In the plus column, the Backup Plus is whisper-quiet and versatile. Right off the bat, I formed two opposing impressions of this drive. I'm not sure if that's a design flaw or a manufacturing glitch with my unit. This caused the I/O interface to my computer to disengage more than once with little more than a slight movement of the USB cable. I had problems with my adapter, which had a loose connection to the drive's SATA interface. On the other hand, the desktop model has two Thunderbolt ports, so it can be used as a "pass-through" device.
Unfortunately, if you have other Thunderbolt-enabled devices, Seagate's Backup Plus portable model will have to be at the end of the chain - it's got no Thunderbolt output port. One of the nice features of Thunderbolt is the ability to daisy chain up to five devices. The Seagate Backup Plus portable drive with the Universal Storage Module interface adapter removed. The FireWire adapter for the Backup Plus won't be available until the fall, but you can still use the GoFlex model of the adapter with this drive it just won't match new drive's look. The Thunderbolt adapter will run you $99. The drive comes standard with a USB 3.0 adapter snapped in, but that can be removed with a quick tug and replaced with a FireWire 800 or Thunderbolt adapter - if you're willing to part with some additional greenbacks. While it does put you a few dollars back, it’s worth modifying for the Seagate hard drive.Like its predecessor, the GoFlex, the Backup Plus portable line comes with a Universal Storage Module - a removable SATA interface adapter.
The hard drive is not without its limitations, though: If you’re a Mac user without a USB 3 port, for example, you will need to buy an adapter. However, given you get double the storage, I would recommend the 2 TB model. Seagate even sells a 1 TB version that is more affordable at $53. For reference, other 2 TB hard drives fall anywhere between $50 to $250.
Other shoppers seem to agree - this hard drive has garnered a solid 4.7-star average rating from almost 2,000 Amazon reviewers. Although I rarely go anywhere these days, the 3.17-ounce weight makes it that much easier to pull out when needed. Measuring less than half an inch thick, it’s a thin hard drive that takes up virtually no space in my backpack - that means I can access all my files, regardless of where I am. In the end, it only took around seven minutes to complete.
When I was importing over 20 GB of video footage from my camera to the hard drive, I found the whole process super efficient. The Seagate Plus Slim’s biggest draw for me is its transfer speed (or how long it takes to transfer files from my laptop to the hard drive): 141 megabytes per second. I’ve been using a hard drive to streamline my workflow for a few years now, but it wasn’t until my last hard drive’s data got corroded (I dropped it and it dented) and months of research, scanning the internet for the best portable hard drive and deal, that I ultimately bought the Seagate Backup Plus Slim. Additionally, the Seagate ensures my camera SD card data doesn’t fill up - once I finish uploading my images to my portable hard drive, I can clear my SD card and continue photographing. The hard drive provides me a large space to do so and lets me preview them anywhere, whether I’m home or on the go. I’ve learned that it doesn’t take long for me to run out of storage on my laptop - not to mention climbing closer to that maximum slows down my computer in the process.Īlso as a student majoring in photography and journalism, I frequently need to offload my images and videos from my camera before submitting them to my professors for review. And so my most coveted work-from-home equipment has become a portable hard drive. Which office chair won’t lead to long-term joint and back pain? Should I opt for a standing desk? Do I need a second monitor? But the biggest thing I’ve taken away from the transition is just how important digital data storage is. As we pass the one-year anniversary of working from home, I’ve considered multiple upgrades to help me work from my bedroom more efficiently.