Best Reviewed
External Hard Drives
- Best external hard drive Western Digital My Passport Essential SE *Est. $100
- Budget external hard drive Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-Portable *Est. $50
- Fireproof, waterproof external drive ioSafe SoloPro *Est. $240
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- Aesthetics
- Bundled AutoBackup program
- eSATA or USB connectivity
- Reputation for reliability
- Five-year limited warranty
- Quiet
- Unimpressive transfer rates
- USB performance is average
- eSATA speeds lackluster
- eSATA cable not included
- Problems with on/off button
Multiple reviewers pick the Seagate FreeAgent Pro as the best external hard drive. It earns lower ratings from other reviewers primarily because it isn't the fastest, especially when the USB connection is used. Register Hardware, BigBruin.com and HardwareZone.com lead the reviewers that rate it as good, but not great, for that reason. ExtremeTech.com and MaximumPC give it average ratings because of disappointing speed. User reviews indicate that the FreeAgent Pro is one of the more reliable external hard drives (though experts say all drives fail eventually), but many users say the on/off button doesn't work and they have to unplug the drive to turn it off. The Seagate FreeAgent Pro is available in three sizes, and all of them need a power brick. If you want something smaller, the Seagate FreeAgent Go 250 GB (*Est. $135) can be powered through a laptop's USB port.
We found lots of reviews for the Seagate FreeAgent Pro. All but two are from last year; most were written in summer of 2007, and they predate some newer products. ExtremeTech.com, TomsHardware.com and HardwareZone.com all cover the drive as part of roundup reviews. This direct comparison approach is generally preferable to isolated, single-product reviews. TweakTown.com has the best individual review, breaking things down into six subcategories and offering superb testing, comparisons and documentation. CNET's review doesn't include eSATA testing, which greatly limits its usefulness. TomsHardware.com neither rates the drives nor picks a winner, and it is the least useful of the three comparison-type reviews.
| Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB 3.5" USB 2.0/eSATA External Hard Drive | |
(85 reviews) In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping |
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Our Sources
TweakTown.com calls the Seagate FreeAgent Pro a ''must-have'' for users requiring high-capacity storage. Performance scores are very high, and the drive's flexibility and upgradeability earn it an Editor's Choice rating.
Review: Seagate FreeAgent Pro eSATA/USB Storage, Cameron Johnson, Sept. 4, 2007
HardwareZone.com says that the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB drive is an attractive-looking, easy-to-use choice for casual users. It's not as fast as other offerings, such as the Buffalo DriveStation Turbo that's the top-rated drive in the roundup.
Review: 750GB External HDD Storage Roundup, Aloysius Low, Dec. 8, 2007
3. Techgage.com
TechGage.com likes the Seagate FreeAgent Pro, calling it a feature-rich, ''high-end'' product that blends attractive packaging with a variety of connectivity options and a reputation for reliability. It's priced well and earns an Editor's Choice label. The only knock on it, if you could call it that, is that it isn't very portable.
Review: Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB, Rory Buszka, Apr. 13, 2007
PCMag.com's editors rate the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB as ''Good,'' thanks to hefty storage capacity, eSATA compatibility and a good pre-packaged software bundle. An eSATA cable isn't part of the package, however. Also, the built-in backup software isn't Mac-compatible, and the disk enclosure design may not be for everyone.
Review: Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB (ST307504FPA1E3-RK), Joel Santo Domingo, Aug. 20, 2007
ExtremeTech compares five drives in this roundup, and the Seagate FreeAgent Pro is one of the losers overall, thanks mostly to unimpressive performance.
Review: Five eSATA Drives Reviewed, Joel Durham Jr., Aug. 22, 2007
6. Amazon.com
Owners are split on the Seagate FreeAgent Pro. Although half say it's easy to use and installs flawlessly, the other half have trouble with setup, and several owners say the on/off button does not work, forcing them to physically unplug the drive to power-down.
Review: Seagate ST305004FPA1E3-RK FreeAgent Pro, Contributors to Amazon.com
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