FreeAgent Theater and GoFlexTV

[tony55]

Just a short complaint about something that's been on my mind since getting my first Fat+.

Of course I'm happy with all of them.

However:

Since the engineers thought that is was reasonable to place the front USB connector and the IR sensor right next to each other it might also be a good idea to design and also include a USB cable with an angled USB plug for the front USB connector that angled it away from the IR sensor.

The Fat+ is known to have problems when the batteries  get a little weak so having the Front USB cable sticking strait out right next to the IR sensor just makes having that cable connected just that much harder to get good remote operation.

My WD is about 1/4 the size of my Fat+s and yet they were still able to make sure that their IR sensor was not blocked  by any connectors.

If right or left angle USB plugs were readily avail. it wouldn't be a problem... but they're not. So Seagate should have included one.

Anyway, that's my complaint.

Tony

[danyim]

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A great addition to the FAT+ (if you don't have a Seagate Go drive) is to free that dock's mini-USB port by buying a female mini-USB to female standard USB adapter: http://www.meritline.com/female-miniusb-female-usb-adapter-472---p-30323.aspx

You can just use a standard USB cable to make use of that free port (although it may look ugly)!

Thanks to http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ecc/dockstar-howto.html for the idea.

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I posted this in the "how to get the most out of your FAT+" thread. You can use that dock's USB port if you really need to.

[HeyRadar]

Looks like they took your advice on the GoFlex version.  The USB is on the side now.

[tony55]

No they didn't take my advice.

The problem with the front USB port is obvious. So when they changed to the GO they eliminated the problrm.

My complaint is that they realized it was a problem a long time ago. I wouldn't expect them to change the Fat+ configuration to something like the GO, but a speciality USB cable with an angled end that doesn't interfere with the IR sensor would have been a cheap fix. It should have been something included with the FAT+ a year or 2 ago.

Tony