Other World Computing (OWC) has announced the Mercury Aura Envoy, the industry’s first bus-powered enclosure designed exclusively for using the factory SSD from any Apple MacBook Air model from 2010 or 2011 as an external drive when upgrading to the higher-capacity and higher-performance of an OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD.
We have reviewed their prior enclosures for MBA SSDs; however, they were simply just adaptations of their larger 2.5" external enclosures. OWC’s new model on the other hand is sleek, like the gumstick SSD inside. The Mercury Aura Envoy’s pocket-size (1.5 ounces) makes it an ideal portable storage and/or backup solution. The new enclosure is brushed aluminum, bus-powered for user convenience, simple to install, and offers a USB 3.0 interface.
OWC is the only alternative to factory SSD options for the latest MacBook Air model. Their 3G SSD models are available in capacities up to 480GB and can deliver up to 68 percent faster performance in real-world use.
Pricing and Availability
Priced at $49.95 MSRP, the Mercury Aura Envoy will be available by late March and is compatible with the Flash SSD module used in current 11.1″ and 13.3″ MacBook Air models.
UPDATE – 5/16/2013 – OWC Envoy Pro EX – Reviewed
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