Support Our Site
You're viewing an article in iPO's historic archive vault. Here, we've preserved the comments and how the site looked along with the article. Use this link to view the article on our current site: PowerBlock
Review
Review - PowerBlock
Friday, December 9th, 2005 at 2:00 PM - by
Apple used to include an AC charger with most of its iPods, but like the case and dock the charger has been relegated to an after-market purchase. Accordingly, more third-parties have started offering AC charger options. The accessory gurus at Griffin Technology are the latest to bring one to the table, freeing you from the clutches of Apple's overpriced $30 charger with... their own $30 charger.
 Griffin Technology PowerBlock |
Spec-wise, Griffin's PowerBlock will go toe-to-toe with Apple's, sporting a two-prong design that folds away neatly when not in use and offering international compatibility. Whereas Apple's square charger sticks out a couple inches from the wall, Griffin employs a more conventional design that hugs that power outlet. The PowerBlock is compatible with the iPod shuffle and all dock-connector iPods and, to its credit, Griffin includes a certified, high quality "Made for iPod" USB docking cable—an additional expense if you're looking at Apple's solution.
Bottom Line
The PowerDock will put the juice into your iPod as well as any other charger, and it does so with a practical design. The included docking cable is a nice extra, but the $30 list price is still expensive by our standards. Like most Griffin products, however, the PowerBlock will likely be available for less coin from retailers like Amazon.
Just The Facts
Pros: every bit as good as Apple's charger, docking cable included
Cons: every bit as expensive as Apple's charger
Recent Articles
- Editorial - It's Time for the Promised, Unlocked iPhone 3Gs
- Wal-Mart Employees Confirm iPhone Rumors
- The RIAA vs. 19 Year Old Cancer Patient
- Mac Gaming News - Gameloft Brings Hero of Sparta to the iPhone
- Free on iTunes - Return to the Moon, JPL, Stranger Things And More
- Apple Claims 300 Million App Store Downloads, 10,000 Apps Available
Warning: include(/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/constants.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 188
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/constants.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 188
Warning: include(/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/template.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 189
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/template.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 189
Warning: include(/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/sessions.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 190
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/sessions.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 190
Warning: include(/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/auth.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 191
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/auth.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 191
Warning: include(/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/functions.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 192
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/functions.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 192
Warning: include(/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/db.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 193
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/includes/db.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 193
Fatal error: Call to undefined function encode_ip() in /var/www/bbm/ipodobserver.com/htdocs/comments/common.php on line 204