Using the TransDock couldn’t be easier. It turns on and off with your car. You can also force it to turn off by pressing and holding the Mode Button.
As shown in Figure 13, the remote control can be used for most functions. You can use it to skip through tracks, turn on the iPod backlight, and tune the radio frequencies. There is also a very useful play/ pause button. We found ourselves constantly using the play/pause button when we took a cell phone call, ordered fast food at a drive-through, or wanted to focus on a conversation with a passenger. Because of this, we would like to see DLO make this button a little larger and put it either at the top or the bottom of the remote, so we wouldn’t have to take our eyes from the road when we used it.
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Figure 13: The remote control.
As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the TransDock works with any iPod. In Figure 14, you see it with a small iPod nano. In figure 15, you see it with a larger classic iPod video unit.
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Figure 14: TransDock with iPod nano.
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Figure 15: TransDock with iPod video.
While all the various sized iPod that we tried, fit into the Transdock, it should be noted that because of the snugness of the fit, you might have to remove any case that you have on the iPod. We even had to remove a rather thin plastic case that was on one of our iPod nanos. Yet, again, the snug fit mad the iPod in the Transdock very stable during driving tests.
The audio quality of the TransDock is on the par with other manufacturers. As with all of these units, interference starts to creep in when an FM station gets picked up. However, we found the TransDock strong enough to overcome weaker stations, which is a big plus. Also, the 6 presets make it easy to switch between stations when necessary.
One big advantage of the TransDock is that your iPod is automatically charged when in the Dock, so you are always good-to-go with a fully charged iPod.
One thing to consider about the TransDock is that it is quite obvious in the vehicle. While it is great to have a good-looking gadget in your car, if you travel into high crime areas, you will definitely want to remove your iPod when you leave your vehicle.
