Seagate FreeAgent Go Dock 100521233

This dock is an optional accessory to the Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drive. You can also plug the FreeAgent directly to your desktop or laptop, but having a docking station certainly makes the set-up look much nicer, especially if you plan to leave it that way for regularly scheduled back-up.

It comes with a simulated leather case for the hard drive unit (there is no case included with the FreeAgent), so for not a lot more money you can have both the case and the dock.

Note that the dock uses two USB ports on your PC, one for power and one for data. There is a special cable provided for that purpose. If you choose to plug the FreeAgent directly to the PC without a dock, you need only one USB port which supports both power and data (a single-USB cable is provided with the FreeAgent). Don't get this dock unless you have two ports available.

The reason this dock comes with (2) USB connectors is for backward compatibility when used on older systems with USB 1.1 or early USB 2.0 (low USB power provision) ports - using two ports essentially doubles the power that's fed/required to spin up the FreeAgent module. Newer computers with full power supplying capability USB 2.0 ports will work just fine with only one connector attached.

This dock is not needed to use the Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drive, but it sure makes a desk look less cluttered. I've got one for my computer and another connected to my SlingCatcher. Moving the hard drive between docks is easy and I I like how it only takes one hand to insert or remove the hard drive from the dock. I would consider the dock a luxury item.