The current 14mm thick (read, non-1TB capacity) GoFlex portable drives actually already match to the USM spec. Seagate says it was involved in the USM spec with SATA-IO, and the resulting concept could prove promising. Suddenly, Seagate's not a rogue, it's a visionary--and the GoFlex drives you buy today will work with the coming ecosystem of USM products.
The bigger story here goes beyond just Seagate, though. The USM spec being a spec means that we can expect a plethora of accessories to accompany hard drives--and these accessories will be compatible regardless of who manufactures the drive. So long as it has a USM connector, the portable external drive will work with the accessory. That's a tantalizing thought--and opens up a wealth of possiblities. My personal favorite dream: Combining a Tivo DVR box with a USM slot. Mmmmmm....I can imagine amassing archives of NCIS, Star Trek, and oh yes, gymnastics competitions.
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