Seagate ST 5.0GB Pocket Hard Drive

Conclusion:

First looking at the performance results, the Seagate 5.0GB Pocket Drive was slower than the Corsair Flash Voyager thumb drive, and of course, was evidently slower than the 5400RPM Hitachi ATA-6 mobile hard drive with SilverStone MS02 enclosure. The transfer-rate can largely vary across flash-based thumb drives due to the various dual channel technologies as well as other techniques with manufacturers; the Corsair Flash Voyager is among the fastest flash-based thumb drives we have tested -- only being outperformed by the OCZ Rally. Although there are small 3600 RPM platters spinning around, we noticed very little noise although there was a fair amount of heat after it had been running for an extended amount of time. The retractable cable could be a bit longer for extended ease of use when interfacing the device with a desktop computer. While it is not as small as a flash-based thumb drive, it can easily fit into a pocket or other peculiar areas. One of the other areas that has room for improvement with Seagate's Pocket Hard Drive series is revamping the plastic exterior to further improve the longevity of the device and possibly sporting a water resistant shield. The Seagate 5.0GB device has certainly dropped in price since it first premiered and is presently selling for approximately $80 USD, while the Corsair Flash Voyager 4GB sells for approximately $100-120 USD. Certainly, the price for these drives is not bad, and its speed is respectable depending upon the environment. Depending upon your specific needs, the Seagate Pocket Hard Drive series is a viable alternative to flash-based devices with a greater storage capacity -- Seagate is also likely to unveil additional models with even greater capacities.