The Basics:

Inside the box you find the items pictured below. There is a vinyl protective sleeve, a rather heavy duty eSATA cable, a USB Y-cable, a CD with the backup application, installation instructions, and the Mapower MAP-OT21 enclosure. Not pictured, but found inside the enclosure itself was a bag containing some screws and a strip of self-adhesive foam.


While not mentioned in the manual, the extra screws can be used to secure the hard drive to the enclosure's PCB, and the foam strip can be stuck to the drive to help prevent rattles.

The next set of images take a closer look at the MAP-OT21. It is sleek and stylish, and not a whole lot bigger than a 2.5 inch drive in any direction. While it might make sitting down uncomfortable, it could definitely be considered pocket sized.


The bulk of body is black Aluminum with a chromed plastic stripe for a bit of style. The connections are all found on one end, and from left to right include: 5V power, USB, eSATA, and the one touch backup button.

The enclosure has a 5V power connection, but we've seen all of the accessories and a power adapter wasn't one of them. While you can power the drive via USB, you will need to do something else for eSATA operation. Mapower suggests trying to use the USB power anyway, or buying a power adaptor like this one specifically designed for Mapower's 2.5 inch enclosures.

Installation and Operation:

The end of the enclosure slides out after you remove two small screws. The below left image shows the PCB with SATA data and power connections molded together for an easy installation. The manual just says to slide the drive on and that is it, but there are two screws you could use to make the installation a bit more secure. In addition, I found placing the foam strip about one inch from the end of the drive opposite the connectors provided the best fit for reducing rattles. Without the strip, the drive could move enough to hit the top and bottom of the enclosure if shaken, and that bit of information should also be added to the manual.


The image below shows the MAP-OT21 in its vinyl sleeve. The published data may say leather, but it isn't. While it provides adequate protection to the finish of the device, it would be nice to have a case that could be used to bundle the cables with the enclosure.


In use, the MAP-OT21 stays cool to the touch, and an equally cool blue LED lights up at one end. It indicates that the power is on with a steady blue glow, and flickers a bit to correspond to drive activity.

USB usage was straight forward, but eSATA use required a bit of work. With no power adapter, I resorted to connecting the USB cables to a powered USB hub that wasn't connected to a computer, and then connected the eSATA cables to the host system. Not convenient or practical, but it got the job done.