| Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB 3.5" USB 2.0/eSATA External Hard Drive | 
 enlarge | List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $155.00
You Save: $244.99 (61%)
Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 64 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6715
Category: CE
Publisher: Seagate
Studio: Seagate
Brand: Seagate
Label: Seagate
Media: Electronics
Autographed: 0
Memorabilia: 0
Hard Drive Size: 750
Warranty: 5 years warranty
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6
Dimensions (in): 6.3 x 1.4 x 7.5
MPN: ST307504FPA1E2-RK
Model: ST307504FPA1E2-RK
UPC: 763649003053
EAN: 0763649003053
ASIN: B000ND93DO
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 750 GB external hard drive connects to your computer via USB cable or eSATA | | • | 7200 RPM spindle speed for high-speed performance and fast read times | | • | Footprint is no bigger than a stapler; Just plug it in and you're ready to go | | • | Backup CDs, DVDs or store files and programs for on-the-go | | • | Includes external drive, USB 2.0 cable, AC power adapter, and quick start guide; 5-year limited warranty |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The FreeAgent Pro is an external hard drive with a sizable 750GB of storage capacity. What sets it apart from most other external drives is its ability to move that data to where you need it most. Automatically send a project to a flash drive, copy audio to your MP3 player, upload photos to Shutterfly, and put your entire "My Documents" folder on your website for anytime/anywhere access. Those are just a few examples of what FreeAgent Pro can offer you. To keep everything working smoothly, FreeAgent Pro can also perform automatic revisions of your content. Automatic revisions of your content help keep you safe from goof-ups 5-Year Limited Warranty Interfaces - USB 2.0 and eSATA PC Requirements - Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home or Pro, or Vista Mac Requirements - Power PC G3, G4, or G5 processor running OS X 10.3.9 (or higher), or Intel Core Duo or Core Solo processor running OS X 10.4.6 (or higher) (FreeAgent Pro software and drive formatting works only with Windows, but drive can be reformatted for Mac using Disk Utility) Unit Dimensions - 7.5 (h) x 1.4 (w) (w/o 3 wide base) x 6.3 (d)
Amazon.com Product Description
For the person who needs access to their digital content away from home, at work, or online, while also allowing that same content to be shared in a secure setting, look no further than the Seagate Free Agent Pro 750GB Portable Hard Drive. This powerful portable hard drive delivers high-speed transfers, while also giving you the ability to share content with others safely and securely from a remote location or even online. 
Powerful storage device with a sleek new design. | 
This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler. | 
Share your content with others safely and securely. | The Free Agent Pro is also ideal for those who want quick and painless transfers of their data from their computer to their drive, and from their drive to online accounts (such as Shutterfly or email). Simply plug it in to any power source and connect the USB cable to any computer, and you're ready to go. This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler--1 x 3 x 5.2 inches (H x D x W)-- giving you more space for your other desktop items. Meanwhile, the hard drive only measures 7.5 x 1.4 x 6.3-inches (H x D x W) and it matches its small base. Move files or other content with either USB 2.0 or eSATA allowing a maximum transfer rate of 480Mb/sec for USB, and 3Gb/sec for eSATA, while delivering a high performance spindle speed of 7,200 RPM. The unit also comes with a sophisticated touch point power on/off switch. High Speed Synchronization and Sharing
The Free Agent Pro data mover automatically duplicates and moves selected content from your hard drive to multiple locations, such as copying your contact lists and emails to your iPod, or photos to a Shutterfly account. This feature also allows you to move your entire 'My Documents' folder to the Free Agent, or move it to your own online space where you (or others you choose) can access it from any browser 24/7. The Free Agent software also offers the feature of rolling back your system to better time if something should happen to your PC while automatic revisions of your content help keep you safe from goof-ups. The Free Agent Pro software and drive formatting works only with Windows, but the drive can easily be reformatted for a Mac with OS X's Disk Utility. This portable hard drive is also compatible with Windows Vista (as well as Windows XP and Windows 2000), allowing you to backup your content regardless of operating system upgrades. A five-year warranty is also included, giving you complete peace of mind. Now with the ability to take your data with you anywhere you go, your digital content finally has room to breathe.
What's in the Box
FreeAgent Pro data mover drive, Free Agent software (preloaded) and electronic documentation, USB2.0 and eSATA interfaces, USB 2.0 cable, AC power adapter, and a quick start guide.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 59 more reviews...
 Service and support is less than bad July 7, 2008
The drive worked fine until a mechanical failure. Seagate would not stand by the drive, and wanted $1800 to recover the data. It was 45 days past the warrantee and they were very cold and unhelpful. It turned out that it was just the arm reader was stuck, but after paying $800 to get it opened up and the data moved to a new drive I called Seagate to see if they would at least send me a refurbished drive for the problems, and they stated that they needed to stand by the warrantee. They said they would look into the poor support I got when I first called, but it sounded like they guy was reading off a card. I told them that I was calling to give them a chance to make me want to stay with a Seagate product, and they simply stated that I should because they make excellent drives. The service is worse than poor. The drive worked great when it worked, but just hope you never need to contact them for anything. I felt truly used.
Very Poor Design June 21, 2008
The first problem was turning this thing on, the second is turning it off- both require a lot of patience. The power button is awful, terrible, horrible. The unit seems to decide when and if it wants to function. We threw it in the garbage after less than two months.
DO NOT BUY June 1, 2008
I bought this Hard Drive to back up a older Hard Drive. All I have to say is that this is the biggest waist of money that I have ever spent money on. Fist off the accrual piece of equipment is not bad. It worked for about 30 days then the USB port broke!! I cant use it I even bought eSATA cords and adapter for my computer! second the customer service at Seagate is by far the worst that I have ever dealt with. they have no way of fixing this it is not covered in the warranty and if they were smart obviously they are not they would sell the little adapter that comes of separately so people can buy them. I have read other reviews about the same problem. it seems that this happens more then just once so be warned. Go with a WD or something else.
Multitude of problems May 25, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
An admission of partial guilt for the problems I had with my FreeAgent drive before I get into the details of other problems I discovered with this product. The design of the thing is going to cause headaches for numerous owners. The upright stance is top-heavy and on a number of instances the thing fell over before finally having fallen over one too many times, which brought about its demise. So, problem one: unstable design. As you know, bumping a hard drive is an invitation to disaster and that's exactly what happened to me.
After the final bump, an intermittent beep could be heard from somewhere within the casing. My computer could no longer find the drive. It makes sense to be able to get into a casing to get to the HD and attach it directly to your motherboard to see if the problem you now face is HD or FreeAgent system board related. Not gonna happen.
After looking into it on a number of sites related to numerous people having problems with this drive I discovered that the unit is physically impossible to get into without breaking it, thus voiding your warranty. If you have sensitive data on the drive and you cannot access it to erase the data you are now faced with a conundrum. You can't access the guts to destroy data, and if you open it to destroy it, the casing is ruined and non-returnable. Brilliant.
What I came across from other users with problems with FreeAgent machines is a wide array of difficulties ranging from the afore-mentioned wobbliness of the unit, power adapter problems, and general drive failure.
The main power adapter problem seems related to the two plugs in the base of the unit (which is pretty easy to get into). It seems not enough power is going into the system to run both the HD and the pretty lighting. People were losing their connectivity to the FreeAgent, but when the lighting plugs were disconnected, it miraculously worked again. Not very upstanding design with the power board there.
Quite a number of users also mentioned the system just not working any longer. Quite a few discovered via contact with Seagate that either the FreeAgent controller board had failed (which is very susceptible to the wobbliness bumps apparently) and others just had the HD go after only a few weeks or months of use.
Given the days of rework and lost data and rebuilding a new backup drive, etc. that this machine has cost me, and with what I've discovered from other users, there is no way that I can recommend it. Not without a serious re-design where the unit would LIE FLAT and therefore be much safer. That and a re-design of the controller board to be more rugged and better internal powering to run both the cute lighting and the HD. Given the number of users that used the words 'class action suit' in their summaries of disasters, I can't imagine Seagate won't get out of this design without some loss as well. Makes up for the loss of all our data I guess.
 Excellent Drive, Lackluster Software May 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I like this drive, but it has some "issues" that you will have to work around or live with.
NO CABLE. This external FreeAgent drive does not come with an eSATA cable. You will want to get one. The problem is that there are a LOT of companies on the internet that are selling SATA products as eSATA products. There's a BIG difference. If you don't know what to look for, you can be fooled easily into buying something you'll regret later. You want to be informed before you buy any accessories. Use your favorite search engine to read up on "SATA vs. eSATA" or "SATA I vs. SATA II".
ADAPTER CARD. I have an older computer which has the slow-interfacing PCI card slots, and does not have USB 2.0 or eSATA ports. I could not find a PCI adapter card in this country with USB 2.0 and eSATA ports together on the same card. I bought one off of eBay, which was shipped from another country. Though the included drivers did not work, I subscribe to DriverAgent, Touchstone's driver update service. Their website was able to provide compatible drivers that do a fantastic job with the adapter card and this FreeAgent external drive.
You might wonder why anyone would consider feeding this high-speed drive with its high-speed eSATA connection, through a slow PCI card slot. Surprisingly, it performs VERY well! Transferring 45GB of my backup files from one drive to another normally takes about 8 hours. With this FreeAgent external drive, it only took 1-1/2 hours! It can take in data as fast as my computer can feed it. If fed through AGP or PCIe card slots, your data transfer rate will be even better than the results I got.
BACKUP & UTILITIES SOFTWARE. Backup software is included on this drive, and is set up to install as soon as the drive is plugged in. Of course, you are given the option to say "no". For me, the problem with this backup software is that it's lackluster. There are no "wow" features that would make me recommend this software over anyone else's. Furthermore, it's not disc-imaging software, my preference.
If you decide to store backups on this FreeAgent external drive using the included software, you cannot use this drive as additional storage space for your music files, photos, etc. In the process of creating a backup, the software will destroy anything already on it. You could partition this drive and use half for storage, and half for backups, but I did NOT experiment to see if the backup software destroys partitions. Sorry, I cannot answer that for you.
In Windows 2000, if you decide to NOT install the included software, you cannot remove the software files from the drive. Otherwise, if you do, the drive icon will turn to a white blank page. (This problem does not exist in Windows XP.) Using your computer's registry, there's a way to fix this problem AND remove the software files from the drive. It's too involved to discuss here. Search the internet for "customize drive icon", using your favorite search engine.
Another failure of the included software is that the Utilities do not work if this FreeAgent external drive is connected to your computer with an eSATA cable. The only function you get is "Run Drive Diagnostics". Then when you run it, you get a red diagnostic code telling you that your drive has a serious problem and needs servicing (it doesn't). Seagate is aware of this problem, and so states it on their website's Knowledge Base. If you wish to adjust the case lights and sleep interval of the drive (default is 15 minutes), you must install the included software, connecting this FreeAgent external drive to your computer via a USB 2.0 cable. Only then can you run the Utilities and make adjustments to the default settings.
One final caution: since this is still somewhat new technology, your favorite backup or disc-imaging software may not work if you have this FreeAgent external drive connected to your computer with an eSATA cable.
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