Seagate GoFlex Turbo

Seagate GoFlex Turbo Review

Small, sleek and preloaded with a number of helpful utilities, the Seagate GoFlex Turbo ($179) makes a good first impression. But when it comes to speed and storage, the most important qualities of any portable hard drive, does the Turbo have it where it really counts? Read on to find out.Click to EnlargeThe 750GB Seagate GoFlex Turbo appears to be a smaller version of the GoFlex Satellite. It features the same glossy black plastic top, silver plastic sides and matte finish on the bottom. Like the Satellite, the Turbo uses Seagate's proprietary docking connector, which allows you to easily switch the drive's interface from USB 3.0 to powered eSATA or FireWire 800. The only features of the Satellite missing on the Turbo are the power port and button on either side of the drive.Measuring 4.4 x 3.3 x 0.5 inches and weighing 6.4 ounces, the GoFlex Turbo is positively sleek compared to its competitors. The LaCie Rugged Mini, which measures 5.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches and weighs 10.6 ounces, dwarfs the Turbo, while the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme, although small at 5.1 x 3.5 x 0.7 inches and 8.2 ounces, still cannot match it for size. To be fair, the latter two are bulkier as a result of having ruggedized features.