SDI iHome Battery Charger, Docking Station, Speaker System, Clock Radio for iPod (IH5B)

SKINNY
I love my iPod. I didn't want to, I laughed at those who "needed" a gagillion songs to be available on their portable music player. Well, guess what? Not only have I become one of those fanatics (although, I fear I have always been this way if I think back to all the mixes on tape I would travel with!), but gosh darn it, I like to wake up to a specific tune depending on my day.

PAST AND PRESENT
I was one of those folks who had a clock radio with a tape player (that one too was black coming to think of it, although the iHome comes in white as well). Many a night was spent making a mix thinking of what I "needed" to listen to the following day. Today, with iTunes, iPods and iHome, this is history. Rather, I still have the same habit of "setting the mood" for the following day the night before, but it's just a toggle away!
I set up my iPod on one of my playlists (or genres, or any other category I think is appropriate –Elvis mornings are always great), l listen to a tune or two and bring down the volume to a morning level, then I set my wake-up time.

FUNCTIONALITY
- iHome has a very fun back. You choose your time zone, you set the daylight switch one way or the other, a little adjustments here and there and voila, you're set. Is this necessary? No, but it's nice, it makes it easier if you lose power and need to set it up again.
- The front LCD screen has a blue light that can be off, medium or bright.
- Volume to the left, radio frequency to the right: they are two flat disks on top of the radio that you spin around to increase or decrease what you are adjusting (the right toggle also sets the alarm time).
- There are buttons up on top where you can select what you want to listen to (iPod or radio) and what you want to wake up to, all nicely displayed on the front screen.
- The iPod is inserted on top like any other iPod speakers. A word of warning for any one of them really is you have to insert and remove the iPod with some care as the "male" plug is very delicate and the plastic that stick out could break off.
- Any iPod can be played on the iHome, it has interchangeable backs to adjust to the dimensions of the different iPods.
- The antennas are in the back, no improvement there in the design from past radio clocks.
- There is a remote that comes with it to adjust the volume and skip songs, but if you are "on the other side of the bed" it doesn't seem to work. Yes, you might have to roll over and actually stretch your arm out to do any or all of that!
- It has a sleep function.

RUMORS
I have read complaints of fingerprints staying on the black version. I have not encountered that problem.
If you heard that COSTCO is selling it for less; that is correct. I bought mine for $89.00 or maybe a few pennies more (don't have the receipt).
Does the volume gradually go up when you wake up? Not really, instead of going from off to on like other alarm clocks, you actually hear the crescendo in the music volume, making it a bit less brutal than other abrasive sudden morning sounds.

MORAL
- Life is sweeter in the morning.
- Remember to turn the volume down at night.
- Don't think too much: iHome does the thinking for you (and don't sweat it if you lose the instructions, it's very easy to work).
- If the screen is too bright for you, make it softer or turn it off.
- The speakers are good enough that it's not as painful as other clock radios have been (but it's still a clock).
- For those of us who have turned off their alarm clock in their sleep, the snooze button is something you have to be conscious to push, helping you wake up.