Seagate Goflex Desk vs. Backup Plus?

M

micky

If you don't mind, I've added the PC storage ng, since the presences
to two such simlar models seems curious, and afaict this isn't a
specifically Mac qustoin.



Is there a difference between a seagate Goflex Desk and a Backup Plus?

http://www.staples.com/office/suppl...ryId=null&catentryId=420626&catentryId=504422

The price is only 10 dollars apart and every other spec seems the
same.

(Or should I be looking not at Seagate and not at WD, since the WD had
a specific problem with Macs?)

Staples is selling the first one for $140 and the second for $150, and
they are both 2T and everything else seems the same too. They are
even consectutive part numbers, STCB2000100 and STBC2000101

When I google seagate goflex desk boot mac I find 5
complaints near the top of the search list and a UGC rating
http://ugc.seagate.com/7039/3c916f8...sk-for-mac-external-drive-reviews/reviews.htm
of only 3.2 out of 5 on eighty ratings.

When I google seagate Backup Plus boot mac , I find no
complaints (Is that because the drive just came out? ) but when I find
http://ugc.seagate.com/7039/e641788...backup-plus-desktop-drive-reviews/reviews.htm
it rates it only 2.2 out of 5 on three ratings, Only 3, not 80 like
the other one.

Neither sounds very good, though two of the 3 complaints for Backup
Plus relate to USB 3 and Dashboard, things I think won't affect my
friend. The third complaint there might relate to Dashboard also.


I think this would be easier if I were doing it for myself. I'd just
pick one and take my financial and inconvenience risks and even my
data risks..
 
R

Rod Speed

micky said:
If you don't mind, I've added the PC storage ng, since
the presences to two such simlar models seems curious,
and afaict this isn't a specifically Mac qustoin.

That would be fine, even if it was.
Is there a difference between a seagate Goflex Desk and a Backup Plus?

That doesn't work, essentially because it has you specific id fields in it.
The price is only 10 dollars apart and every other spec seems the same.

That's mostly the result of Seagate's takeovers, they do tend to keep
both the taken over product going and the seagate product that was
around at the time going for a surprising length of time.
(Or should I be looking not at Seagate and not at WD,
since the WD had a specific problem with Macs?)

I avoid WD currently for various reasons, mostly the failure rate currently.
Staples is selling the first one for $140 and the second for $150, and
they are both 2T and everything else seems the same too. They are
even consectutive part numbers, STCB2000100 and STBC2000101
When I google seagate goflex desk boot mac I find 5
complaints near the top of the search list and a UGC rating
http://ugc.seagate.com/7039/3c916f8...sk-for-mac-external-drive-reviews/reviews.htm
of only 3.2 out of 5 on eighty ratings.
When I google seagate Backup Plus boot mac , I find
no complaints (Is that because the drive just came out? )

Likely.

but when I find
http://ugc.seagate.com/7039/e641788...backup-plus-desktop-drive-reviews/reviews.htm
it rates it only 2.2 out of 5 on three ratings, Only 3, not 80 like the
other one.

Likely for the same reason and the volume they sell in.
 
M

micky

If you don't mind, I've added the PC storage ng, since the presences
to two such simlar models seems curious, and afaict this isn't a
specifically Mac qustoin.



Is there a difference between a seagate Goflex Desk

What's really disappointing is that the WD harddrive that I can't
use** would turn off when the computer was turned off. Boy would that
be nice.

But the Goflex Desk doesn't do that. One would have to unplug it ever
time.

** (because it won't boot a Mac with a powerPc processor, even using
Firewire)
and a Backup Plus?

I don't know about this one yet. If it worked that way, that would
make the difference.
 
M

micky

That would be fine, even if it was.



That doesn't work, essentially because it has you specific id fields in it.

Sorry. I tested it before posting by opening another tab and pasting
in the url, and it worked, but it must have used cookies or something
to come up with the screen.

For the record,
http://www.staples.com/Seagate-GoFlex-Desk-for-Mac-2TB-External-Hard-Drive/product_365894
http://www.staples.com/Seagate-Back...p-FireWire-800-USB-20-External/product_930191

But I think you've answered my question about why there are two.
Thanks.
That's mostly the result of Seagate's takeovers, they do tend to keep

From smaller companies that they buy?
both the taken over product going and the seagate product that was
around at the time going for a surprising length of time.


I avoid WD currently for various reasons, mostly the failure rate currently.

So what brand do you like? . I like that the WD turned off when the
computer was turned off, but the Seagate Goflex Desk doesn't do that.
Maybe not the other Seagate either.

.....
 
M

micky

Sorry. I tested it before posting by opening another tab and pasting
in the url, and it worked, but it must have used cookies or something
to come up with the screen.

For the record,
http://www.staples.com/Seagate-GoFlex-Desk-for-Mac-2TB-External-Hard-Drive/product_365894
http://www.staples.com/Seagate-Back...p-FireWire-800-USB-20-External/product_930191

But I think you've answered my question about why there are two.
Thanks.


From smaller companies that they buy?
So what brand do you like? .
I like that the WD turned off when the
computer was turned off, but the Seagate Goflex Desk doesn't do that.
Maybe not the other Seagate either.

And now I read that the Seagate Backup Plus 2TB External FireWire
800/USB 2.0 Hard Drive actually stores everything in NTFS, and
provides software for Macs to read and write NTFS. While that would
be nice for me, who am mostly PC and would want to pass data back and
forth, my friend who is almost entirely Mac and planst to stay that
way would't want that, I thnk.

My head is spinning.
 
R

Rod Speed

Sorry. I tested it before posting by opening another tab and pasting
in the url, and it worked, but it must have used cookies or something
to come up with the screen.
But I think you've answered my question about why there are two.
Thanks.
From smaller companies that they buy?

Yep, most recently Maxtor and Samsung.
So what brand do you like? .

I much prefer Samsung, but they have just been absorbed by Seagate.
 
F

Fred Moore

micky said:
So what brand do you like? . I like that the WD turned off when the
computer was turned off, but the Seagate Goflex Desk doesn't do that.
Maybe not the other Seagate either.

Define 'like'! ;)

Reliability is paramount for me.

WD has had some problems of late, so I avoid them.

I like Wiebetech <http://www.wiebetech.com/> the best. They use Hitachi
and Seagate drives. Not the cheapest, but ultra reliable, top of the
line support, and goes to sleep when the Firewire port is used. USB
doesn't support sleep. That's a function of the bridge chip used. I
usually buy a bare enclosure and install my own Hitachi drive. Very easy
and I save a few bucks. Hitachi drives seems to be tops for reliability
at the moment.

G Technology <http://www.g-technology.com/products/products.cfm> is a
close second. They are owned by Hitachi.

Some of the 'green' drives seem to be less reliable than standard
drives. So I avoid them. Presumably they're still sorting out the driver
software.
 
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