External drives are great, but they’re often bulky. That might be fine if you’re after something rugged, but what if you want one that fits into luggage without a second thought? Seagate has something at CES this year for that.
The gadget that will win over lovers of style and anyone else who demands something thin and light to match their new ultra-light computer is a hard drive, and it bears the name “Seven” because, well, that’s the size being offered.
Seagate’s new ultra-thin drive offers a 7mm thickness, and takes the design of the hard drive normally found under the body of a laptop and brings it to the surface, with a minimalist take on how it should look.
Bare and metal is what we’re seeing, and we’re reminded of the simple look internal drives take, albeit without the green silicon strip we expect to see, and a fill slab of steel covering the drive.
“Seagate has been providing the world with storage since the modern origins of computing history,” said Seagate’s Mark Whitby.
“Seagate Seven is designed to speak to this history, while looking forward to the future of where storage technology is headed. We believe that Seagate Seven will resonate with those who want the latest trend in mechanical design while inspiring the user to create great experiences and memories.”
The drive on offer is USB 3.0, with the one port sitting on the back providing power and data, and while Seagate hasn’t mentioned specifically what the drive is beyond the 500GB size, we suspect it’s a 5400RPM model.
Availability in Australia hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we’ll let you know if/when Seagate plans to make this thing materialise before your very eyes.
And it won’t be the only new drive for Seagate this year, with Seven joined by Seagate’s “Wireless”, another 500GB drive made to stream media to phones and tablets across the Apple iOS, Google android, and even Microsoft Windows (RT and 8) space.
The inclusion of 500GB of space means up to 200 high definition movies can be stored, and while you can plug the drive into your computer, WiFi will be used to send the movies to phones and tablets, with the devices connecting to the drive’s own WiFi network. Also of note is that you won’t need a phone or tablet, with the wireless drive also providing compatibility for Apple AirPlay, Google Chromecast, and even a few Samsung and LG Smart TVs, too.
“Seagate pioneered the product category of wireless storage devices and is pleased at how the category has grown over the years,” said Seagate’s Patrick Connolly. “The latest generation of Seagate Wireless extends that legacy and makes the wireless streaming experience broadly available to far more consumers.”
Seagate in Australia has confirmed that this one will be coming, with the Seagate Wireless drive arriving in several colours “later this quarter” in Australia and New Zealand.
