Let’s start with the obvious. Unlike most companies that offer Apple orientated products Silicon Power does not bake in a massive price premium for just being an ‘Apple’ product. Usually sticking an ‘Apple!!!!!!’ sticker on label means an anywhere from 20-200 percent increase in asking price. The Armor A85M 5TB has an increase of 8.9 percent (or a mere fifteen dollars). This is indeed a breath of fresh air as there is nothing intrinsically valuable by being meant for a MAC OS X based system vs. a ‘Wintel’ system.
Is there a slight price premium? Yes. Is this price premium warranted? That depends. It is not that great but it does exist. Considering the software is freely available on Silicon Power’s website (e.g. SP Widget Software) spending any more than what the non-M variants cost is… contra-indicated for advanced users. The only time it really is ‘worth it’ is for the convenience factor… as the M comes with OSX software in a pre-made EFI 300MB partition and has been formatted for OSX, whereas the non-M comes with Windows software and has been formatted at the factory for Windows operating systems. For some that may be worth the extra couple dollars as it is possible to convert one from the other, but is not an overly difficult task for all but the most novice of OSX or Windows users.
On the surface that makes the Apple orientated Armor A85M a bit of a non-starter as the software is freely available, it takes only a minute to format the A85 to work on OS X systems… and yet comes with a bit of price premium. The reality is a bit more nuanced as the Armor A85M 5TB is actually easier to find in North America. This means the minor price premium may indeed be worth it as the A85M 5TB is still a lot cheaper than Seagate, Western Digital, or any of the other more firmly established brands.
After all, it may not be as good deal as the non-M model for Windows users… but time is money. Is it worth spending more time to find the A85, or is it better to simply pay the small premium and not have to dig through the Internet to find it? Only you can decide, but either way the A85 and A85M are the exact same model with same performance, same durability, and same aesthetics. It literally is only the software and factory formatting that differentiates one from the other. Put another way, both are excellent value but the Armor A85M may be easier to find and thus the better deal for those who just want a hassle-free purchasing experience.
The Review
Silicon Power Armor A85M 5TB
The Silicon Power Armor A85M 5TB is a very good external storage solution that will not be out of place on a high-end OSX system. The only minor issue is that the non-M variant will look just as good and only take a quick formatting and software download to work just as well. That is the fly in the ointment of an otherwise excellent device.
