Perhaps sensing a new trend, hard drive manufacturer Seagate has found a way to get a little slice of the mobile device market with GoFlex Satellite, a Wi-Fi enabled portable hard drive capable of beaming media content to up to three iOS devices at once.
Seagate has announced preordering is now available for its new GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless device, billed as “the first battery-powered external hard drive to wirelessly extend the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device.” The company is clearing aiming for iOS users by offering the companion GoFlex Media app out of the gate for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
"With the growth of the tablet and iPad markets and the larger volumes of high-quality media now being consumed, there is a clear need for access to content that is not plagued with the challenges of being streamed video over the Internet," said Patrick Connolly, vice president and general manager of Seagate's retail group. "The unfortunate fact is that these popular new mobile devices are hampered by their limited storage capacity while one of their primary functions is that of media consumption.
"With the GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage, we wished to create an elegant solution that provides real value to the multitude of iPad users out there by delivering a seamless connection to local storage,” Connolly continues. “No longer will a consumer feel as though it is a compromise to purchase a lower capacity tablet or iPad. With GoFlex Satellite, people will be able to carry their entire media library with them without the need for wires or the web at a fraction of the cost of adding 3G or purchasing or a higher capacity tablet."
GoFlex Satellite comes packing 500GB of hard drive storage with 802.11b/g/n wireless capability and a rechargeable battery, all for $199 retail. Preorders are being taken now at Seagate’s website as well as Amazon and BestBuy.com, and Best Buy retail stores will stock them in July. The companion free GoFlex Media app is available now on the App Store, with an Android version promised for this summer -- right around the same time Seagate promises “global availability” for the device itself.
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