Reviews for Seagate FreeAgent Pro Desktop 250 GB External Hard Drive - Retail

Very sleek design, great value for money.

Strengths: Looks very good. Access time is not too slow, stable stand, light weight

Weakness: Gets a lil heated up when used for long hours. Does not have a ON/OFF switch like other HDs

I liked the design of this HD very much, and comes with a 5 year warranty. Most of the other HD give a 1 year warranty and then they die after 1 year and the data is not recoverable. I hope I dont lose my data for long.

Overall a very good purchase for the purchase amount.

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The best choice available

Strengths: Five year warranty, pretty silent, nice design, passive cooling (heatsink) built into design, speedy and consistent (so far)

Weakness: No external on/off switch, not meant to be laid on its side, uses mini USB cable, unable to turn off activity light, no software provided

The strongest strength of this drive is easily Seagate's five year warranty. Most external drives only offer a one year warranty and tend to fail soon after, so this is good peace of mind. The construction of the unit incorporates a heatsink into the base, and oddly enough, this unit runs quieter than most current internal Seagate drives. The drive is able to maintain a pretty good speed as I am able to burn at 8x speed with my DVD writer, and maintain good throughput with network transfers (10MB/sec).

However, there is no external on/off switch, or ANY switch whatsoever. Additionally, this is Seagate's "perpendicular" drive design, so it cannot be laid on its side, and the base is not detachable. While it is sturdy, it's height makes me a bit nervous that it could fall. It uses a mini USB cable for some reason, and the long orange activity light looks cool but could get annoying if you want total darkness. The biggest disappointment is there is no software of any kind provided with the drive.

Let's face it, external drives live short lives. The five year warranty makes you feel okay investing in a device that won't last long.

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Excellent 250GB Hard Drive from Seagate!

Strengths: A lot of room runs fast and quite, great warranty, affordable backup solution, easy to run and install, plug and play.

Weakness: Does not have any.

This drive is the excellent solution for those who need extra space to store their files. It has plenty of space and runs very cool and very fast. So far I did not have any problems or issues with this drive. Installation was a breeze and did not consume a whole lot of time. I was up and running in the matter of minutes. I am very happy with my purchase, it was money well spent. A+ Seagate!

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It's alive, it's alive!

Strengths: Five Year Warranty; small form factor; quiet; dissipates heat well; pre-formatted NTFS; powers down with computer

Weakness: Non-stackable; annoying light; no power-switch

My strengths & weaknesses pretty much summarize the unit. Like all Hard-Drives, you don't actually get 250gb, you get less, as reported by Windows. The drive is pre-formatted with NTFS, with is also good for windows. You just plug-it-in and it works. In order to keep the size of the base small, they use a mini-USB connector. Since they supply the cable, this is no big deal, but it might be if you lose it. The drive is surprisingly quiet, and dissipates heat well. It's not hot at all, so I am guessing they use the base to act as a heat sink. The thing has no power-switch, which is annoying. I have it at work, and my computer is on all the time, so the drive is on all the time. They should really have put this in.

There is a yellow light which runs the vertical length of the drive (looks like a yellow streak in the picture). This may or may not be an issue with people.

I've always been a Seagate fan, and this is my favorite USB external hard drive product available. The five-year warranty makes it a no-brainer! You just need to find the right price after rebates.

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GREAT bang for the buck

Strengths: Quiet, inexpensive, sleek, thin (but with a larger footprint), speedy USB 2.0 transfer

Weakness: Uses external power supply (vs. USB powered), funky orange light

I admit. I was holding out for the perfect drive, pinching pennies and acting like a teenager, denying that the "blue screen of death" could someday happen to me. Well, when I came across this drive today I held off no more. A local office supply offered it for an unbeatable price--which says little about the drive itself. First, it's marketed as being trendy/sexy. It is a sleek black drive with a hip (yet subtly annoying) orange status bar, that takes up minimal space on your desktop. It's quiet, which is nice, I honestly can't tell that it's on. The setup is SUPER easy. It doesn't even come with software--just plug it in and VOILA, you're ready to use it. Transferring files is simple AND speedy, so long as your expectations are realistic for USB transfer. I was able to copy my entire media collection (measuring ~40gb) relatively quickly and without incident.

Why I waited so long for this drive, I will never know. For the price, you really can't beat it, even if you pay full price. HOW MUCH IS YOUR INFORMATION WORTH TO YOU? Can you afford NOT to back up your system? 250gb is a ton of space, and backed by a 5 year warranty, you can't go wrong.

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FreeAgent desktop external 250GB HD

Strengths: Cool looking

Weakness: No off power switch, big volume.

I bought this half an year ago. I use it to save photos and videos and it works fine. It also looks robust and cool, too. Since I didn't use often, I would like to turn it off most of the time but there is no switch on it. You have to remove the USB connection or power supply to turn it off.

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long term storage

Strengths: fast and hugh capacity

I expected this to be an extention of my internal hard drive. Not so, this unit is for back up only it seems and therefore is good for long term storage only

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It is smaller than it looks

Strengths: Nice Body, No Noise, Disk access indicator

Weakness: USB interface cable

The drive is smaller than what it really on the pictures. the only problem I have is with the interface. The cable is not a standard USB cable used for printers etc. The color could have been little bit better. For fifty bucks you get the drive with 5 year warranty...cannot ask for more...when it is seagate.

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The best external hard drive I have

Strengths: Quiet, fast, 5 year warranty, dissipates heat well

Weakness: None so far

This is the best external hard drive I have. Very easy to setup. 5 years warranty is the reason I chose seagate instead of Maxtor. I like it very much!

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I like this one a lot

Strengths: The looks, Capacity, size(footprint), no noise

Weakness: None so far

I am so impressed with drive that I am writing this review on the first use. when compared to the ohter external hard drive I have been using..this one is a lot quiter. The warranty is 5 years. The interfaace is so easy...it is as simple as hooking up two wires onto the drive and turn your switch on and u have the huge space available.

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So far... So Good!!!

Strengths: Ease of Use

Weakness: None for me ywt!!!

This Drive was extermely easy for me to set up & I am using it daily to back up my MP3 collection of music!!! The only downfall is that I wish that this was completely powered thru the USB Port, rather than a seperate Power Adapter, but in the grand scheme of things, It is nothing major to me. I'm very satisfied with this purchase!!!

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Seagate FreeAgent Desktop hard drive Reviewed

Strengths: Light weight with fiber casing and easy to carry Never heats up like others even if kept on for hours. Awesome transfer rates - No Errors found till now. Hard disk Access light looks stylish.

Weakness: No firewire Support

Has all the features as given.
Easy of Use.
No transfer errors found till now.
Doesnt seem to be desktop hard drive as its so light
Heat sink is good.
I use it for storing movies, music and even installed games on this drive, this acts as a clone hard drive for my laptop.

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Great buy! Easy to use!

Strengths: Ease of use, speed, storage space, light weight

Weakness: none so far

Great product so far! Easy to use even without a tech background! It hooks up to your computer just like any other drive. Dependable and light weight with more than ample amount of storage space.

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Seagate FreeAgent is everything advertised

Strengths: Very easy to install with no software loading. Works seamlessly and quietly. Don't know its there.

Weakness: No on-off switch, but I connect it to a surge protector with a switch to get around that. At times it prevents booting up for some reason, but by unplugging it,and then reconnecting it,it works fine.

I bought this to relieve the pressure on my hard drive as it was filling up. The best aspects of the drive are its ease of set-up and unobtrusiveness. A great value for the money at the time: $80.

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Seagate is the best

Strengths: Fast, Reliable, Quiet, Stylish, and easy to install.

Weakness: Nothing at all

It's a Seagate. what more do you need to know? For me there is no brand shopping for hard drives. It's between Seagate or Seagate. There is no brand out there that I trust for my storage like Seagate. I have been running two of their internal HDs for several years now, and now this external. They are flawless HDs. Fast, quiet, and reliable. One last piece of advice - Do not get Western Digital. I have had two WD internal drives fail on me in the past.

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Excellent, simple & easy to use Hard Drive

Strengths: ease of use, price,5 year warranty

Weakness: None

I returned two Western Digital drives. The WD passport was DOA and the WD my book premium presented allot of headaches.
I read the reviews regarding this HD and could not find a bad one.
I picked it up from Best Buy in Canada for $89.99 on sale.
I took it home and tried it immediately.
Man, was I pleased with this purchased. I don't normally write reviews, but I had to write a review about this HD. No software came with this Drive, which is fine with me. It has a 5-year warranty, which is quite unusual these days.
It installed flawlessly and I sent my entire important file, Pics & videos in no time at all.
It was fast transferring files via the USB 2.0 interface. It's extremely quiet and doesn't run warm at all. There is no On/Off switch on the unit, however, I hooked it up to a switched outlet, a power bar with a switch can be used for switching it on & off.
I highly recommend this HD for backing up your important file/photos/videos.

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worth the money

Strengths: Five year warranty, working sound is silent, heat is okay

Weakness: only usb port, transfer speed limit

This is a pretty good external harddrive, given its cool design, low working noise and heat, and stable working performance. The only problem is that it only has a USB interface. No fire-port!! That means the slow speed when you need to move huge files such as backup another harddrive from your office. Seagate's five year warranty also worths to mention, which gives more confidence to purchase this harddrive. All in all, I would recommend this external harddrive.

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Quite pleased so far

Strengths: lightweight and small

Weakness: must reformat for Mac OS

I am writing this review after only one day of use, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I continue to be as happy with this purchase as I am today. I worked for a company that used Seagates exclusively for their external hard drives, so it is a name that I trust...my only wish is that there were more detailed instructions included in the box on how to format this for Macs (it is just plug-and-play for PCs, which is great for PC owners). I was able to find the information for how to format it for my Mac fairly easily on the Seagate website and I guess that ultimately cuts down on paper waste, which I favor more than having additional instructions in the box, so it is a very minor gripe...

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Very simple, fast, and easy to use

Strengths: Take out of the box and plug in and it is ready to use. No drivers needed. Preformatted to the NTFS file system. Sleek design.

Weakness: If you are a Mac user, the driver will need to be reformatted. Light on the front can be annoying to some; note: freeagent hard drive software from Seagate website can disable the light.

This is a great external hard drive. I had originally bought a Maxtor external, but returned it to Best Buy because it would not format. Instead I got this drive (which came preformatted). I could not believe that I had wasted my time with the Maxtor had drive. All I had to do was plug this drive in and it was ready to transfer files. The speed at which it transfers is very quick. Along with the ability to expand storage and backup files, I highly recommend this hard drive.

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Great drive

Strengths: Plug and Play

Weakness: none

Easy to set up, just connect the USB, plug in the power adapter, and it’s ready to use. I like the feature that this powers down when the computer is powered down. Great addition to any computer for archiving files or backing up files.

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A Fine External Hard Drive

Strengths: very quiet; small foot print; stylish; runs cool; 5-Yr warranty; Standby mode; all cables / wires included.

Weakness: No backup software

The strengths and weaknesses section pretty much describes what this unit is all about. It come pre-formatted with NTFS file system, and works fine with Windows, but may be a problem in Linux, in which case you might want to reformat to FAT parrtition. The unit functions quietly and efficiently, and would suffice for normal home use. The standby mode is useful, so you can leave this unit on all the time. Overall I am very happy with the performance, 5-Yr warranty and the ease of installation and use.

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Good basic backup solution

Strengths: 5 Year Warranty. Easy to install. Silent and cool running. Seagate product reputation

Weakness: No visual indicator (activity light). Only stands in vertical position (as pictured). No backup software included.

This is a "basic" product for backup storage. It is from Seagate, a reputable company that has survived the trial of time. It comes with a 5 year warranty, which is unique in the industry. Given the turn-over rate of computer products, that is practically the entire service life of the product. The storage unit comes with a separate narrow "wall-wart" power supply (that does not block nearby outlets on a power strip), an USB cable, and a brief printed guide. No driver is included. Installation is very easy, just power up and connect to computer. Both power and (mini) USB connectors are on the bottom "pedestal" which houses the controller electronics. The unit runs very quietly, and is barely warm after continuous use. By the way, there is no power switch. Although I have not conducted formal speed test, the performance appears satisfactory. Overall, I recommend this product, especially if one can get it at a low price - I paid under $50 after rebate.

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FreeAgent Desktop External 250GB Hard Drive (USB...

Strengths: 5 year warranty, Simple, small, fast.

Weakness: none

FreeAgent Desktop External 250GB Hard Drive (USB 2.0, 7,200 RPM). The GO drive works very well, looks good, and is light for travel. Simple to install and use, stores enough to be of high value, very fast and small. 5 year warranty. I love it!

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Very easy to use

Strengths: very simple/easy to use. plug and copy.

The product was easy to use - I loved the setup guide. Simply plug it in and copy files to it. The computer recognized it as a new drive right away. I like the look & size of it. Price was good for 250GB.

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FreeAgent Desktop External 250GB Hard Drive

Strengths: Nice looking, very quiet and cool

Weakness: almost the same size with 500gb one

If you're looking for 250gb only, then this is perfect for you. It will look nice on next to your computer and it is very quiet. The data retrieval is very fast and it does note get hot at all. However, I also own the 500gb one and they both are almost the same size. Unless you are sure you only need 250gb, I would go with 500gb one.

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Great Looks for one of the best drives in the market

Strengths: Good Looks, Small Form Factor

Weakness: Not Stackable, No On-Off Switch

The looks takes the cake. The form factor is really small. Hooked up without any problems. The only cons that I can see is that it is not stackable. Also there is no On-Off switch. Seagate states that the HD goes into sleep mode when not used and switches back when we access it. But I would like it to have a on-off switch. Thats the main negative con that I have against this. Apart from that, this is a great external HD.

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Great external hard drive.

Strengths: 5 year warranty

Weakness: Non-stackable design.

The only negative to this line of external hard drives by Seagate compared to the Maxtor One Touch III & Western Digital My Book drives is that unlike those, the FreeAgents don't feature a stackable design. So if you need multiple external hard drives on your desk, the FreeAgents might not be a good idea.
However, compared to the Maxtor & Western Digital drives, these have a 5 year warranty vs. (I believe) only a 1 year warranty. That alone sold me.
As for the drive itself, it's worked flawlessly as expected.

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Great, cool looking, hard drive from Seagate

Strengths: * 5 Years Warranty * Great Ecstatic Design * Small Footprint * Quite Operation * Well known name brand * Great tech support

Weakness: None that I am aware of.

Just received my Seagate 250GB external hard drive… This hard drive came well packaged in the very nice box. Inside the box you will find everything neatly wrapped in the special bags. Once you pull everything out, and hook up the drive to your computer it runs flawlessly. One of the things that surprised me is that this drive came preformatted with NTFS, and is ready to go right out of the box. I would recommend this drive to anybody who is in the market for some extra hard drive space.

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Another fine HD from Seagate

Strengths: Quiet, simple to use, Seagate quality

Weakness: None

I own many Seagate drives because they are well made, have great tech support and the 5 year warranty can't be beat. The FreeAgent is another superb Seagate hard drive and exactly what I expected - simple to use and quiet. Plug it in, Windows recognizes it, and you are ready to go.
It is tough to say much about a HD but the bottom line is this one works the way you would expect it to and if anything ever does go wrong, you have a 5 year warranty to rely on.

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Great drive !!!

Strengths: Very easy installation, just plug it in and you’re good to go. Whisper quiet. Standby mode. 5 year warranty. Nice design.

Weakness: No backup software. You just get the harddrive, a USB cable and a power adapter.

I also own the Western Digital MyBook external drive and when compared to my new Seagate, MyBook is way louder! Seagate is very quiet, ultra fast and uses new perpendicular technology. There is no on/off switch, but for me it’s not a big deal. Standby mode works great. - if you’re not using it for 15 minutes, it automatically goes to sleep and wakes up when you access it.

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Good product

Strengths: seagate quality, 5 year warranty

Weakness: none stackable

This is a quiet and fast external drive. I backed up my entire internal drive in less than 5 minutes. The light looks cool. I got 2 of them so they took a lot of space on my desk. Other than that, it's an excellent drive.

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Seagate FreeAgent Desk USB2

TestSeek.com has collected 30 expert reviews for Seagate FreeAgent Desk USB2 and the average expert rating is 82 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use TestSeek.com to find all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

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