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Seidio INNODock Cradle


Tue Jun 28, 2005 - 8:28 PM EDT - By James Hromadka

Overview

A desktop cradle is one of those luxuries that many Treo users have been clamoring for ever since PalmOne decided to stop shipping them with the Treo. Perhaps all those former Palm/Visor owners got used to having their PDA sit next to their monitor, but more likely they want to be able to glance and see who's calling when the Treo rings. Whatever the reason, if you are in the market for a desktop cradle for your Treo, the INNODock cradle from Seidio should be at the top of your list.

Usability

The first thing you will notice about the INNODock is its unique design. Cradles are either boring and easel-looking or... well they're boring and look like easels. The INNODock is stylish, sexy, and looks great sitting on a desk. It is available in Sprint Blue, GSM Silver, or iPod White colors. It is small, unobtrusive, and stays out of the way.

The INNODock comes with a 3' USB cable and has a standard audio out port so you can plug headphones or speakers into the cradle. If you want to plug the Treo into a wall outlet, an AC Adapter is sold separately.

When the INNODock is plugged into a computer, a green LED on the front is lit. Of course the Treo has its own red LED that indicates when it is being charged. If you have read any of my past articles, you know how much I hate the connector that the Treo 650 uses. I blame the connector for PalmOne taking so long to get its own cradle to market. There is no easy way to slide a Treo into a cradle and have it quickly make a good connection.

For the INNODock, I found that angling the Treo 60° and lining it up with the side of the connector then lowering it onto the rest of the connector worked best for me. You can then lean the Treo back a bit until it rests against the INNODock. The thinner the case, the more you can lean it back.

Synchronization is as easy as pressing the HotSync button on the front of the INNODock. The button is next to the green LED and is positioned off-center, which is not really a good location for it. It makes it a little awkward to press the button with your right hand. It is much more natural to press the HotSync button using your left hand, so I keep the INNODock on the left side of the keyboard. To remove the Treo, hold the base of the INNODock and firmly lift the Treo straight up.

Compatibility

I couldn't test the INNODock with every case available for the Treo, but as long as the case has the bottom of the Treo fully exposed and is not too thick, the Treo should be able to make a good connection. I tested the INNODock successfully with the following cases:

Pacific Rim Open Hard Case

The only cases that I could verify that do not work with the INNODock are the OtterBox 1900 (duh) and the Vaja T65. As the T65 is my favorite case, I have to slide the Treo out of it and insert it naked into the INNODock.

Update 8/25/05: Vaja now has a special version of the INNODock specifically for the Vaja T65 case.

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