Physical Features:
For a desktop hard drive, the GoFlex Desk is surprisingly compact. Measuring 6.22 x 4.88 x 1.73 in (158 x 124 x 44 mm), the drive is smaller than your average hardcover book. The GoFlex Desk's case is constructed out of lightweight, black plastic. While the edges and the adapter base have a glossy finish, the sides have a rougher, matte finish which makes it a little easier to hang onto when moving it around.
While the GoFlex Desk drive itself is nearly featureless, the adapter base has a set of white LED's along the front of it. The small, round LED lights up when the drive has power and will slowly pulse to show disk activity. The four, larger LED's function as a capacity gauge. When connected to a computer with the necessary software, they will light up to show how much space is in use.
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Along the back of the adapter base, you can see the GoFlex Desk's USB 2.0 interface and power connector. Unlike Seagate's portable GoFlex drives, you will need to use the included AC adapter to provide power.
As I mentioned earlier, the interface on the GoFlex Desk can be upgraded to allow for faster transfer speeds. To do so, pop off the included USB 2.0 adapter base and replace it with one with a USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 interface. To attach the new base, insert the combination SATA/power connector into the bottom of the drive and gently push until it clicks into place.
I wasn't able to crack the GoFlex Desk drive open. However, using CrystalDiskInfo, I was able to see what hard drive was in the enclosure. Looking at the screenshot below, you can see that Seagate is using their 2TB Barracadua LP (ST32000542AS) hard drive. This low power hard drive features a SATA 3.0Gb/s interface, 32MB cache and a 5,900 RPM rotation speed.
