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Seagate STM903203BAA1E1-RK Maxtor STM903203BAA1E1-RK 320GB Black Armor 2.5-Inch External Hard Drive

Seagate STM903203BAA1E1-RK Maxtor STM903203BAA1E1-RK 320GB Black Armor 2.5-Inch External Hard Drive
Brand: Seagate
Category: CE

List Price: $263.18
Buy New: $149.39
You Save: $113.79 (43%)



New (39) Used (1) from $108.99

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 8 reviews
Sales Rank: 1965

Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Hard Drive Size: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.6 x 1.9
Warranty: 5 years warranty

MPN: STM903203BAA1E1-RK
Model: STM903203BAA1E1-RK
UPC: 763649009123
EAN: 0763649009123
ASIN: B00186R7M4

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Features:
  • Box Content - BlackArmor external hard drive with pre-loaded security and backup software, Quick Start guide, USB 2.0 cable, and Protective slip case
  • Protected by Seagate Secure hardware based encryption technology delivering Government certification as the strongest data security available for an external storage device
  • Removal of the USB cable from your computer auto locks the drive
  • No tedious manual security procedures found in software-based encryption technology
  • Hint feature offers a reminder in the event of a forgotten password

Accessories:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition FULL VERSION with SP2
  • Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
  • Windows Live OneCare 2.0 (Up to 3 Users)
  • Nero 8 Ultra Edition [OLD VERSION]
  • Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
The BlackArmor Portable Hard Drive is the always encrypted, government-grade secure storage solution designed for carrying your sensitive business and personal data with you. Featuring hardware-based full-disc encryption technology, it not only prohibits access to your data without the password, but also eliminates tedious manual security procedures that are required in other technologies. When its USB cable is removed from the computer, the drive automatically locks. Not even a professional data recovery service can access or restore your data without the correct password. Plus, should you choose, permanent deletion of the encryption key allows for secure repurposing of the drive. Permanently delete encryption key for secure redeployment Pre-loaded software makes installation quick and easy Automated backup scheduling Sync to multiple computers on the same operating system USB 2.0 interface powers your drive and ensures fast data transfer at 480Mb/sec Securely carry your sensitive data Quickly and easily back up and store your data Transport your data in a compact, lightweight device Securely redeploy your portable hard drive System Requirements - Pentium III, 500Mhz equivalent processor or higher, Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, or Business or Windows XP Home, Professional, or Media Center Edition, 256MB RAM, Internet connection for software updates, and 1 available USB port Dimensions - Height 5.17 x Width 3.32 x Length 0.67 (131.2x84.2x16.9mm) Weight - 7.20 ounces (204.12 grams)

Manufacturer Product Description
Always encrypted, government-grade, secure portable storage designed especially for carrying your sensitive business and personal data with you. Featuring hardware-based full-disc encryption technology, it not only prohibits access to your data without the password, but eliminates tedious manual security procedures.



128-bit AES Government-grade Security.


Invalid Password Prohibits access to data. No Exceptions!


Keep all your digital content in a safe and secure location.
Government grade, secure portable storage
Designed for those who have valuable information they wish to keep secure and private, the Maxtor BlackArmor product is an attractive, portable solution that provides unparalleled security for direct attached storage devices. Using Seagate Secure technology, Maxtor's BlackArmor drive is designed to keep data locked up and protected in the event of loss or theft. Seagate Secure technology is a hardware-based encryption, making the encryption transparent to the user and free of complicated installation and use procedures required by software based security. The Maxtor BlackArmor external storage solution uses a government-grade AES encryption certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to deliver the strongest commercially available data security available for external storage.

The Maxtor BlackArmor product provides transparent, real-time encryption of all the data on the device, not just selected files; providing performance and ease of use advantages over manual software-based security controls. The BlackArmor product also puts all security keys and cryptographic operations within the device, delivering stronger protection against hacking and tampering than traditional software alternatives. The BlackArmor product's key encryption technology can also securely wipe out the data for simple, cost-effective redeployment or disposal of the product - an important capability for organizations of all sizes.

The sleek and slim design of this hard drive--only measures 5.17 x 0.67 x 3.32-inches (H x D x W). The Maxtor BlackArmor lets you transfer files seamlessly from your computer via its USB 2.0 connection at a brisk transfer rate of up to 480Mb/sec. The drive delivers a spindle speed of 5,400 RPM, giving you the high-speed performance you need to back your data up quickly and safely.

Simple automated backup, restoration, sync, and power management software is also pre-loaded. Up to 320GB storage capacity with a USB 2.0 interface. It's easy to install - just plug the external drive into an available USB port on your PC, run the preloaded software, and presto you're good to go.

At this compact size, and with this high performance, you now have the ability to take your data with you anywhere you go, so your digital content finally has room to breathe. A five-year warranty is also included, giving you complete peace of mind.

System Requirements - Pentium III, 500Mhz equivalent processor or higher, Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, or Business or Windows XP Home, Professional, or Media Center Edition, 256MB RAM, Internet connection for software updates, and 1 available USB port.

Product Highlights

Hardware-based full-disc encryption technology Invalid password prohibits access to your data
Removal of the USB cable from your computer auto locks the drive No tedious manual security procedures found in software-based encryption technology
Hint feature offers a reminder in the event of a forgotten password Permanently delete encryption key for secure disposal or redeployment
Pre-loaded software makes installation quick and easy Automated backup scheduling
Sync to multiple computers on the same operating system USB 2.0 interface powers your drive and ensures fast data transfer
5-year limited warranty


Maxtor is the expert and the leader in designing simple external storage and backup solutions for consumers and professionals. Maxtor offers a broad line of trusted, intuitive storage solutions for safeguarding critical business data, digital files and personal memories. Protected by Seagate Secure hardware-based encryption technology, BlackArmor delivers superior data protection in the event of loss or theft and government certification as the strongest data security available for an external storage device. The Maxtor BlackArmor solution is the easy way to back up and store photos, videos, games, music, business data, personal information and more, protected from unauthorized use.


What's in the Box
BlackArmor external hard drive with pre-loaded security and backup software, quick start quide, USB 2.0 cable, protective slip case, 5-year warranty




Customer Reviews:   Read 3 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Solid (near perfect) protection.   November 11, 2008
J. Vega
I use this HDD for storing my pictures and very important files. It goes with me everywhere. I especially like the fact that if you forget your password you literally have to wipe out the entire drive (meaning you lose everything) and recreate a new password in order to use the drive. If the drive is stolen, the information cannot be retreived unless you have the password. Although a top-notch hacker can probably retrieve it...nothing is perfect you know. My only complaint (which I failed to notice initially) is that the drive runs at 5400rpm. I would of liked 7200rpm. But it does its job. Another plus to this is that it is powered by your USB port. If for whatever reason your USB port cannot power the device, you can order a special cable that goes from minUSB to double USB so that the drive gathers power from two USB ports. All in all, I enjoy the cool blue lights on the drive and really have no major complaints. I use it to store and thats about it. If I were using it for more, I'd invest in a faster drive. That's all folks!


5 out of 5 stars Speed penalty and the dreaded Y-cable... or not   October 15, 2008
C. Li (Mission Viejo, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I was in the market for a blackarmor 320gb, or a freeagent go 320gb (new slim version). The encryption isn't a must have but the original reason why I was drawn to this particular drive. I have been researching a little every night for a week. Beyond the two or three relatively thorough reviews on the smaller 160gb drive, I still wanted to know two things:

1. Does the speed difference kill the deal for a BlackArmor 320gb? I could not find an HDtach post on either of these new drives!

2. Do both freeagent go slim and BlackArmor drives come with a Y-cable OR a single cable? (reason why you might care below)

There's not much I can do about HDTach tests, I have to just buy the drive and find out.

Now bear with me on this rant about cables. I have the previous generation freeagent go 160gb and the Y-cable is very annoying to pack for traveling. At 30 inches, it's longer than needed for notebook users and/or travelers. I NEVER find myself working on a tabletop that allowed or required me to place my drive 30 inches away, or even if I wanted to for whatever reason. In this day and age, it's VERY unsightly seeing cables sitting on the desk when they don't need to be. This is why I wanted my next "portable" drive to have a short SINGLE usb port to minimize cables and plugs and overall bulk when traveling. I know, I know, I could easily go out and look for a short usb cable for the drive, but I am lazy. We learn from past mistakes, and one of the things I grew to hate about my FreeAgent Go 160gb was the cable. The other was the stupid (initially cool) wedge shape that makes it a cumbersome task to pick up.

The few reviews of the BlackAmor I found, do not confirm whether this drive comes with short single USB cables or the y-cables designed help deliver more power to the drive. So after a week of failure to learn these key issues on either drive, I decided on the BlackArmor purely for its encryption, ready to deal with a slower drive and another annoying y-cable.

THE DRIVE ARRIVED...
...and I'm very happy to report, the BlackArmor 320gb comes with a short black 17.5" SINGLE PLUG USB cable and not a long gaudy Y-cable of old. This cable was good enough to carry power to the hard drive from both my PC and my VAIO TX notebook. I was worried but glad to find out that this 320gb drive can function from 1 port's power (~500mw?). It's also nice to see that they've learned that these portable drives need a portable cable.

Right after I setup the password, I immediately ran an hdtach test in xp against my old freeagent go 160gb because the BlackArmor isn't worth it to me if it was significantly slower, I was hoping for no more than 15% slower average read speed.

The BlackArmor 320gb benched 32.8MB/s average read, and 22.6ms access time with 7% cpu utilization.

The FreeAgent go 160gb did 31.4MB/s average read, and 16.0ms access time with 8% cpu utilization. *this drive was ~60% full during the test

I know I am comparing two different sized drives. Again since I can't find a bench for the freeagent 320gb (besides one with a very horrible result of 10MB/s) I am doing this comparison for my own sake of judging what speed is acceptable or not.

Anyway, the penalty in access time is heavier than I had hoped, but overall it isn't significant enough to make me regret getting it instead of the new 320gb FreeAgent Go. The read speed is surprisingly fast since the 160gb blackarmor seemed to be benching around 18MB/s. I will be keeping my eye out for more benches for these drive because I'm still curious, but regardless I am happy with this drive.

As a final note, the pouch supplied seals the deal for me. it's made of a thin microfiber suede material and should protect it from basic handling while traveling in your briefcase or computer case. As described by the other reviewer, the pouch has a divider using the same microfiber suede material that lets you put the pouch in there safely without scratching. It's appreciated. Also, I recommend handing the drive by grabbing the drive itself while it's in the pouch and not by the nylon pull string or expect to accidentally drop the drive onto the floor.

I didn't purchase my drive from Amazon because I was fortunate to find a cheap auction, though I would have purchased from Amazon as my next choice. I have read all 6 of the reviews on Amazon when I was deciding on mine and want to thank Amazon's service by posting my own review to help others. I hope my review has helped you decide on or against the drive.




2 out of 5 stars Great HW encryption, Not reliable though...   October 12, 2008
porpet (Kingman)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I bought 2 of these back in Aug 08 from OD on sale for 139. The first one was DOA. The second one was working perfectly, but 10 days of use started to display a 'potential failure imminent, call Seagate for RMA' though it still continued to work just fine. Caution got the best of me and returned after 14 days (max rtn policy at OD), unfortunately they had no more in stock. With this kind of record, I will not buy online, as the rma return and exch would eat me up in shipping costs. I'll wait until it's on sale locally again for another try. Great idea, Mounts as a CD (read only) drive until logged in, then you get another drive letter with the 320gb capacity. Same as the Sandisk cruzers using the U3 technology.


5 out of 5 stars Great companion for Netbooks with small SSD Drives   September 21, 2008
Lincoln J. Mennuti (New York, NY United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Let's get right to it...

^-- The Pros --^
- Chunky capacity in a small, easy to carry package
- Comes with a pull-string pouch. The semi non-slip material of the pouch makes it a little tricky to put-in/take-out the drive, but is worth the hassle because you can lay the drive on the pouch while in use and not have to worry too much that the drive will shift around. The pouch is also divided inside, so the included cable can be carried with the drive, but be separated (via the cloth divider) and therefore no scratching the drive
- Comes with a Y-type USB connect/power cable; mini-usb on 1 side, split out to 2 full-size USB on the other. The mini-usb side plugs into the drive, then you plug 1 of the USB full-size to your PC/notebook. If the drive doesn't spin up properly, you'll need to plug in the other USB to your PC/Notebook to supply more power.
- Encryption/Decryption is done via hardware. This means minimal overhead to the read/write speeds of the drive.
- Piece of mind. Along with the security being done via hardware, it's also very well done. Password required when connecting, don't know the password? Then the drive is a paperweight.
- It's fast (in my opinion). When you search for reviews on this item, you're going to see it get panned here and there for being on the lower-end scale in terms of read/write speeds compared to other similar drives on the market. I'm a Tech by occupation and deal with connecting to hundreds/thousands (literally) Servers every day and have to deal with moving data around. My subjective feel of this drive is that it's quite responsive with reading/writing data to/from the machine it's connected to...I've never felt like the Drive was trudging along.
- It's got good looks. This is another thing that gets panned for this drive in reviews, that it's not stylish compared to other drives of its' kind. The case is a mixture of flat black, ultra-glossy black and 2 big blue indicator LEDs. For a Gadget Geek like myself, I think it's got incredible appeal.

^-- The Cons --^
- Standard USB ports supply 5v @ 500mA of power. Unfortunately there are many drives out on the market that require considerably more at initial spin-up, the BlackArmor seems to be one of them. At home and at work, I need both USB connectors to be plugged in to run my BlackArmor. Not so much a problem for me though, I have one of those portable USB chargers (Xantrex Technologies 852-0251 XPower Mobile Mini Power Source) that I plug the BlackArmor into and it powers it just fine and I don't have to waste the extra USB port.
- The sync software it comes with will ONLY sync with drives connected to the PC it's connected to...It won't sync with network connected drives (According to Support, this is by design). That's a bit of a bummer for me, but there's other/better backup and sync software out there.

^-- Other brands to consider --^
- Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB
- LaCie Little Disk 320GB
- SimpleTech Signature Mini 320GB
- Seagate FreeAgent Go 320GB


^-- Wrap up --^
I bought the BlackArmor as an accessory to go with my Asus EEE 901 netbook. The stock 901 has only 12gb capacity (because it uses SSD (Solid State Disk) drives). With the good looks, perfectly fine read/write speeds and hardware level encryption I believe this drive to be an excellent companion and have no problem recommending it.



5 out of 5 stars Love it!!   September 11, 2008
Blackhawkgirl94
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is a great drive, and very easy to use. I purchsed one for my husband almost three months ago, and decided that I just had to have one for myself. Installation was quick and simple. Great tool to have for those who use the computer for everything. I especially love the fact of the encryption and password protection.

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