Everything gets their price jacked up if it's got 'Mac' written on it. They used to use dirt-cheap lacie external hard disks as the 'Mac external drive' and charge a considerable amount extra. Even more in the high street Apple store.
$219 for the 2TB GoFlex Desk for Mac, $279 for the 3TB, exactly $100 more than the PC version. I got a 1TB GoFlex Desk from Amazon $89.99 free two day shipping, but I guess a Mac user would not be caught dead with only a single TB drive, Seagate does not offer one for Mac. The lack of ventilation on these drives keeps them perfectly silent sitting on your desk, Seagate felt noise level was more important than heat. My 1TB barely gets warm after running for a few hours, so if heat is a concern and you don't really need the larger capacity go for the smaller 1TB, the heat increases with the larger drives!
Wow, dusting off our anti-Apple stereotypes and trotting them out for display are we? How embarrassing.
The main problem with this enclosure, as the earlier AT test revealed, is that it's plastic and therefore has poor heat transfer characteristics. The photo of this Mac version is made to look like metal, but I'm assuming it's simply silver-finished plastic? It would be worth a modest premium in metal, but otherwise...not so much.
For a premium fanless external drive in a thermally effective all-metal case I like the G-Tech line. They use excellent Hitachi drives mounted using a robust thermal path to a substantial, finned aluminum case. Somewhat pricey but worthwhile where the installation warrants it.
"For a premium fanless external drive in a thermally effective all-metal case I like the G-Tech line. They use excellent Hitachi drives mounted using a robust thermal path to a substantial, finned aluminum case. Somewhat pricey but worthwhile where the installation warrants it."
Where by "excellent Hitachi drives" you mean POS Hitachi drives that don't honor standard USB protocols for power savings? I've used many external drives in my times. Some were designed by morons and didn't power down when the OS tried to power them down --- but only Hitachi drives were SO badly designed that they actually LOST DATA under this scenario.
Because is IS? Please justify this claim that Apple is in anyway involved in this.
Let's start with an explanation of the business/legal logic under which Apple controls Seagate's prices --- exactly how does that occur? Once you're done with that, perhaps you could let us know of the contract (or at least it's vague nature) that specifies what these higher prices should be, and hwo you came to learn of it.
The two are not incompatible. The point is not how much storage Seagate make, it is how much PROFIT do they make, and what sort of future growth path they have.
Seagate has long given the impression of a company that believes it's at the end of its run, and the future consists of milking the existing market rather than seeking new markets. Rather than embracing the future --- flash drives and lower power, they are offering gimmicks like goflex, custom colors, and superthin drives.
I don't want to sound like an anti-design twit here. Custom colors and thin drives are nice. But they don't separate Seagate from the pack. Seagate COULD, for example, years ago have made a commitment that a user could trust its drives would always run cool and quiet. You might be paying a little more, but you're getting a guarantee in return. But they didn't do that, and now it's too late --- they charge a premium for their drives, but with no guarantee worth speaking of. Likewise they COULD have shipped a hybrid drive whose algorithms were not garbage designed by morons. But they didn't, and now their brand is also worth nothing in that space. They COULD have defined their business as being the storage space, rather than the hard drive space, and ridden the flash train. But they had no vision there either.
Basically they strike me as a dinosaur company. They have a few more years to make money, but in ten years, when we're buying 2TB SSDs from OCZ and Intel and Patriot, what's Seagate's business model?
[Of course much the same holds for Western Digital. They've been no more visionary in their rejection of flash, though at least they're somewhat more realistic about their role in the market ---- they at least understand that they are selling a commodity at commodity prices, and with nothing to differentiate them. Thus no nonsense with something like goflex, and a much more realistic pricing attitude to their USB3 drives.]
"It's the fastest hard drive for the desktop"??? What? I looked yesterday and only found 2.5" hybrid drives. I was under the impression there are no 3.5" hybrid hard drives; if there are I can't find them anywhere. Please clarify.
Also, I agree, I'd like to see an update to the Momentus XT line in 2.5" and I'd like to see hybrid hdd's released for the desktop. Preferably with 8-12GB of SSD on the hard drive instead of the 4 they used on the laptop version.
I know this is not the place to place this, but ... :( Anandtech, you need to do an artical on the G3. I can't find any definate information on when the thing is comming out. It said Feb. I am expecting Feb to come and this thing will come out and prices will drop big time. I can then get a 120 gb G2 for 150 bucks. some sort of update would be nice, telling use if we should wait or go ahead and just get a 120 or something. Is the wait worth it or not. The forums don't seem to know anything, I'm wondering if you team would have more insight or not. thx
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15 Comments
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BigToque - Monday, January 10, 2011 - link
So all Seagate does is format the drive as HFS+ instead of FAT32 or NTFS and jack up the price...I suppose that's easy money for Seagate, but unbelievable that some people don't realize that they can get exactly the same thing for less money.
dananski - Monday, January 10, 2011 - link
Everything gets their price jacked up if it's got 'Mac' written on it. They used to use dirt-cheap lacie external hard disks as the 'Mac external drive' and charge a considerable amount extra. Even more in the high street Apple store.MeanBruce - Monday, January 10, 2011 - link
$219 for the 2TB GoFlex Desk for Mac, $279 for the 3TB, exactly $100 more than the PC version. I got a 1TB GoFlex Desk from Amazon $89.99 free two day shipping, but I guess a Mac user would not be caught dead with only a single TB drive, Seagate does not offer one for Mac. The lack of ventilation on these drives keeps them perfectly silent sitting on your desk, Seagate felt noise level was more important than heat. My 1TB barely gets warm after running for a few hours, so if heat is a concern and you don't really need the larger capacity go for the smaller 1TB, the heat increases with the larger drives!NCM - Monday, January 10, 2011 - link
Wow, dusting off our anti-Apple stereotypes and trotting them out for display are we? How embarrassing.The main problem with this enclosure, as the earlier AT test revealed, is that it's plastic and therefore has poor heat transfer characteristics. The photo of this Mac version is made to look like metal, but I'm assuming it's simply silver-finished plastic? It would be worth a modest premium in metal, but otherwise...not so much.
For a premium fanless external drive in a thermally effective all-metal case I like the G-Tech line. They use excellent Hitachi drives mounted using a robust thermal path to a substantial, finned aluminum case. Somewhat pricey but worthwhile where the installation warrants it.
name99 - Saturday, January 22, 2011 - link
"For a premium fanless external drive in a thermally effective all-metal case I like the G-Tech line. They use excellent Hitachi drives mounted using a robust thermal path to a substantial, finned aluminum case. Somewhat pricey but worthwhile where the installation warrants it."Where by "excellent Hitachi drives" you mean POS Hitachi drives that don't honor standard USB protocols for power savings?
I've used many external drives in my times. Some were designed by morons and didn't power down when the OS tried to power them down --- but only Hitachi drives were SO badly designed that they actually LOST DATA under this scenario.
NCM - Saturday, January 22, 2011 - link
@name99:What does an internal SATA drive mech have to do with "USB protocols?"
Answer: nothing.
JCheng - Monday, January 10, 2011 - link
Well, it's not *exactly* the same if it comes with FireWire out of the box.Hrel - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - link
It's a-p-p-l-e jacking up the price not Seagate. Why does this site think this comment is spam?name99 - Saturday, January 22, 2011 - link
Because is IS?Please justify this claim that Apple is in anyway involved in this.
Let's start with an explanation of the business/legal logic under which Apple controls Seagate's prices --- exactly how does that occur?
Once you're done with that, perhaps you could let us know of the contract (or at least it's vague nature) that specifies what these higher prices should be, and hwo you came to learn of it.
antoigp - Sunday, February 13, 2011 - link
If consumers don't make their research before purchases,then they are fair game.vol7ron - Monday, January 10, 2011 - link
Is Seagate doing anything these days?It seems like they are prepared to fail.
Hrel - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - link
You're an idiot; they're one of the top storage providers on the planet.name99 - Saturday, January 22, 2011 - link
The two are not incompatible. The point is not how much storage Seagate make, it is how much PROFIT do they make, and what sort of future growth path they have.Seagate has long given the impression of a company that believes it's at the end of its run, and the future consists of milking the existing market rather than seeking new markets. Rather than embracing the future --- flash drives and lower power, they are offering gimmicks like goflex, custom colors, and superthin drives.
I don't want to sound like an anti-design twit here. Custom colors and thin drives are nice. But they don't separate Seagate from the pack.
Seagate COULD, for example, years ago have made a commitment that a user could trust its drives would always run cool and quiet. You might be paying a little more, but you're getting a guarantee in return. But they didn't do that, and now it's too late --- they charge a premium for their drives, but with no guarantee worth speaking of.
Likewise they COULD have shipped a hybrid drive whose algorithms were not garbage designed by morons. But they didn't, and now their brand is also worth nothing in that space.
They COULD have defined their business as being the storage space, rather than the hard drive space, and ridden the flash train. But they had no vision there either.
Basically they strike me as a dinosaur company. They have a few more years to make money, but in ten years, when we're buying 2TB SSDs from OCZ and Intel and Patriot, what's Seagate's business model?
[Of course much the same holds for Western Digital. They've been no more visionary in their rejection of flash, though at least they're somewhat more realistic about their role in the market ---- they at least understand that they are selling a commodity at commodity prices, and with nothing to differentiate them. Thus no nonsense with something like goflex, and a much more realistic pricing attitude to their USB3 drives.]
Hrel - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - link
"It's the fastest hard drive for the desktop"??? What? I looked yesterday and only found 2.5" hybrid drives. I was under the impression there are no 3.5" hybrid hard drives; if there are I can't find them anywhere. Please clarify.Also, I agree, I'd like to see an update to the Momentus XT line in 2.5" and I'd like to see hybrid hdd's released for the desktop. Preferably with 8-12GB of SSD on the hard drive instead of the 4 they used on the laptop version.
bhougha10 - Monday, January 24, 2011 - link
I know this is not the place to place this, but ... :(Anandtech, you need to do an artical on the G3. I can't find any definate information on when the thing is comming out. It said Feb. I am expecting Feb to come and this thing will come out and prices will drop big time. I can then get a 120 gb G2 for 150 bucks. some sort of update would be nice, telling use if we should wait or go ahead and just get a 120 or something. Is the wait worth it or not. The forums don't seem to know anything, I'm wondering if you team would have more insight or not.
thx