Portable speakers still working
August 6, 2008 at 12:07 PM by Dr. Drang
Two years ago, I bought a portable speaker system from Altec Lansing, the inMotion iMmini. It was on sale for under $30 at Buy.com, so I bit and have been happy with it ever since. Folded up, it’s about the size of a trade paperback, so its good for travel. And although its power is nothing to write home about, it’s enough to fill a hotel room.
At the time, I was using an iPod mini, which the speakers were built for and fit perfectly. When I switched to a nano, the fit wasn’t so good, but after removing about half the pages from a Post-It notepad, the pad could be slipped in next to the nano and keep it nicely propped. The sound was still fine.
Now, although I still listen to my nano in the car and while riding my bike, I travel with just the iPhone. And, suprisingly, the speakers still work. The bottom of the iPhone slips into the plug of the iMmini without binding or needing a shim, and all the controls on both the phone and the speakers work. This warning pops up on the screen:
This accessory is not made to work with iPhone. Would you like to turn on Airplane Mode to reduce audio interference? You will not be able to make or receive calls.
Since I need to receive calls, I haven’t put it in Airplane Mode but haven’t noticed any interference.
I’m certainly not recommending anyone buy the iMmini, even if you could find it today at a decent price—it’s just too out of date. But it’s nice to see a product that outlasts its original intended use. Good for Apple for standardizing the iPod dock connector and good for Altec Lansing for adhering to those standards when designing the iMmini.
