Xtreme backup for Windows - Review Seagate Xtreme Edition

After I reviewed the Apple Time Capsule some time back, a lot of readers wrote in asking if I had something specific for Windows. Well, I do, and it is called the Seagate FreeAgent Xtreme Edition.

When I got the Seagate Xtreme Edition Desktop Hard Disk, called the FreeAgent Xtreme, I was surprised to see the port options—it had two Firewire ports, an eSata Port and a USB 2.0 Port. It also had a Kensington lock port, in case you wanted to lock this to your desk. I loved the feel and form factor of the drive as well as its all-black appearance. However, I thought the USB and Firewire cables as well as the power adapter should have been in black too.

The drive was very quiet when I tested it with a lot of read and write. It also managed to stay cool despite Delhi’s heat, unlike other external hard disks which often tend to heat up. I was unable to use it with my Mac as the drive was formatted for Windows, but it performed efficiently on my Windows PC.


The Seagate FreeAgent utility comes preinstalled on the hard disk, but has to be installed on to your PC. The utility can backup your data at scheduled intervals, and can also help you look for data that you have backed up on multiple hard disks. It has built-in profiles to backup My Documents, Photos, Music, Videos, or all your files at one go. The software also supports encryption, so other users can read the data only if they have the decryption key. The software also puts the hard drive in sleep mode when not in use for more than 15 minutes, thus saving power. But Seagate should have thought of a way to manage the tangle of cables the unit creates.

I already have some machines which have an eSata Port, which will soon become a standard on desktops enabling you to connect at high speeds, higher than firewire. I got great speeds when I tested the eSata using an HP workstation. However, it stopped working after I left the drive idle—not sure if it was a problem with my eStata Port or the drive? If you don’t have a PC with an e-Sata port, you should look at acquiring one. With speeds up to 3GB/second it becomes extremely fast to backup your data or to restore it. The maximum you can achieve on a USB is 480 Mb/second.

Seagate comes with a five-year warranty as standard on all their hard disk products. They have an after-sales warranty that works and with the new on-site warranty they come and change/fix your drive at site in some towns. At Rs 14,500 for a 1.5 TB unit, this is the best-priced External Hard Disk, at less than Rs 10 per GB. The box contains the hard disk, a Firewire cable and a USB cable, but no e-Sata cable. It also contains an attachable stand for the unit, and a power adapter. The hard disk is 6.89” in height, and 1.33” in width and weighs about 1.39 kg.

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The above review, was printed in the Indian Express, dated Sunday July 19, 2009