come with eSATA, so I don't know if it's a problem too). No luck with any connection, OR any cable (I have several available, which work with other drives). The My Book Studio drive still hangs AT LEAST once a day, usually several times.
So the second drive is going back for a refund, and I'm going to call the other vendor and just have them refund my money for the "defective" drive already in transit as a return.
Now, why do I want to like this drive?
Pros:
- It's good-looking
- It's quiet (because it's fanless)
- Quadruple interface (nice!)
- It's small
Cons:
- It just doesn't work... do I really need any MORE cons?
When the drive started giving me problems, I went looking for a solution (updated firmware, updated Button Manager software, SOMETHING). I found several people on the Apple Discussion Forums with the same problem, which made me realize that the drive itself was the issue.
Google for "my book studio freeze" and you can read the Apple Support discussion, which will lead you to more problem discussions.
That being said, I love Western Digital, and they're my first choice for external drives. I just think they have some MAJOR teething pains with the My Book Studio line. And since other Mac users love them, I suspect that WD Studio drives simply don't like the new iMacs. But since I spent $2000 on my computer, and $200 on the drive, the drive is the one that gets returned. Sorry, WD.
If you want a good, reliable drive for your iMac, I've had lots of luck with LaCie, and I've heard really good things about OWC drives. But if you're a tried-and-true WD fan... stay away from THIS drive.
A-mazing.......2007-11-30
I love this HD and It looks very cool. It might be a little noisy but gets the job done. Defently one of the best HD i've ever owned.
The perfect pairing for Time Machine.......2007-11-28
I recently bought a new iMac and immediately fell in love with the Leopard operating system(I'm someone that uses both Vista and Leopard now, and as much as I hate the advocates on either side, I'm finding myself using the Mac all the time and only using my Vista box when I'm forced to). One of the features I was looking forward to using was Time Machine, which for those that aren't familiar is a new program in Leopard that automatically(automagically?) backs up your entire Mac and then does hourly backups of any changes that occur thereafter. Wow. Erased an email yesterday that all of a sudden you wished you had today? Go to Mail, click on Time Machine and then go back in time to when that email still existed on your machine and recover it. Awesome. Simple. So enough about that.
Obviously you need a drive to do this, and I didn't have one until the other day when I bought this WD My Book. I plugged it in and immediately Leopard spotted it and asked me if I wanted to use it for Time Machine. I sure did! It's quiet, it's cool to the touch, and it looks cool as well! It matches my Aluminum iMac. The only downside is I hate the light on the front, which is easily solvable...I turned it around!
Now if my Mac ever crashes, I can be back to exaclty where I was within 15-20 minutes. Brilliant. Thank you WD and thanks Apple for making this software a part of your base OS.
Product Description
Backup your files with a push of a button or set up the software to perform convenient automatic backups. With 7200 RPM and 16 MB cache buffer, you get fast drive performance, seamless data exchange, and instant access to your files. With the Maxtor SafteyDrill software for windows, SafteyDrill prepares, reboots and recovers your PC's entire hard drive in case of system failure or virus/spyware infection. No need to worry about unauthorized access to your private files with the Maxtor DrivePass and encryption. Simple setup, just connect the USB 2.0 or FireWire cable, and your Maxtor OneTouch 4 hard drive automatically appears on your desktop. For all those precious pictures, videos, music and data files, external hard drive is a must have. FireWire 400, IEEE 1394a, iLink and SBP-2 compliant Up to 480Mb/sec Bus Transfer Rate with USB 2.0 400Mb/sec Bus Transfer Rate with FireWire 400 Operating system - Windows XP Home or Higher, Mac OS X (10.4.7 or later), 256MB RAM Approximate Unit Dimensions - 2.5 X 6.0 X 6.75 Approximate Unit Weight - 2.5lbs
Customer Reviews:
So far so good.......2007-12-14
I use both this drive and a Lacie 600GB. In the Lacie's defense, the 600 is more than a year older than my Maxtor, but the size and price change is amazing. This Maxtor is physically quite small and very good looking. And this Amazon price is about half of what I paid for the Lacie that only has 100GB more.
I realize all drives are prone to break, and if mine has any problems I'll post them here. Otherwise, it seems great! Runs quite cool too.
Stopped working after 4 days!!.......2007-12-13
I bought this hard drive to use exclusively as my Time Machine backup on my MacBook Pro. I formatted it for Mac and it worked like a charm... for 4 days! Then on day 5 I noticed that the power light wasn't on. I unplugged the drive and plugged it back in - nothing. I took the adapter and tested it by using it on a battery charger. The batteries charged just fine, so I know the adapter works. I could exchange the drive because it's brand new, but my data is already on it so I am not about to hand it over for a new one because there's some confidential stuff on there. I guess I just have to take the $170 loss and get a new drive. It won't be a Maxtor.
Great drive for an imac.......2007-12-12
I've been using this drive for about a month now. The reviews I read online before my purchase gave high marks to the drive but mentioned that the bundled (Windows) back up utility is limited. Since I bought this drive for my mac, that was not a show-stopper for me. I wiped the drive and partitioned it on my aluminum imac (Leopard) via firewire. I have Time Machine backing up to 1 partition and a bootable clone on the other. No problems so far. Very happy with this drive. It even matches the aluminum and black scheme on the mac.
Customer Reviews:
super drive.......2007-11-09
Not much to say about a drive.... it works as designed.
I buy Seagate drives only.
Tried others and I don;t want to take a chance on reliablity.
SO, it's a Seagate drive what I use.
Buy with confidence.
For some reason Win-XP didn't see it, but that's not a problem, because you can get around to format it another way.
WIN-XP may need a Seagate or other program(s) that's free on the net, to find and format the drive.
If that happens to you don;t send it back, nothing wrong with the drive. Find on the net a program from Seagate and download it.
I use Casper-XP backup and copy program and has no problem duplicating your drive or just backup.
Performs Well!.......2007-10-31
I purchased several of these for a striped array. They all worked out of the box without an issue. I would recommend it. Obviously don't forget to set the jumper to SATA2 if you have the appropriate controller.
Also, all you get is the drive in a plain brown box. No manual and no cables.
Product Description
The Iomega Home Network Hard Drive offers a fast easy way to share files over your home network (up to 4 users). Share photos, music, data and video while increasing your storage capacity. The Discovery Tool Home utility makes set-up a snap and automatically configures to work with any computer on your network, by just connecting to Network hub, switch or router. This cost-effective network hard drive includes EMC Retrospect HD software (2 licenses) for Touch-Free backup of all your important files. Journaling File System - Prevents data loss in the event of a power failure Secure - Touch-free professional-level backup and disaster recovery for all your critical data with EMC Retrospect HD backup software (2 client licenses). Just set it and forget it - effortlessly back up files on a scheduled basis (client to NAS). Share level password access Simple to use - Easy network file sharing. Using Discovery Tool, automatically configure to work with any network computer. Management via user friendly web interface Compatible with today's most common backup software titles 1 Year Warranty System Requirements - CD Drive, Ethernet port, (PC Users) Pentium 300MHz processor or higher, Windows 2000; XP Home/Professional; Vista Basic/Home/Business/Ultimate, 256MB RAM, (Mac Users) Mac OS X 10.2.7 or higher, 128MB RAM Approximate Unit Dimensions - 9.43 (L) x 4.75 (W) x 1.31 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 2.88lbs
Customer Reviews:
Very Good.......2007-12-24
This device works great, high quality look, the software included is very useful and friendly and the best of all, the price.
A bit disappointed.........2007-12-21
Hi,
The Iomega Network drive is awesome, but I'm nevertheless a bit disappointed.
1) It's not possible to copy files larger than 4GB from MacOS X. According to their tech support, this limit is by design, but not for PC users..
2) When copying a file to the network drive from MacOS X, the modification is set to the current time, which confuses backup software
3) The backup software enclosed (Retrospect Express) is only for PC, and even then pretty useless. In my case it was unable to make automatic backups as it didn't find the drive on the network...
Jan
Not useful for real world backups.......2007-12-04
I'm disappointed with this item.
It has a limitation that should be highlighted to everyone, that I wasn't aware of. Network mode is only available if HD is formatted with FAT32 file system.
Why is that important?
That is important because FAT32 has a size limitation for files of 4Gb and, in the real world, we backup HDs as single file images that have hundreds of Gbs.
Iomega claims their implementation of the network protocols abstracts an strategy for storing this files in chunks of 4Gb, but I wasn't able to store any files larger then 7Gb approximately. My 70Gb backup had never completed.
I would only recommend this drive for backups as a USB drive.
Great drive, but...mac owners can't backup!.......2007-12-03
Excellent product. However, the software that comes bundled to automatically back it up daily or weekly ONLY works with a pc!
I got onto the Iomega website, which was wonderful, by the way, as far as finding help for just about everything. I talked to a tech support guy on the chat, and he was nice, but didn't offer me much help - EVEN THOUGH they sell backup software on their website...so he said to just copy and paste hard drive to the network drive (the iomega drive), and I should be fine. BUT, it doesn't work to do that...
BUT, if using it simply as a network storage drive, it is awesome! Since it's a NAS drive, its not the same as a plain ole' external drive. It's pretty fast via wireless, probably due to the ethernet connection to the wireless modem - so I can copy things over pretty fast.
Oh, re: the size of the drive (500g). It turns out, a lot of bigger drives are just two smaller drives (e.g., a 1TB drive is 2 500 gb drives). So, I think its smart to get 500g drives...
Oh, stainless steel finish (not cheap plastic that looks like steel) - very nice if it has to be visible.
So, overall, a great drive, and I'd recommend it to anyone who needs external storage (vs. a regular external hard drive) - due to the ethernet connection (which means speed & wireless connectivity) (it also has usb), and the general quality of the support on the site. Mac owners - if you have the new OS (leopard?), then you'll be fine without the bundled software, its built in. 4 stars instead of 5 for that issue with the software...
good luck in your search!
Amazed.......2007-10-11
Iomega 33455 Storage 500gb Home Network Hard Drive
This network hard drive was amazingly easy to setup...it was plug in, intall driver, use. Even the other utilities were also easy to use. Thank you Iomega
Product Description
The Deskstar T7K500 builds on Hitachi's award winning tradition with 160GB per platter areal density technology. Consumer personal computers and mid-range servers demand high capacity and high performance storage to meet consumers digital media needs and growth ATA server application requirements. The Deskstar T7K500 meets these performance requirements and delivers the high capacity for today's applications.ons.
Customer Reviews:
Great for RAID.......2007-11-29
I bought six of these hard drive in the last month for my internal RAID on my MAC. I have always trust Hitachi over all the other brands.
Amazon.com Product Description
For the person who needs access to their digital content away from home, at work, or online, while also allowing that same content to be shared in a secure setting, look no further than the Seagate Free Agent Pro 500GB Portable Hard Drive. This powerful portable hard drive delivers high-speed transfers, while also giving you the ability to share content with others safely and securely from a remote location or even online.
Powerful storage device with a sleek new design.
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This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler. |
Share your content with others safely and securely. |
The Free Agent Pro is also ideal for those who want quick and painless transfers of their data from their computer to their drive, and from their drive to online accounts (such as Shutterfly or email). Simply plug it in to any power source and connect the USB cable to any computer, and you're ready to go. This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler--1 x 3 x 5.2 inches (H x D x W)-- giving you more space for your other desktop items. Meanwhile, the hard drive only measures 7.5 x 1.4 x 6.3-inches (H x D x W) and it matches its small base.
Move files or other content with either USB 2.0 or eSATA allowing a maximum transfer rate of 480Mb/sec for USB, and 3GB/sec for eSATA, while delivering a high performance spindle speed of 7,200 RPM. The unit also comes with a sophisticated touch point power on/off switch.
High Speed Synchronization and Sharing
The Free Agent Pro data mover automatically duplicates and moves selected content from your hard drive to multiple locations, such as copying your contact lists and emails to your iPod, or photos to a Shutterfly account. This feature also allows you to move your entire 'My Documents' folder to the Free Agent, or move it to your own online space where you (or others you choose) can access it from any browser 24/7. The Free Agent software also offers the feature of rolling back your system to better time if something should happen to your PC while automatic revisions of your content help keep you safe from goof-ups.
The Free Agent Pro software and drive formatting works only with Windows, but the drive can easily be reformatted for a Mac with OS X's Disk Utility. This portable hard drive is also compatible with Windows Vista (as well as Windows XP and Windows 2000), allowing you to backup your content regardless of operating system upgrades. A five-year warranty is included, giving you complete peace of mind. Now with the ability to take your data with you anywhere you go, your digital content finally has room to breathe.
What's in the Box
FreeAgent Pro data mover drive, Free Agent software (preloaded) and electronic documentation, USB2.0 and eSATA interfaces, USB 2.0 cable, AC power adapter, and a quick start guide.
Product Description
The FreeAgent Pro is an external hard drive with a sizable 500GB of storage capacity. What sets it apart from most other external drives is its ability to move that data to where you need it most. Automatically send a project to a flash drive, copy audio to your MP3 player, upload photos to Shutterfly, and put your entire "My Documents" folder on your website for anytime/anywhere access. Those are just a few examples of what FreeAgent Pro can offer you. To keep everything working smoothly, FreeAgent Pro can also perform automatic revisions of your content. Automatic revisions of your content help keep you safe from goof-ups 5-Year Limited Warranty Interfaces - USB 2.0 and eSATA PC Requirements - Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home or Pro, or Vista Mac Requirements - Power PC G3, G4, or G5 processor running OS X 10.3.9 (or higher), or Intel Core Duo or Core Solo processor running OS X 10.4.6 (or higher) (FreeAgent Pro software and drive formatting works only with Windows, but drive can be reformatted for Mac using Disk Utility) Unit Dimensions - 7.5 (h) x 1.4 (w) (w/o 3 wide base) x 6.3 (d)
Customer Reviews:
just out of the box.......2007-12-02
i debated and researched for a long time before purchasing this drive, looking at western digital, lacie, and cavalry drives (as well as the option of purchasing an external case and drive, which ultimately seems more expensive, and more hassle, for the same thing) in addition to seagate products. i had been told by a friend that wd drives were a better value, but i actually found this to be untrue, as this drive was ever so slightly cheaper, and offers a 5 year warranty (wd only offers a 1 year warranty) standard with your purchase.
just went out and got this (it was slightly cheaper than the wd version of the same size and usb2/esata interface at the time of this review at a local retailer) and am very happy with it "in the flesh". as a designer, i am far from immune to the appeal of good looks--and this drive works well for me. it has a very modern deep, dark chocolate brown finish (yeah, even though it looks dark grey in the online pics) to the aluminum drive case, and the soft orange glow makes for a very modern, sharp look (especially as compared to the wd drive, which just looks like a big heavy black brick to me). the drive comes with the base permanently attached, a small power cord (no larger or bulkier than my cell phone recharge cord), and a usb cord. yep, that's right---no esata cord. i'm not a fan of this, but it seems to be standard with everyone, as if they've all agreed to gyp us on this point.
i've had it on for a few hours now, and the base gets warm to the touch, but not overly so. and the actual case enclosure stays nice and cool, so the base temperature doesn't bother me much. install is practically a plug and play, though there does not seem to be an easy way to partition the drive, at least through the software--guess i will just have to learn more of how to do this through disk management. i also made the decision to go with the usb2/esata--my computer actually doesn't have an esata port--however--this seems to be the wave of the future, and until i buy my next computer with one of these ports, the usb will do well. (also--it seems that in order to use the version of this drive with a firewire port, you have to physically remove a piece at the base of the drive and replace it with another, removing the usb/esata unit installed for the firewire--though i am not 100 percent certain on this, the book with the drive i purchased seems to suggest this).
a quick word on some things in other reviews that gave me pause, but were ultimately a ok.
--the unit really does stay cool. my guess is that this is why they made it have to stand up--the overheating elements of the drive are in the base, and away from your data, and the slightly larger footprint of base vs. drive case ensure it can be stacked with your books while keeping free air "breathing" space around the drive.
--if you don't like the orange glow, don't worry--the included software has a section in which you can turn it off--you don't have to go to the extreme of disconnecting the LED connection wires as another reviewer suggests.
--yes, the online backup offered with the pro is going to be pretty puny for anyone purchasing an external of this size--not exactly a practical second backup location. but the reason to get the pro is not the online backup, but the inclusion of the esata port.
--other reviews have suggested that the drive purchase offers only a 30 day trial of the memeo software--not true, actually. yes, when you first install the drive, it installs a trial version of the software. but the minute you actually open the backup, it will ask you for a product key (which is on a sticker on the inside of the product pamphlet included with the drive) which when entered (as with most software), allows you to use the full software.
all in all, i like it and would recommend it.
Buy the NON-PRO version, the online backup is WORTHLESS.......2007-10-24
I bought the PRO version to have online backup ability. They offer 500 MB free for the trial version and you can purchase up to 5 GB for $12 a month. This seems USELESS to me, as most people purchasing a hardrive of 320, 500, or 750 GB are going to need much more backup space. I can store 5 GB for free on my hotmail account. What was their marketing department thinking when they only offer 5 GB of online backup, and even the price for that is high?
The hardrive itself is a good price, and besides the fact that the first one I bought was DOA (I think it was the cheap power supply that didn't work) the hardware is fine. Buy the non-PRO version!
Has been unreliable.......2007-10-23
I have a Dell Inspiron 530 running Windows Vista Home Premium. I bought this drive to use as a backup. I have a separate backup program, so I don't use the software or utilities provided with the FreeAgent Pro.
At first, it was connected using the USB port. But, it kept losing communications with the computer. I then purchased 2-PORT Esata Pci Bracket and 36IN Esata Signal Cable 7PIN/7PIN M/m, which seemed to have resolved the problem.
But, then the FreeAgent Pro failed. It wouldn't spin up and I contacted Seagate for a replacement. Their warranty representative was responsive and handled the warranty replacement quickly. I had to ship my unit back (cost about $10 in shipping), and Seagate very quickly sent a refurbished unit. I am extremely pleased with Seagate's fast turnaround.
However, now the replacement unit keeps losing communications to the computer when connected to the eSATA port, even when I'm in the middle of copying a lot of files. I moved it to the USB port, and I don't have that problem this time around. But during startup, my computer locks up during the BIOS testing when this drive is connected to the USB port. I have to unplug the USB connection in order to reboot the computer, and then plug the drive back in (it works fine after that).
Although I love the design and capacity of this unit and it has both the USB and eSATA connections, it has been an unreliable product.
Mac Users - Disable the Orange Glow manually!.......2007-10-15
I like the drive a lot, but I didn't like the orange glow too much. I have a Mac so the windows only utility software won't work for me.
I took it apart as much as I could and discovered a nice compromise. Take off the the rubber feet off the bottom to reveal 4 screws. Remove the screws and USB2.0/eSATA connection module. Then the bottom to base should be able to be removed. You should see two small pairs of twisted wire running from inside the hard drive into the side of the circuit board the connection module plugs into.
The two pairs of wires go to LEDs that make the orange glow. The one which runs towards the back of the hard drive should be the one which is on almost all the time. I disconnected that one, and left the other one connected. Now my drive only lights up to show activity during a big file transfer.
It's a good drive. I've been using it in USB2.0 mode. Works fine. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because they didn't offer Mac software and they didn't include an eSATA cable.
Own Two. No problems seen........2007-10-13
I bought two of these drives: one that came with an Esata and a USB interface, and one that added Firewire. So far, the drives have worked flawlessly, and always seem to be visible to the computers that I own (both Mac and PC). Attractive styling, and nicely built.
It would be nice if all three interfaces were part of the unit, but changing plug in modules on the base isn't a huge hassle.
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External Hard Drives
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Seagate ST302504FDA1E1-RK FreeAgent Desktop 250 GB USB External Hard Drive
Seagate ST305004FPA1E3-RK FreeAgent Pro 500 GB USB/eSATA/FireWire400 External Hard Drive
Seagate FreeAgent Go 160 GB USB External Hard Drive ST901603FGA1E1-RK
Cables To Go 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub
Seagate ST307504FPA1E3-RK FreeAgent Pro 750 GB USB/eSATA/Firewire400 External Hard Drive
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