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Seagate Launches First USB-Powered Desktop Hard Drive

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Seagate today announced the launch of the Innov8, which it claims to be the world's first desktop-class external hard drive that does not need to be plugged into a power outlet. The HDD is compatible with the Retina MacBook and other USB-C notebooks.

Innov8 is an 8TB hard drive powered by a single USB-C cable, eliminating the need for a dedicated power source or adapter. The achievement was possible through USB 3.1 advancements and Seagate's new Ignition Boost Technology.

Seagate was the recipient of a 2016 Red Dot design award for the Innov8, which features an aluminum enclosure that can be placed horizontally or vertically on a desk.

Innov8 will be available in April for $349 through Seagate, Amazon, and select resellers. 200GB of free Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage is included.

Article Link: Seagate Launches First USB-Powered Desktop Hard Drive
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/30/seagate-innov8-usb-powered-desktop-hdd/
Mr_Brightside_@

Mr_Brightside_@

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Sep 23, 2005
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Dilster3k said:
Off-topic: I'm really frustrated to how Thunderbolt 1/2 have been ditched in such a short period of time. I have two of these ports on my laptop and won't be using them in the foreseeable future...
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I would hold off on this judgement until this year's notebook updates.
 
Hellhammer

Hellhammer

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Iconoclysm said:
A Core M draws around 30 Amps. USB C is limited to 3 Amps. No.
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thobie said:
He was talking about POWER, you are talking about current, which makes no sense.
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Exactly. Current is one component of power, but voltage is the second (P=IV). According to Seagate's datasheet, its 8TB desktop HDD draws 9W on average. Even with "Ignition Boost Technology" (we don't even know what that means yet) and a lower rpm it's likely that this drive draws ~6-7W, which is going to have a significant impact on battery life. For an occasional file transfer while on the go, that's fine, but for frequent data access it kills the mobility principle.
 
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This to me is amazing in that they can power an 8TB drive with a USB cable. And that they are delivering this for $350. I wonder what the transfer rate on this. I don't have a personal need for a drive so big (i have the time capsule with 2TB for all my local backups and use icloud for my offsite backups) but this really looks cool that they could do this at such a price point.
 
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Traverse

Traverse

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I'm really excited about this! I have a 3TB WD drive ($99) but having to find an outlet (a scarce resource here) and plug it into the computer is a bigger pain than it seems. My 1TB portable drive is so much easier so that's where I store my excess iTunes content and I use my 3TB for weekly backups.
 
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Bigsk8r

Bigsk8r

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Hellhammer said:
Exactly. Current is one component of power, but voltage is the second (P=IV). According to Seagate's datasheet, its 8TB desktop HDD draws 9W on average. Even with "Ignition Boost Technology" (we don't even know what that means yet) and a lower rpm it's likely that this drive draws ~6-7W, which is going to have a significant impact on battery life. For an occasional file transfer while on the go, that's fine, but for frequent data access it kills the mobility principle.
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Hence the reason it is called "desktop class". The idea is that it will be plugged into a PC, Mac Pro, or a laptop that is also docked and powered.
 
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dmylrea

dmylrea

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Considering most internal drive cost somewhere around this price, getting an external enclosure PLUS a USB-C connection is nifty for those that need it.
 
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bladerunner2000

bladerunner2000

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HFS and NTFS formats need to be opened up. I'm sick of having to stick to FAT32 for compatibility but not having the ability to actually take advantage of larger drives thanks to the 4gb file size limit. Exfat is nice but it has it's problems and not every device recognizes it.
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12vElectronics said:
How do people use and need 8TB for anything outside of work use?!
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Media.
 
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Hellhammer

Hellhammer

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Bigsk8r said:
Hence the reason it is called "desktop class". The idea is that it will be plugged into a PC, Mac Pro, or a laptop that is also docked and powered.
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If it only sits on a desk, the question is why would you pay 50% premium over a normal 8TB USB 3.0 HDD? Sure, you save one power socket, but that saving is hardly worth +$100. The only real advantage of being USB powered is the fact that the drive is portable, but even that's debatable given the high power draw.
 
12vElectronics

12vElectronics

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Hellhammer said:
If it only sits on a desk, the question is why would you pay 50% premium over a normal 8TB USB 3.0 HDD? Sure, you save one power socket, but that saving is hardly worth +$100. The only real advantage of being USB powered is the fact that the drive is portable, but even that's debatable given the high power draw.
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Some people might need the storage more so than battery life?
 
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