AirDock
Griffin Technology
Price: $69.99
www.griffintechnology.com
Like iPod cases, there are a lot of iPod docks on the market. There are docks that are only docks and they only charge and sync your iPod, and there are docks that do more. Griffin’s AirDock is one of the docks that does more. It is actually several of their products rolled into one clean, nice looking, package.
Not only does it charge and sync your iPod with iTunes, but it does a lot more.
Like Griffin’s TuneCenter, you can connect the AirDock to a speaker system or a television for audio and/or video playback. There is no menu like the TuneCenter, so you have to choose what you want to play on the iPod before sitting across the room. This does not bother me. Personally, I would choose a playlist, a podcast, or a video to play on the iPod, and let it play for 30 minutes to an hour and not choose anything new anyway.
Once you selection is made you can control the playback with the included remote. The remote is similar to Griffin’s AirClick, and it works great. With it you can control the volume of your iPod, move forward and backward between tracks, pause and play tracks, and it will even control video. The remote itself has a great range (Griffin says up to 60 feet) and it is very responsive.
The dock connects to the TV or speaker system with the Griffin HomeConnect cable. This is basically a cable with a headphone jack connector on one end, and RCA cables on the other. If you want to go on a trip with your iPod and leave the dock at home, this will work through your iPod’s headphone jack, also.
The AirDock is powered by Griffin’s PowerBlock, instead of a standard AC adapter. To me, this is a great bonus. The PowerBlock is a USB wall charger for your iPod. If you want a way to charge your iPod on the road, take the PowerBlock and your USB iPod cable, and you are good to go.
I really like the AirDock. It is compatible with all iPods with a dock connector, and it comes with dock adapters to fit the various varieties of iPods. A display on the remote (which we are seeing more and more of) would be a nice feature in a future version. Yes, it might raise the price a little, but I think it would be a nice touch. Maybe they could have the AirDock and the AirDock Extreme.
At $69.99 your getting a lot for your money with the AirDock. Plus it looks great, too!
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