Seagate goes External, all 300GB worth
Written: Oct 06 '06 (Updated Oct 07 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Speedy, Easy to Use, and Reliability
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Easy to use, great way to backup data and keep it safe.
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| DeRango's Full Review: Seagate (ST3300801CB-RK) 300 GB FireWire 400 (1394... |
This baby is perfect for transferring larger files from your computer, or backing up information simply to large to store on a writable DVD-R or CD-R. So many files have been needless lost to corrupt data, failing hard drives, or careless acts of deleting. I no longer have to over load my main hard drive with 5,000 MP3s or hundreds of videos, I can easily place this information on my external hard drive to share with friends and create back up copies of important documents or files. I also use this as a means to transfer larger Auto-CAD files, Plots, and Field Data that does not fit on a flash drive from my home computer to work & vise versa.
Seagate’s high-capacity 200GB, 300GB, & 400GB external hard drives are dual compatible with both USB 2.0 & IEEE-1394 Firewire connectivity. This capability allows users to use either a Mac or PC based operating system. I have found that the drivers also work with Linux platforms as well, although this information is not disclosed by the manufacture on the product box
In The Seagate 300GB Box
AC adapter cord for wall to converter
AC to DV converter and cord to drive
Quick Start Guide
External 300GB, 7200RPM drive with 8MB cache
Plastic stand for vertical mounting
USB 2.0 cable
Firewire cable
Seagate Extra Value CD with Bounceback Express Backup Software
Specifications & Features
Capacity - 300GB / 287GB formatted FAT32/NTFS
Compatibility - PC, Mac
Interface Type - IEEE 1394a (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB
Connector - 4 pin USB, 6 pin FireWire
Data Transfer Rate - 400 Mbps (FireWire) / 480 Mbps (Hi-Speed USB)
Average Seek Time - 8.5 ms
Spindle Speed - 7200 rpm
Buffer Size - 8 MB
Power - AC 110/230 V (50/60 Hz )
Manufacturer Warranty - 1 year warranty
Windows System Requirements
Windows 98SE or above
a USB connector
or
a Windows certified 1394a controller
Mac System Requirements
System 9.2.2 or Mac OS X with:
A USB connector
or
a 1394a controller
Installation
My home PC is running Windows XP, and setup does not require me to install the driver, I simply plug the unit into my USB connection, and the Windows automatically installs the drivers. The drive comes formatted as stated in the specifications as a FAT32 Files System, which makes it very easy to start using it with the compatible windows program running on my PC. Windows 2000 & ME are similar as plug & play usage is concerned, however windows 98SE would require installation of the USB drivers prior to usage of the drive. If you plan to use this for Mac desktops, you need to format the drive according to the file system associated with that operating system. I currently have no desire to format my windows based software, as I do not run a Mac operating system, nor do I have a need to currently. This goes the same for Linux users for where operation is discussed. The manual has more description on these subjects that will allow you to get it running for the different operating systems.
Software
BounceBack Professional Software: Designed for Hard Drive based backup and recovery, BounceBack Professional is the perfect backup solution for Windows and Macintosh professionals and home users who value their data and the time spent creating it. In today's world, a disaster can occur at any moment whether a hard drive failure, virus attack, theft or loss..
Even though the Bounceback Express is a trail version of the software, it still allows you to create an image of important data files. The disaster recovery is not included and with the trial version you would have to pay for an “upgrade” to the Professional version to allow for this. I personally have the full version, and it works quite well, however I don’t think a home user would need the features included for data recovery. I personally feel that if you back up the important data files that recovery of a few simple items will be somewhat painless. Just knowing that the data is still there makes you feel at ease with the situation.
Easy: The software included does not require you to be a computer guru, and it does most of the work for you. Simply setup commands and reminders are in place, which takes the headache out of backing up.
Data Recovery: I personally have experience failure of a hard drive, and the pain associated with the wasted time getting it up and running again, along with the loss of valuable information. For the Mac user, BounceBack can create an exact copy of your computer hard drive, which enables you to replace your failed hard drive with your backup drive or boot directly from your external backup drive.
Restores Lost Files: Accidental deletions and misplaced files are a fact of life. Fortunately, CMS’ QuickRestore feature offers immediate access to all previously backed up files. Just select the items to bring back and click on Restore.
I personally found the software both easy to install and operate, and my feelings would indicate that almost any amateur would have no issues in usage of this software.
Bounceback Software System Requirements
Windows 2000
Windows XP (32bit)
or
Mac OS X (10.3.9) or greater
Hardware
To ensure the memory you maximize the hard drives potential in both storage and speed make sure you have the most updated service packs from Microsoft, this will ensure the system can handle above 137GB with 48-bit addressing
While using the USB 2.0 ports you should make sure the drivers are current & use compliant ports. The drive is compatible with USB 1.1, but the speed will suffer as a result. USB 1.1 transfers at a slower rat of 1.5MB/second, where USB 2.0 transfers at about 60MB/second, although the Hard drive will work your performance will suffer in transferring & uploading data.
If you are planning to use a Firewire port, the “theoretical transfer rate” is approximately 50MB/second, which is still very fast, but both the USB & Firewire will transfer data as quickly as possible. The hard drive is ATA-100 complainant, which has a theoretical max of 100MB/second, but currently I am running about 35-40MB/second on average.
FireWire
This allows you to transfer information from a device with FireWire to another very quickly, which basically means it is a connector on your computer.
This technology was created in a joint effort from major companies like Sony, Apple, and Panasonic and was standardized as the IEEE-1394 in 1995. Sometimes it is referred to as iLink on Sony devices.
It was originally designed in order to assist the fast transfer of digital data, this is mainly seen in capturing video from a camcorder onto a computer, but also to allow the use of an external digital device such as a hard drive, CD writer or DVD writer at speeds faster than internal devices.
If you have a laptop computer you will need A FireWire CardBus Card, which is a credit card sized connector that fits into the PCMCIA slot on you computer and typically has 2 FireWire ports to allow you to connect to FireWire devices.
If using a desktop computer you’ll need a FireWire PCI Card and a PCI slot on your PC for this technology to work for you.
Silence is Golden
I can vouch for the silence of the hard drive as it is by far the quietest hard drive I have ever used. Not only is it quite while running, but installing & “thinking,” in fact I do not hear much coming from the unit.
Seagates Quality
Seagate in all honesty does an excellent job of standing behind their products, as previously mentioned a 1 Year Warranty comes standard. The support staff from my experience does a wonderful job of fixing the issue, replacing the product if needed, and answering questions via email or phone in a fast professional manor. As for the manufactures site, its navigation makes it easy to obtain customer care numbers, email links, and update news on your make and model of drive. Most hard drives do not require updates except in some cases Firmware for your motherboard to recognize a larger hard drive. Seagate does an excellent overall job of providing satisfactory customer service on-line & on the phone.
Overall
The Seagate External 300GB USB/Firewire drive is an excellent value at $150 I am happy with the performance of the Hardware & Software as it is very easy to use and reliable. The performance of the drive is quick and quite. It comes from one of my personal favorite manufactures whom consistently pleases me with quality products that do what they claim. I personally recommend that all users should backup information and store valuable files on a separate source, make it an external one.
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Recommended:
Yes
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