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Seagate's new Mac portable drives also Windows-friendly

Seagate announces a new lineup of GoFlex portable drives designed specifically for Macs that can also work with Windows.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
Dong Ngo
2 min read

A new drive in the GoFlex for Mac family from Seagate.
A new drive in the GoFlex for Mac family from Seagate. Dong Ngo/CNET

LAS VEGAS--Among many things, Seagate's GoFlex family of portable hard drives were well-received during 2010 because they come with software drivers that allow Macs to read and write to them, even when they're reformatted using NTFS, the file system of the Windows operating system.

Now the role is reversed. The company announced today a new collection of GoFlex for Mac external drives that are reformatted using the HFS+ file system for Mac OS X and come with software drivers that allow them to work fully with Windows.

While this is not confirmed, the software is likely a rebranded version of Paragon's HF+ for Windows or something of that sort, which normally costs extra to use.

Other than that, each GoFlex for Mac product comes bundled with FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 adapters and cables--the most popular interfaces for Apple computers. Like all other GoFlex drives, however, they support the flexibility to change the drive's interface to USB 3.0 or powered eSATA for use with Windows computers, or in case your Mac supports these types of connectivity.

Seagate GoFlex for Mac -- photos

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Design-wise, the new GoFlex drives for Macs share a similar look as those for Windows but come in white and feature a durable, metallic-finish chassis, which, according to Seagate, is designed to withstand scratches, fingerprints, or other marks incurred from regular usage.

The new lineup of GoFlex for Mac external drives includes:

  • GoFlex for Mac ultraportable drive: A 2.5-inch portable drive designed specifically for use with Apple's Time Machine right out of the box. It's slated to cost $200 for 1TB and $250 for 1.5TB.

  • GoFlex for Mac Limited Edition ultraportable drive: A slim 1TB portable drive that has the depth of just 12.5mm and is shorter in length than the iPhone. The estimated price is $200.

  • GoFlex Pro for Mac ultraportable drive: A high-speed (7,200rpm) portable drive that offers fast performance for professionals. The drive also includes a Firewire 800 cable and comes in two capacities: 500GB and 750GB, which cost $150 and $180, respectively.

  • GoFlex Desk for Mac drive: This is the only desktop (based on a 3.5-inch internal hard drive) external hard drive in the lineup that offers highest capacities and performance. It's available in 2TB and 3TB capacities that cost $220 and $280, respectively.

Like other drives in the GoFlex family, each GoFlex for Mac drive can be used with other devices in the GoFlex Storage System such as the GoFlex Net media sharing device and the GoFlex TV HD media player.

Users also have the option to download additional software for use with all GoFlex for Mac drives that will provide helpful utilities such as a control to turn the activity lights off and a tool to verify that the drive is functioning properly.

Each drive in the family also comes backed by a Seagate three-year warranty. The new GoFlex Drive for Mac lineup is available now.