Gadgets

Seagate GoFlex Satellite Wireless Portable Hard Drive

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief November 21, 2011 · 2 min read

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This is probably one of the coolest gadgets to come out this year — a wireless, portable HDD that streams videos to your iPad and syncs files to your laptop automatically over its own WiFi network. The Seagate GoFlex Satellite does all that and is battery-powered too.

The local PR of Seagate sent us a unit a couple of weeks ago and been using it to store tons of movies and stream them on my iPad 2. The drive capacity maxes out at 500GB and supports USB 3.0 for faster transfers.

The HDD itself has a built-in Li-Ion battery that lasts about 5 hours and recharges via the USB port whenever you plug it in your laptop or PC.

The device has its own WiFi network (WiFi 802.11 b/g/n) which connects up to 3 wireless devices at the same time. You can download the Seagate App for iOS devices so you to be able to manage and view contents of the HDD.

The problem with the iPad and other iDevices are too picky with file formats so most of your downloaded videos. What you cna do here is either convert the video files into supported formats or download the OPlayer from the iTunes App Store and use it to browse videos on the Seagate GoFlex Satellite.

The only thing I didn’t like about it is that your connected devices will be out of internet connection when hooked with the WiFi of the GoFlex Satellite.

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite retails for about Php9,888 (500GB model) and still way to pricey, about 2 to 3 times more expensive than the regular portable HDD of this capacity. The only consolation here is that you don’t need to upgrade your iPad or iPhone to the 64GB model and spent way more. Interestingly, the price difference between a 16GB and 64GB iPad 2 is exactly Php10,000 at the Apple Online Store.

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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44 Comments

Glads · 14 years ago

For those interested, you can see my tpc post…

http://www.tipidpc.com/viewitem.php?iid=18186651

kian · 14 years ago

where can i buy this??

Lulu · 15 years ago

so expensive for a HDD.

Alex Ibrado · 15 years ago

I run mine with firmware from http://www.hackseagatesatellite.com/ .. and I must say it’s well worth the $35 I spent.

1. My Satellite is now a regular WiFi NAS with Samba/SMB, SFTP, and WebDav so there are no file restrictions any more. I streamed a 1080p MP4 and a 720p MKV perfectly via XBMC for iOS.

2. You can get it to connect to your main WiFi network (i.e. it becomes a LAN client instead of a router), so your client devices don’t lose Internet connectivity.

3. You can play around with Optware, etc… it’s a Linux box! :-)

dumont · 15 years ago

I wonder if this device is just a gimmick of some sort. Why would you put wireless capability to an already portable gadget? Unless you’re using wireless-N, it’s probably faster to transfer files using USB.

douche · 15 years ago

2 words….maria ozawa

joshuab · 15 years ago

I saw this at V-Mall, Greenhills last 2 weeks ago. It was on sale, from 9.8k to 9k. I think you can still haggle the price.

GensanBoy · 15 years ago

Ive been waiting for this device to come out locally. I hope they would lower down the price though.

coachjojoc · 15 years ago

Was in Singapore two weeks ago and did the rounds at the Funan IT Mall and Sim Lim Square. Only 1 store (South Asia 3/F Funan) was selling the Go-Flex wireless.

Chesley Bourne · 15 years ago

I have a seagate 500Gig harddrive but this portable one is better, I guess. I also saw a review here: http://bit.ly/s5zj4I

Mike · 15 years ago

I’m sorry for the multiple post, there seemed to be no delete option.

Something happened to my earlier post (latency perhaps while I was trying to edit), please delete my previous multiple post & just leave the last one instead, thanks.

Iyan Sommerset · 15 years ago

Similar to wireless mice. Cute gimmick but in the end, it just isn’t worth the hassle of battery life, charging, etc.

coachjojoc · 15 years ago

Bought 2 at Villman.

Using VLC and CineX players on my iPad (but super HD videos will not work on either player).

iamdoods · 15 years ago

Lovely! So where can I get one?

Mike · 15 years ago

iLike.

But unfortunately, like you said, Internet connectivity isn’t possible unfortunately (at this time), if you’re device might be using Wi-Fi to get connected to the Internet.. since it’s also using Wi-Fi to connect instead.

And if that’s so, maybe they should’ve provided a Bluetooth option instead, in order for your mobile device to be connected w/Wi-Fi then use file transfers from this portable hard drive.

Incidentally, iDevices aren’t known for Bluetooth transfers w/their iDevices if I’m not mistaken.. Wi-Fi is the preferred option instead.

Nonetheless, how about if your mobile or iDevice has 4G, 3G, 2G, etc. (instead of Wi-Fi) in order to get connected to the Internet, does it still apply that you can’t do file transfers via Wi-Fi w/Seagates’ GoFlex Satellite Wireless Portable Hard Drive?

Hmm..

: /

coachjojoc · 15 years ago

…does it still apply that you canâ€™t do file transfers via Wi-Fi w/Seagateâ€™s GoFlex Satellite Wireless Portable Hard Drive?

In this case the procedure is to physically connect via usb cable and transfer the files. Then disconnect and start viewing thru your iPad.

sani G · 15 years ago

I wonder how is the transfer rate of the videos. https://spn.sr/pnk

ian · 15 years ago

it’s too pricey for a 500gb storage.

i use vlc media player to play vids on my ipad2. no need to convert stuff. (i used to convert from avi to m4v, stored in my itunes>movies).

just use your wired connection to transfer files via itunes, or better yet, use itunes wifi sync to transfer files to your vlc media player app in your iphone/ipad/ipod touch.

but good job though! hope to see more wifi external storage in the near future…

Norman · 15 years ago

I’ll buy this but only when the price will be at around P3000+.

Norman · 15 years ago

I’ll buy this but only when the price will be around P3000+.

benchmark · 15 years ago

wifi? Hmmm is wifi faster than Bluetooth?

I think wifi is much faster, but these device is internet (wifi) dependent. Maybe in other countries, this device is good…but here in the Ph, where IMO internet still sucks.