UPDATE: Ok since writing the post I've done a few phone calls and some research, forgeting about the inquirer's story, it seems upon checking the forums and some feedbacks (newegg and other sites to name a few) that there is the same pattern of complaints - checking seagates forum quite an unusual amount - and posts being deleted like crazy - After talking to some people I know at the retail and distributor level, it seems there might be some truth here - I've been told about an unusually higher than normal failure and returns - now keeping in mind that personally I have not had any problems with Seagate yet, but stores and distributors are having to deal with lots of problems.
I've checked with a few local stores here and was told they get comebacks on a daily basis. Asked about whether this is due to a high volume and was told that the return rate is higher than it used to be int he past, with the same volume of sales in mind. So there is definately a trend - NOW....... let's be cautious this does not mean ALL Seagate drives are bad - but there are problematic batches - and some might have the same datecode and firmware, and nobody knows which batch - but it seems to affect 1TB and some 500GB........ It goes even further - Seagate acknowledges a problematic firmware but they don't go into ANY details or comments about the failure.
I have the SD15 firmware Made in Thailand and doN'T have any issues - so the problem seems to be by batch and nobody knows how many drives and where....... when you buy a drive it's basically hit and miss - which is why I recommend anybody buying a HD, buy them in pairs, make a 1:1 backup and keep all your important data and documents, homework, projects, work files, backed up on 2 quality DVDs and all your applications / install backed up as well.... On another note I asked about whether other HD manufacturers are seeing a failure rate and was told that as a whole drive failure has gone up with any drive manufacturer, but that Seagate has had a lot higher recently.
That will certainly not change my opinion on Seagate and hold me off from buying them, however I will hold back on buying the 1TB for now and stick to the 500 or 750MB until things are sroted out. All this talk about seagates recently I think I'll start having dreams of seagate drives :haha::haha::haha::haha:
//edit: Fixed text formatting for better readability
I've checked with a few local stores here and was told they get comebacks on a daily basis. Asked about whether this is due to a high volume and was told that the return rate is higher than it used to be int he past, with the same volume of sales in mind. So there is definately a trend - NOW....... let's be cautious this does not mean ALL Seagate drives are bad - but there are problematic batches - and some might have the same datecode and firmware, and nobody knows which batch - but it seems to affect 1TB and some 500GB........ It goes even further - Seagate acknowledges a problematic firmware but they don't go into ANY details or comments about the failure.
I have the SD15 firmware Made in Thailand and doN'T have any issues - so the problem seems to be by batch and nobody knows how many drives and where....... when you buy a drive it's basically hit and miss - which is why I recommend anybody buying a HD, buy them in pairs, make a 1:1 backup and keep all your important data and documents, homework, projects, work files, backed up on 2 quality DVDs and all your applications / install backed up as well.... On another note I asked about whether other HD manufacturers are seeing a failure rate and was told that as a whole drive failure has gone up with any drive manufacturer, but that Seagate has had a lot higher recently.
That will certainly not change my opinion on Seagate and hold me off from buying them, however I will hold back on buying the 1TB for now and stick to the 500 or 750MB until things are sroted out. All this talk about seagates recently I think I'll start having dreams of seagate drives :haha::haha::haha::haha:
//edit: Fixed text formatting for better readability
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