Choosing both operating systems required installation of the included Paragon NTFS for Mac driver to enable two-way Mac OS and Windows use. Snow Leopard) and asked if I wanted to use the drive with Mac and PC or Mac only.
The drive's software auto-detected my OS (Mac OS X version 10.6.8, a.k.a. I tested the Backup Plus using a MacBook Pro.
A colleague of mine had similar problems getting his Backup Plus Portable drive to save his Facebook data properly after a couple of calls to the support folks at Seagate, he got the drive to work. It took a couple attempts to get the drive to set up so that I could use its Protect data backup tool and dashboard menu. In the minus column, however, the setup is a bit kludgy. Pros: Easy to use performs well offers several interfacesĬons: Difficult setup loose connector in review unit In the plus column, the Backup Plus is whisper-quiet and versatile. Right off the bat, I formed two opposing impressions of this drive. I'm not sure if that's a design flaw or a manufacturing glitch with my unit. This caused the I/O interface to my computer to disengage more than once with little more than a slight movement of the USB cable. I had problems with my adapter, which had a loose connection to the drive's SATA interface. On the other hand, the desktop model has two Thunderbolt ports, so it can be used as a "pass-through" device. Unfortunately, if you have other Thunderbolt-enabled devices, Seagate's Backup Plus portable model will have to be at the end of the chain - it's got no Thunderbolt output port. One of the nice features of Thunderbolt is the ability to daisy chain up to five devices. The Seagate Backup Plus portable drive with the Universal Storage Module interface adapter removed. The FireWire adapter for the Backup Plus won't be available until the fall, but you can still use the GoFlex model of the adapter with this drive it just won't match new drive's look. The Thunderbolt adapter will run you $99. The drive comes standard with a USB 3.0 adapter snapped in, but that can be removed with a quick tug and replaced with a FireWire 800 or Thunderbolt adapter - if you're willing to part with some additional greenbacks. Like its predecessor, the GoFlex, the Backup Plus portable line comes with a Universal Storage Module - a removable SATA interface adapter.