Wednesday, March 30th 2016

Seagate Launches World's First USB-Powered Desktop Hard Drive with Innov8

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced the launch of Seagate Innov8, the world's first USB-powered desktop hard drive. Seagate Innov8 features innovation from the inside out with its industry-leading 8 TB capacity, trend-setting Ignition Boost Technology and expressive design.

There is still an abundance of consumer electronics that require an external power supply, placing a premium on power outlets. With advancements in USB 3.1 technology, major manufacturers like Apple are beginning to rely on one connection-type for everything. Today, with the introduction of Seagate's new Ignition Boost Technology, Innov8 is the world's first 8 TB desktop hard drive that does not need to be plugged into a power outlet. Similar to a standard car requiring a battery kick to start the engine, Ignition Boost together with USB 3.1 enables Innov8 to thrive off bus power. No dedicated power source or adapter required.

What's more, Innov8 features industry-leading capacity with Seagate's 8 TB HDD. Now users simply plug in the reversible USB-C cable and have access to a lifetime of data - including more than two million songs, four million photos and eight hundred HD Movies.
Art Imitates Engineering
Innov8, a recipient of this year's Red Dot design award, follows Seagate Seven-a 2015 Red Dot design award winner-by embodying the durability and physique of the hard drive inside. Innov8's premium, well-balanced aluminum enclosure and design means users can horizontally or vertically place it on the desktop as they prefer. The industrial design excellence of Innov8-as with Seagate Seven-was done in partnership with Huge-Design, a firm recognized by some of the industry's most influential consumer electronics brands GoPro, HP, and Nike.

"Creating an extreme design that visually celebrates Seagate's world-class engineering capabilities was a key objective of this engagement," said Bill Webb, Huge-Design. "Innov8 builds on Seven's success to once again convey the functional beauty of an internal hard drive, but with enough capacity to help ensure seemingly endless space to store the memories we all love. The drive represents a bold yet practical solution for today's consumer, looking to preserve a wealth of memories in the most compelling way possible."

Software Suite
Innov8 includes Seagate Dashboard software, which offers users either one-click on-demand or customizable, scheduled backups for their devices. Further, Seagate Innov8 includes 200 GB of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage and Lyve software compatibility, so users can back up, access and share their favorite files from any device or location.

Pricing and Availability
Seagate Innov8 will be available in April for US $349.
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24 Comments on Seagate Launches World's First USB-Powered Desktop Hard Drive with Innov8

#2
Cybrnook2002
Not much I could find on Innov8 (more importantly the "Ignition Boost"). But it reads as though they have some type of rechargeable battery in there that is going to buffer the disk spin up? What happens when the battery no longer holds charge (Since it's plugged in 24-7).
Posted on Reply
#3
cdawall
where the hell are my stars
Cybrnook2002Not much I could find on Innov8 (more importantly the "Ignition Boost"). But it reads as though they have some type of rechargeable battery in there that is going to buffer the disk spin up? What happens when the battery no longer holds charge (Since it's plugged in 24-7).
That battery will out live the seagate drive inside of it so that part wouldn't worry me.
Posted on Reply
#4
WithoutWeakness
Cybrnook2002Not much I could find on Innov8 (more importantly the "Ignition Boost"). But it reads as though they have some type of rechargeable battery in there that is going to buffer the disk spin up? What happens when the battery no longer holds charge (Since it's plugged in 24-7).
Could just be a few decently sized capacitors that charge up briefly when the drive is plugged in and then discharge to spin up the disks.
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#5
Ferrum Master
It it should be a series supercapacitator or a ionistor fed in parallel and then put in series for spin up, nothing really special...
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#6
natr0n
Innov8r of failure rates.
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#7
Cybrnook2002
WithoutWeaknessCould just be a few decently sized capacitors that charge up briefly when the drive is plugged in and then discharge to spin up the disks.
Ferrum MasterIt it should be a series supercapacitator or a ionistor fed in parallel and then put in series for spin up, nothing really special...
Thinking back on it, yeah you guys are likely right. Some caps in there to buffer it. Quick discharge quick charge. No need to worry about lifetime longevity as you would with a battery.
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#8
xvi
Sounds like the article should read closer to "USB Type-C delivers enough power to spin a 3.5" HDD"
Posted on Reply
#9
AsRock
TPU addict
xviSounds like the article should read closer to "USB Type-C delivers enough power to spin a 3.5" HDD"
I was thinking the post actually had enough "Spin already".
Posted on Reply
#10
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
The 8TB Archive drive they are probably using in this enclosure is only rated for 5v@0.35A. Even USB2.0 can handle that to keep the drive spinning. It is the initial spin-up that is the issue, and I'm sure they just used a bank of caps to build up enough power to start the drive.
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#11
Prima.Vera
I have a 500GB 2.5" HDD USB2.0 powered only drive for 10 years now. What so big deal?
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#12
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
Prima.VeraI have a 500GB 2.5" HDD USB2.0 powered only drive for 10 years now. What so big deal?
That 500GB 2.5" disks weren't even available 10 years ago.

8TB of data on a Seagate drive, even thinking about that gives me the creeps.
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#13
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
9700 Pro8TB of data on a Seagate drive, even thinking about that gives me the creeps.
AFAIK all brands gets worse reliability when density is increased.
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#14
deemon
Anyone brave enough to buy this, let us know please, if this Seagate external drive also buzzes and vibrates on your desk, like other Seagate external drives?
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#15
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
9700 Pro8TB of data on a Seagate drive, even thinking about that gives me the creeps.
The latest data shows WD has a bout a 50% higher failure rate than Seagate. So I'd rather it be on a Seagate than a WD...

But I'm sure you're going to point to that bullshit backblaze article to try to back up your point.
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#16
AsRock
TPU addict
Come one newtekie1 you know how it is with HDD's and fevered brand. I don't give a flying hell about what some online site says but my personally experience i have had a lot less problems with WD drives than Seagate and i have had a fair share of both brands which i have personally used and know how they been treated.

And i bet there is more than one person who comes tot his forum to say the complete opposite, same ol story.
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#17
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
AsRockCome one newtekie1 you know how it is with HDD's and fevered brand. I don't give a flying hell about what some online site says but my personally experience i have had a lot less problems with WD drives than Seagate and i have had a fair share of both brands which i have personally used and know how they been treated.

And i bet there is more than one person who comes tot his forum to say the complete opposite, same ol story.
And you know that I really don't care about anyone's small sample anecdotal information. I'll take big data samples over personal experience.

If we just want to go on personal experience, then I've had more WD Blue drives die on me by far. The drives are just absolute shit. But all of my personal important data lives on WD Red drives. When it comes to HDDs, brand doesn't matter. Model does.
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#18
remixedcat
LemmingOverlordhah ... "lifetime of data"... :D
Short lifetime or short parts
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#19
AsRock
TPU addict
newtekie1And you know that I really don't care about anyone's small sample anecdotal information. I'll take big data samples over personal experience.

If we just want to go on personal experience, then I've had more WD Blue drives die on me by far. The drives are just absolute shit. But all of my personal important data lives on WD Red drives. When it comes to HDDs, brand doesn't matter. Model does.
Well i think most of us here on TPU know that WD blues suck.
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#20
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
newtekie1The latest data shows WD has a bout a 50% higher failure rate than Seagate. So I'd rather it be on a Seagate than a WD...

But I'm sure you're going to point to that bullshit backblaze article to try to back up your point.
I don't like to say something without a source. Also, I have bad experience with Seagate drives, in fact my external drive which I use with my Xbox 360 has bad sectors.

www.backblaze.com/blog/hard-drive-reliability-stats-for-q2-2015/

Not the newest stats, but I think you got my point?
Posted on Reply
#21
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
Yep, called it.

But if you want to use Backblaze, why don't you use their latest numbers? Probably because the latest numbers make you wrong, I'm guessing?



From 4/2013 to 12/2015, so over the past two and a half years, WD has had a failure rate just about double Seagate.
Posted on Reply
#22
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
newtekie1Yep, called it.

But if you want to use Backblaze, why don't you use their latest numbers? Probably because the latest numbers make you wrong, I'm guessing?



From 4/2013 to 12/2015, so over the past two and a half years, WD has had a failure rate just about double Seagate.
I have to admit that I just used the first source what I got from googling "hard drive failure rates", my bad. Didn't know that WD's drives has started to fuck up, always trusted their drives. Still tho Seagate also doesn't look that good even they aren't the worse. Anyway, my bad, sorry.

I'm a little drunk so I don't have the motivation to search the reason to that, but could the WD's awful fuckup-rate be because of a bad batch or something like that..?
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#23
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
The thing is, Backblaze is not a good source. That's why I called it bullshit originally.

First, they use way more Seagate drives than WD. They have 31,000 Seagate drives, and 1,600 WD. That isn't really a good sample size for WD. Second, they are using the drives in conditions that don't apply to consumers. They are using them in RAID or using redundant software. A lot of drives crammed together causes problems. The vibration of the other drives around them cause cause failure. Plus, because the desktop drives they use don't have TLER, it can cause a drive to be kicked out of the array, which they consider failed. Third, they've openly admitted they have WD models that have a 100% failure rate, and they completely left them out of the results.
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#24
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
Ah, so I just got wiser. Thanks for giving some info. :toast:
Posted on Reply
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