Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter Starts Shipping

[btarunr]

Seagate started shipping its GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter accessory. The gadget lets you connect a SATA drive (HDD or SSD) to a host machine over 10 Gbps Thunderbolt interface, completely eliminating any bottleneck (USB 3.0 bottlenecks SATA 6 Gb/s). It works by simply sliding and locking in a SATA device to its industry-standard SATA power+data interface, and plugging the adapter to the host using a Thunderbolt cable. The Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter is priced at US $99.99.

[imitation]

That's just ridiculously expensive, considering you'll also need the GoFlex HDD itself.
For that money, you can buy a 1TB hard drive and a case/dock combo that gives you full Sata speed when docked and eSata or USB3 on the go.

[Red_Machine]

No, you can use any drive. It says it uses the standard SATA power/data interface. Still kinda pointless when right now Macs are the only machines that come with thunderbolt from the factory.

[imitation]

Well, yes the connector is the same. But it looks like the HDD needs to be the correct shape, too, or won't sit flush against the Thunderbolt adapter.
Anyways, if you're using eSata drives already, it's very likely that you don't have thunderbolt on your PC.

[btarunr]

Originally Posted by imitation

Well, yes the connector is the same. But it looks like the HDD needs to be the correct shape, too, or won't sit flush against the Thunderbolt adapter.
Anyways, if you're using eSata drives already, it's very likely that you don't have thunderbolt on your PC.

Any 3.5", 2.5", or 1.8" HDD can be slotted in like an NES cartridge, and it will work just fine.

[R_1]

Too expensive for a simple docking station. Some other Segate NAS devices are in that price range too, but they have gigahertz SoC, 128/256 RAM/NAND and can run Linux : http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/ar...te-goflex-home

[imitation]

Originally Posted by btarunr

Any 3.5", 2.5", or 1.8" HDD can be slotted in like an NES cartridge, and it will work just fine.

Ah, i thought this was eSata. Well, i guess it's gotten a fair bit more interesting right there, even though its use is still limited to Macs.

[Isenstaedt]

I was hoping for a PCI-E thunderbolt expansion card

[Dippyskoodlez]

The goflex stuff isn't standard Sata (I tried, lol). With a little modification I'm sure it would work, however.

But i have 4x 1tb goflex drives that I swap a FW800 adaptor out with sometimes. Thunderbolt addition just makes me even more glad I went with goflex devices. Bravo seagate. It's really nice to see a "form factor" made by someone isn't just abandoned a year after its introduction.

Love the drives, love the continued support.

Originally Posted by R_1

Too expensive for a simple docking station. Some other Segate NAS devices are in that price range too, but they have gigahertz SoC, 128/256 RAM/NAND and can run Linux : http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/ar...te-goflex-home

It's not a docking station. It's an attachment that goes on the end of the small goflex HDD.

[DanishDevil]

GoFlex adapters are NOT standard SATA connectors on these adapters! With a little modification, they can be, though.



Note the extra bumps on either edge of the top and bottom of the SATA connector. If you shave those off, it will work with any SATA drive. Without removing them, any SATA HDD with a plastic shroud around the actual connectors (most drive that I've seen) will not fit. Let's hope Seagate hasn't gone to using metal or something not as easily removed as the plastic they've used in the past.

Also, this specific adapter is meant for their portable GoFlex 2.5" drives.

[bim27142]

Ok... Technology seems nice............. and expensive... But, how on earth will a Seagate GoFlex maximize the use of Thunderbolt? Am I missing something here? Even the fastest SSD won't be able to fully saturate 6Gbps... How much more for a damn low RPM mobile mechanical HDD???

[Dippyskoodlez]

Originally Posted by bim27142

Ok... Technology seems nice............. and expensive... But, how on earth will a Seagate GoFlex maximize the use of Thunderbolt? Am I missing something here? Even the fastest SSD won't be able to fully saturate 6Gbps... How much more for a damn low RPM mobile mechanical HDD???

Unlike USB you can daisy chain thunderbolt devices like firewire, and send video output across. SO you can have a single cable that looks like this:

Laptop-> HDD1-> HDD2-> HDD3-> Random peripheral-> Monitor
-> Power


Super simplified docking station.

Also, Macbook pro's won't have USB 3 until ivy bridge launches(Since its going from a third party chipset to integrated), most likely, so its a faster than usb 2.0 option for mac users. USB 2 is worthless.

[Munki]

Lucky me, I have a Mac with Thunderbolt....Smart me, I won't be paying an extra $100 for that adapter.