Unless they open-source the firmware and it's analyzed by cryptologists, it can't be trusted.

No encryption with closed source should be trusted. If it were actually good encryption, they'd be happy to have everyone look at the source and bolster their image as secure. If they keep it secret, the obvious assumption is that it's not very good and they want to keep that a secret.

Better to use Truecrypt - Open source and not cracked yet.

I take it them mean Windows when they say PC platform? I've never known a 'secure' product that works with Linux out of the box.

Sorry to put the boot in but I have experienced quite a few Seagate based hardware failures of late.

Can't trust them with ordinary data let alone anything important.

Do I sound too burned?

Using seagate drives I have a couple of largish WD drives and I like them better I have had good seagates and very bad ones it seems like they have trouble with QA good design great when they work but you take your chances and there is really no way to know till it dies suddenly.