Filed under: iPod Family, Peripherals, iPhone
Griffin PowerDock: quadruple your charging pleasure
Perennial iPod peripheral maker Griffin announced that their new PowerDock multiple-iPod / iPhone charging station would be available in June, and now it's apparently almost here.
Available in two- or four-dock models, the charging station is designed for nerdy families like mine with multiple iPods, or perhaps just gadget freaks. It supports most every flavor of iPod and iPhone, with adapter inserts included, and it's made of brushed metal which is always a lovely choice.
No word on a street date, but presumably it's still on schedule for a release this month. The two-dock version will run $49.99 and the four-dock version will be $69.99.
[via Gizmodo]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eckofish said 12:38PM on 6-02-2008
This little gizmo looks nice, but lets face it, when are you going to have 4 totally partied out Apple music devices?
It's bad enough that I have an iPhone, iPod touch, and 2 iPod nano's but I'd be pretty sure that at least two are charged at all times.
It's nice to cycle, for use and purpose.
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Fernando said 1:01PM on 6-02-2008
I don't even see the point of having another iPod if you already have an iPhone. Maybe a shuffle/nano for portability but who leaves home without their phone anyhow even if it's going to the gym.
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Ryan Trevisol said 1:15PM on 6-02-2008
My 5G never leaves my car's integrated dock except to add new music. My wife's Nano never leaves her glove compartment where it's jacked into her stereo as well.
Kev Orng said 1:55PM on 6-02-2008
@Fernando
I can't imagine wanting an iphone attached to my person while at the gym. I have an iPod Touch that I wouldn't use it at the gym, and the iPhone is bulkier.
I still use my first ipod, the 2g shuffle, for gym purposes. Anything heavier than that and I wouldn't be comfortable. Anything in an armband would be an annoyance.
Besides, it's easy to control while using the elliptical.
But that's just me.
mark said 1:03PM on 6-02-2008
Well I get it. Great idea. I'll buy one. It certainly helps to consolidate all those plugs and cords always taking up space. We have a couple ipods and a lot of iphones.
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Rick said 1:07PM on 6-02-2008
You'd have to be quite the fanboy to sport one of these in your home. Who (besides the Brady Bunch) uses four iPods enough to require them all be charged at the same time? I mean, isn't the iPod Classic's advertised battery time something like 20 hours? "Dag yo! My Classic is all dried up! Time to switch to the Nano!" The most I could even think of is an iPhone and Classic, but this charger is obviously for those who need to prove how much of a fanboy they are to all their friends.
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solarpos said 1:13PM on 6-02-2008
You guys just don't get it. It's not about needing to charge all pods at the same time, it's where you garage them when not using them and at night. Once again, spendy things make those who cannot/ willnot afford them find reasons why they're no good. It is a clean setup and I for one have 4 iPods due to owning a 4th Gen iPod, a shuffle for the gym, a Nano that was a gift and an iPhone for my well....phone. If I could get a workaround for the shuffle to fit in the dock I'd buy one pronto.
Ryan Trevisol said 1:17PM on 6-02-2008
I could see the dual one for my wife and I's iPhone charging pleasure, but it doesn't offer the capability to sync. I'm going to be building my own which will integrate a USB hub for charging and syncing.
Galley said 2:03PM on 6-02-2008
iLounge got 9.5 hours of video playback, and a whopping 58 hours for audio from the 160 gigger. Amazing!
moonmarked said 1:24PM on 6-02-2008
..and for those if us who live people--family, friends, lovers, whatever--it will be nice to have ONE place to charge whatever needs charging, and preferably, have it parked near the door where car keys, spare change, notes for the rest of you, etc. are also kept.
Does no one else who reads TUAW have a household bigger than themselves and a spouse? Jeez. It may not work for YOU but I think it will work well for ME (and the WE) household of six. Of course, there will be the day when number five and number six are --- out of luck.
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Franz Gruswitz said 3:23PM on 6-02-2008
I agree fully with Ryan Trevisol. I would buy it for my wife and I, but it can't sync. It would be nice to have switchable digital audio out as well, but that's a higher end device.
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Kev Orng said 1:33PM on 6-02-2008
Man, there are naysayers for just about anything, aren't there?
It's hardly a show-off device. If you have enough iPod users in a busy active family, I could definitely see the advantage of having an iPod "garage" with enough space to ensure there are no disagreements which teenager needs to charge their iPod more. And my iPod Touch needs to be charged almost every night. Wifi eats batteries like crazy.
The two-port version is only $20 more than the crappy single iPod charger I bought a few months back so I wouldn't have to leave my Mac on all the time for charging convenience. If I could have bought this then, I would have. My wife is getting a nano for an anniversary present (shhh!) and I'm looking at this two-iPod charger wishing I had one.
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Rick said 1:42PM on 6-02-2008
@solarpos
Here's your answer:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/griffin-technology-dock-adapter-for-ipod-shuffle/
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Mystic said 1:46PM on 6-02-2008
I'll be getting one of these if they support the new iPhone.
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James W said 2:23PM on 6-02-2008
Why in the WORLD do you not include a USB cable on this thing to sync them all? I'm dumbfounded by the shortsightedness of that feature gap.
We've got more than enough gizmos to fill it, but if I still have to have all the syncing cables, what's the point?
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Kev Orng said 4:18PM on 6-02-2008
iTunes can't sync two iPods at the same time, so any future sync capability will need a switcher of some kind. Sync one, then the next.
But I don't think this is for synching. This is for an everyday charge. i have to charge the Touch every day, but I might go two weeks without synching it. When I need to sync, I go down and plug it in to the regular sync cable. Otherwise, I don't need to bother my computer
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Ryan Schmidt said 6:16PM on 6-02-2008
You are thinking into this too far. It would be very simple for Griffin to incorporate some type of USB hub inside. That way there would be only one USB plug in the back but your computer would treat it as multiple. I use a 7 port USB hub now with my iPod and iPhone. I plug them in at the same time all the time... they sync one after the other just fine.
Griffin did not make a mistake. They had to have thought about this... but why?
pangelav said 4:30PM on 6-02-2008
In our family of 6 this would be a great fit for us! Since everyone syncs in a central location it would work well.
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chris said 11:00PM on 6-02-2008
This is great fr my wife and I. she has a nano for working out, and with baby music for our daughter, we both have iphones, and my 60 ipod holds all my music and podcasts for roadtrips...
but I wonder.. will it also out a USB cord for syncing, I could really use one that also syncs and reduces the need for multiples usb ports, especially since all mine don't play nice with the same cords.
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j said 1:26AM on 6-03-2008
The Apple SoHo store has the dual charger in store already (saw it today).
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