A Closer Look

Taking a first look at the unit, the body is made of aluminum, while the rest has been created using ABS plastic. I have to admit, the design aspect is nothing for me, but it may be just right for others. The metal frame has a single small vent in the rear of the left side.


The front features a ring LED around the red Spire logo. I expected the logo to act as a one touch backup button (OTB), but that is not the case. There are no buttons or switches on the front. A small air vent reveals the Slide Pro's dirty secret: a small fan has been built into the front of the device. While an active cooling unit of such small dimension is bound to be noisy, placing it in the front of the device makes things even worse. The rear of the enclosure is completely solid, with no air vents. This means that the air pulled into the case by the small fan can only escape through that afore mentioned tiny vent on the one side. The rear holds the power button, USB 2.0 and eSATA connectors as well as a tiny OTB button. So to do the one touch backup you will need to reach around for a tiny 2 mm large button - not very user friendly.