Mapower MAP-OT21 2.5 Inch eSATA / USB Enclosure

Conclusion:

The Mapower MAP-OT21 2.5 Inch eSATA / USB Enclosure is attractive, compact, and it let the drive installed inside put up some pretty good numbers in benchmarks. The one touch backup feature also worked well! The software is intuitive, and it doesn't take much tech savvy for someone to backup their data for safe keeping.

The main problem I have is that there is no power adapter included, which makes eSATA usage rather inconvenient. Using the USB cables for power from a powered hub not connected to the computer in use was my solution, but that won't be practical for most users. A power adapter is available separately, but if the enclosure includes an eSATA port and an eSATA cable, the adapter should be in there, too. Even if it does add some cost.

Speaking of cost, a search of PriceGrabber returns a few results for the Mapower MAP-OT21 with or without an eSATA cable included. You can expect to pay $25 to $30 at these stores, or Newegg.com also offers it for about $32 (US). The price isn't bad, but if you want to take advantage of the performance boost from eSATA, be sure to factor a power adapter (or powered USB hub) into your budget.

Given the style and performance, the Mapower MAP-OT21 2.5 Inch eSATA / USB Enclosure earns the "Recommended" award for use with USB. While the eSATA performance is excellent, getting up and running is just too inconvenient without a power adapter.


Pros:

» Compact
» Stylish
» One touch backup with included software
» Software is simple and very useful
» Solid performance
» Includes a heavy duty eSATA cable

Cons:

» Power adaptor not included (but required for eSATA)
» 3Gbps SATA drive limited to SATA 1.5Gbps speeds
» Instructions are incomplete

Special thanks to Mapower for providing the Mapower MAP-OT21 2.5 Inch eSATA / USB Enclosure to Bigbruin.com for review!