Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive STAX500102 Review

A Review Of The Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive STAX500102

Introduction

Seagate has a new addition to their hard drive family in the form of the Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive STAX500102. It lives up to its name by being an ideal expansion to your home or office computer. It is stylish, compact, light weight and incredibly easy to grab and go when you are on the move.

Product Description

Leading external hard drive manufacturer Seagate is offering consumers a low cost option to external electronic storage with this portable external hard drive. Renowned for quality and advanced technology, Seagate is looking to the future by offering customers this USB 3.0 portable hard drive that is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0. With no software to install, this simple to use device and drag-and-drop method to save files is easy enough for a beginner, yet advanced enough to impress the technologically savvy. Intelligent power management provides the added benefit of being very energy efficient.

Key Specifications

• List Price: $89.99

• Released: August 2011

• Capacity: 500 GB

• Interface: USB 3.0, compatible with USB 2.0

• Warranty: 1 year limited warranty

• Dimensions: 3.2 by 5.4 by 0.7 inches

Key Features

• Advanced USB 3.0 connection for faster transfers.

• USB 2.0 compatible.

• No confusing software to install, simply plug in and go.

• Incredibly portable and easy to use on any computer.

• Easy drag-and-drop method of saving or transferring files.

• Powered by USB connection to your computer.

• Energy efficient with inbuilt power management technology.

• Store up to 160,000 photos or over 8,000 hours of music.

• Store up to 500 hours of video or over 120 DVD quality movies.

Pros

• With no fussy software to install, using the Seagate Expansion Portable External Hard Drive is as easy as plugging it in. It also means you'll easily be able to use it at the office or on your friend's and family's computers too.

• Seagate make it easier than ever to share your photos and videos with family and friends with this compact and portable Seagate Expansion Portable External Hard Drive. Simply plug in to their computer and start sharing.

• Take movies and videos away with you when you travel without the bulk and hassle.

• Saving or transferring files is easily done by dragging the file to the device. It is simple and quick as you don't have to navigate confusing software.

• With USB 3.0 quickly becoming the new standard you'll be 'future proof' with the Seagate Expansion Portable External Hard Drive. Use it with a USB 2.0 connection for now, and the USB 3.0 connection later.

• The Seagate Expansion Portable External Hard Drive comes with a USB 3.0 cable which is often an extra expense with other portable drives.

• Don't worry about extra power cables as the drive is powered through the USB connection to your computer. Inbuilt power management means that the drive will 'sleep' when not in use, ultimately saving you power and money.

Cons

• By today's standards a 500 GB external hard drive is fairly small. For a rather insignificant price increase you could be looking at double the storage space. A 500 GB storage device would be more suitable for someone who has a few photos and videos to store, not someone who has extremely large files or games to back up.

• While the Seagate Expansion Portable External Hard Drive comes with a 1 year limited warranty, some consumers report being given a refurbished model upon returning their defective original. The refurbished model is not covered under the initial warranty so they find themselves using this device with no warranty after a matter of months.

• The storage size and portability of this device suggest that it would not be the best solution for safely backing up your internal hard drive. A larger stationary external hard drive would be more suitable.

Should You Buy The Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive STAX500102?

The Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive STAX500102 is most definitely a good value and good quality device which makes it an ideal solution for many people. If you need a little extra storage to back up a few files on your computer, store a bit of music, some photos and perhaps a few movies this will suit you perfectly. Or if you are a little nervous about investing in an external hard drive because you may not be too technologically savvy, this is a great option for you too.

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