Seagate reveals latest FreeAgent external hard drive additions

by Stevie Smith - Sep 16 2008, 07:30

Data storage specialist Seagate has this week unveiled the Fall 2008 line-up of its award-winning FreeAgent external hard drives, delivering a new generation of portable storage solutions that offer a little something for everyone.

Arriving in desktop and mobile options for both Windows and Mac systems, the new line tops out with the flagship FreeAgent Go, which Seagate lauds as not only the slimmest 2.5-inch external drive currently available (at a height of just 12.5mm), but also as the industry’s first external drive boasting desktop docking capabilities that remove the hassle of cable and USB-fumbling.

Built on the advanced shock and vibration protection users have come to expect from Seagate, the FreeAgent Go comes in sizes up to 500GBs, along with a variety of colours, including silver, black, red and blue. While the FreeAgent Go is complete with a flexible USB 2.0 travel cable and a black leatherette protective carry case, its desktop docking station is sold separately.

“The first FreeAgent storage solution offering introduced in 2007 unquestionably made a mark for Seagate in the consumer space, demonstrating that hard drives can be designed to provide a stylish complement to a computing environment,” said Pat King, senior vice president of Seagate’s Consumer Solutions Division. “This second-generation of FreeAgent storage solutions takes the extra step of providing easy-to-use technology in a consumer-friendly package.”

Other entrants to the FreeAgent line include the FreeAgent Desk and FreeAgent XTreme drives, which are 3.5-inch high-capacity desktop solutions that come equipped with a whopping storage ceiling of up to 1.5TBs (terabytes). Equally as effective in vertical or horizontal positioning, the Desk is a brushed aluminium drive with a USB 2.0 interface, while the XTreme comes with a black, brushed aluminium finish and a triple interface of eSATA, USB 2.0 and FireWire 400.

Compatible with Windows XP and Vista, the FreeAgent line comes equipped with enhanced Seagate Manager software, which provides users with scheduled automated data back-ups and multi-computer synchronisation.

Usage peace of mind is also provided thanks to software-based AES-256bit encryption and Seagate DrivePass password protection, while the product line also smiles on the environment by going into energy-saving sleep mode once idle for 15 minutes.

In a move to address the needs of Apple consumers, Seagate’s FreeAgent Go and FreeAgent Desk solutions are also compatible with the Mac OS X operating system and are Time Machine-ready with FireWire 400/800 or USB 2.0 connectivity.

The flagship FreeAgent Go will be available this month in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific for a recommended retail price of $120 USD for 250GBs, $150 USD for 320GBs, and $240 USD for 500GBs. The FreeAgent Go for Mac will cost $160 USD for 250GBs, and $190 USD for 320GBs.

The FreeAgent Desk is set to arrive before the end of September, costing $130 USD for 500GBs, $150 USD for 640GBs, $230 USD for 1TB, and $280 USD for 1.5TB -- the top-end drive will be available in October. The FreeAgent Desk for Mac will cost $170 USD for 500GBs, $270 USD for 1TB, and $350 USD for 1.5TB -- also available in October.

Finally, the FreeAgent XTreme drive is available now and its 3GB per second transfer rate can be yours in return for $160 USD for the 500GB option, $180 USD for the 640GB model, $260 USD for 1TB, and $300 USD for the full 1.5TB drive -- available in October.

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