I recently took a look at the WS-110 and was surprised by all of the features of the BlackArmor series. Of course the WS-110 is a little large and has a power cord, not something you would want to travel with. That’s where the PS-110 comes in, considerably smaller than the WS-110  it is designed for portability. But does it have the same high performance and great software that the WS-110 came with? Seagate was kind enough to let me get my hands on one.

Product Name: Seagate BlackArmor PS-110 500Gb

Review Sample Provided by: Seagate

Review by: Wes

Pictures by: Wes

Specifications

Packaging

The packaging for the PS-110 was similar to the WS-110 but much smaller. The front of the box includes a picture of the PS110 along with the HD size, interface, warranty, and a few of its features. Really the front has everything you need to know about the PS-110. The back has more features along with a little more information on the included software. Inside the drive was enclosed in a plastic shell along with a USB2.0 cable, keeping it well protected in its box. For documentation you will find warranty information along with a quick start guide.

Installation

Installing the PS-110 software is just like any of Seagate’s other drives. The software is included on the drive so as soon as you plug in the USB cord a notification pops up, you can’t make it much simpler.

Software

Having worked with the BlackArmor software with the WS-110 there weren't any changes for the PS-110. As I said before, as good as the Free Agent software was the Black Armor takes it to a whole new level. You have the ability to schedule your backups and also validate them. If by some chance you have a need to get rid of a file for good, you have the ability to use a whole selections of overwrite algorithm's using up to 35 over rights (or more if you do a custom algorithm).  Outside of the standard backup features they also included a feature that I talked about with the WS-110. The "Try and Decide" management gives you a virtual mode to protect yourself while trying out software and performing risky tasks.

Performance

The PS-110 was crippled from the start with its USB 2.0 interface. Maxing out at 32 MB/s, the drive did as well as it can being limited by the interface. Of course that same interface gives you the ability to use the PS-110 on any computer with a USB port (and that's almost every PC made in the past 10 or more years) just by using the included USB cable. The PS-110 also works great with the GoDock+ that I reviewed a while back.

Overall

The PS-110 is a perfect companion for the WS-110. They both share the same amazing software and the PS-110 makes up for the WS-110's lack of portability. With the PS-110 being the same size as the Free Agent Go I tested recently it also fits the Go's dock for easy use on your desk. That also means it shares the same USB 2.0 interface as the Free Agent Go, limiting the transfer speed to around 32MB/s. Even at that speed it is more than enough to do any of long list of actions available with its software. The size of the PS 110 is perfect enough to slide into your pocket or tuck away with your laptop when traveling. If you were looking at the Free Agent Go but are looking for a more in depth software designed for businesses and enthusiasts the BlackArmor PS-110 is perfect for you.

Author Bio

Author: garfi3ldWebsite: http://lanoc.org

Editor-in-chief

You might call him obsessed or just a hardcore geek. Wes's obsession with gaming hardware and gadgets isn't anything new, he could be found taking things apart even as a child. When not poking around in PC's he can be found playing League of Legends, Awesomenauts, or Civilization 5 or watching a wide variety of TV shows and Movies. A car guy at heart, the same things that draw him into tweaking cars apply when building good looking fast computers. If you are interested in writing for Wes here at LanOC you can reach out to him directly using our contact form.