There's a lot to be said about Seagate's family of FreeAgent GoFlexhard drives. Instead of including support for a handful of interfaces that someone may or may not use, Seagate has given users the ability to upgrade their hard drive to meet their performance needs. The GoFlex Desk takes full advantage of this new technology. This desktop hard drive ships with a USB 2.0 adapter but can easily be upgraded to USB 3.0 or FireWire 800. As you'd expect, the GoFlex Desk is not especially fast when connected using USB 2.0. However, the optional USB 3.0 adapter boosts the drive's transfer speeds by as much as 3x. If all this isn't enough, the GoFlex Desk also features an illuminated capacity gauge and comes pre-loaded with backup software with encryption.
Aside from the two year warranty, my only real complaint is the software that Seagate has included with the GoFlex Desk. While Memeo Instant Backup does a pretty good job of backing up and protecting the data on your computer, the other applications are either 30 day trials or freely available for download from Memeo's website.
The Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk is available now in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB capacities with suggested retail prices ranging from $130 up to $250. The USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 desktop adapters are sold separately and are priced at $40 and $50, respectively. If your computer doesn't support USB 3.0, Seagate also offers a kit which contains the desktop adapter as well as a PCI Express add-on card for about $80.
Highs:
- 2TB capacity
- Upgradable to USB 3.0 or FireWire 800
- Fast transfer rates with optional USB 3.0 adapter
- Good looking design
- Illuminated capacity gauge
- Includes backup software with encryption
- Includes NTFS driver for Mac
Lows:
- Bundled Memeo AutoSync software is 30 day trial
- Only a 2 year warranty
