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Seagate FreeAgent Go ST905003FGA2E1-RK: Review

Posted to Hard Drives 2009-05-06

Review: Seagate FreeAgent Go ST905003FGA2E1-RK

If you have longed to be able to carry your entire digital life with you but feel restricted by the amount of storage space a USB thumb drive can provide, then you may want to check out the Seagate FreeAgent | Go ST905003FGA2E1-RK drive. This drive offers users a wealth of storage space that can handle all the music or digital photos you can throw at it. Unlike some of its competitors that offer one drive that is compatible with both PC and MAC, this model is only compatible with PC, but Mac lovers need not worry as Seagate offers a separate FreeAgent Go that is Mac friendly.

Measuring only 5.12" x 3.15" x 0.49" the Titanium Silver FreeAgent Go 500GB is Seagate's second generation portable drive that weighs less than 1 lb or about 5.64 oz to be exact. Being no taller than a can of soda and being less than an inch thick, this drive is large enough to hold all your precious digital files while eliminating the noticeable heft that made the portability factor of its predecessors much more cumbersome. Those looking to do more with their drive will want to check out the available accessories that Seagate has to offer. Whether you are looking for an even simpler plug and play aspect for your drive or the ability to utilize for a unique home theater experience, there is an accessory that can meet your needs.

Rating:

4.2 out of 5

Features

While this drive is truly much smaller than comparable drives on the market its portability allows it to be easily used on either a desktop or laptop pc. As opposed to other drives that come with either a standard USB cable, or possibly no cable at all, the FreeAgent Go 500GB comes complete with a Y-USB cable which offers much more functionality than your standard USB cable. While the USB ports on newer desktop and laptop machines are powerful enough to power the drive, earlier machines that are equipped with an earlier version may not be powerful enough to power the drive by one port alone. That is the main reason for the Y cable. Earlier machines with at least 2 USB drives can utilize both connectors on the Y side of the cable. Both will need to be plugged into available USB ports allowing the PC to provide more than enough power to run the drive allowing any PC user with multiple USB ports the ability to use this drive for all their storage needs.

Users who are concerned about the lifespan of their data will be happy to know that the FreeAgent Go 500GB comes with the Seagate Manager Software. This software allows users the ability to automate backups of all or only some of the files on their drive as well as the ability to sync specific files and folders so, regardless of where the last update was made, you can be sure that the files on your drive as well as your home machine are current and not a revision or more behind. The software also allows you the ability to encrypt your most vital documents allowing you the ability to be the only one that can view their contents. .

Those looking for more functionality will be happy to find that Seagate offers a few different accessories that makes the use of the FreeAgent Go 500GB that much easier. Seagate offers users an optional hard drive dock and the FreeAgent Theater. While these accessories do not come with the drive, they are easy to obtain from any number of hardware retailers or even Seagate's own website. The hard drive dock allows you to quickly disconnect the drive from your machine without having to select the "Safely remove hardware" every time you disconnect the drive. This drastically increases the drives ease of use which can be a godsend for those who are always on the go. Seagate also offers users the optional FreeAgent Theater. This device plugs into your TV like any other Audio/Video device would and allows you to plug the drive into it so you can either listen to your music or view all the photos and movies that you have stored on the disk.

Performance

The FreeAgent Go 500GB performs quite well for a drive of this size. Enclosed in a metallic enclosure, the drive is sealed well and strong enough to take the daily use and abuse. Since it is small enough to go anywhere it can easily be used on both your desktop and laptop pc, eliminating the need for separate external hard drives depending on the task at hand. The drive also comes equipped with a utility that allows the drive to power down when not in use, allowing you to save on energy costs while keeping all your files in one handy location.

Summary

In conclusion, the Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB ST905003FGA2E1-RK who loves the ability to take their files with them wherever they go, but hates to be bogged down by a weighty drive. With backup and encryption abilities you can be safe in the fact that your data is always secure allowing you to live your life with all your prized digital files at your side.

Pros

USB 2.0 connectivity
Ultra-slim, portable, go anywhere functionality
Seagate Manager Software
Energy saving capabilities
Optional accessories for more functionality

Cons

There are no cons for this product