It's been a while since my last "oh my god can you believe how cheap hard drives have gotten?!" post, and today's deal definitely fits the mold.
While supplies last, Newegg has the Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 2.0 external hard drive for $69.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCJKHK36 at checkout--and tied for the best price I've ever seen for a drive of this size.
Let me say right up front that user reviews for the Expansion are decidedly mixed. For whatever reason, there seems to be a higher-than-average failure rate for this model, though it appears to manifest itself within the first few weeks or even days of operation.
That's not good, of course, but there are plenty of people who reported zero problems. Also, if you check the ratings for just about any other external hard drive, you'll see a similarly broad spectrum.
I'm not defending the drive, merely noting that there seems to be a gamble with any external drive you buy these days. My advice: tread lightly before storing any irreplaceable data on the drive, and make sure you have a backup for your backup.
The Expansion is your basic black monolith with a USB 2.0 interface and built-in power management features designed to help reduce power consumption. It comes with a one-year warranty.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it worth spending $20-30 more for a drive that has a better reputation? And if you've purchased this drive in the past, what was your experience with it?
Bonus deal: Calling all Mac users! The $49 Mac SuperBundle features nine programs with a combined value of more than $300. And when the sale count hits 3,000, the developers will unlock a free 10th program. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you decide you don't like the apps.