inMotion review

The iPod has spawned a mini-industry of accessories and add-ons, but Altec Lansing's inMotion portable speaker system is one of our favourites.

The inMotion unit combines a set of speakers with a docking unit, which means that you can slot in your iPod to create a complete portable audio system.

It's built from smart white plastic and chrome that matches the style of the iPod. At first glance, it looks like a very small iBook that's been folded shut. It measures just 8in wide, 5.4in deep and 1.2in thick, and weighs about the same as half a bag of sugar.

When you open the unit the speakers fold upwards and outwards just like the screen of a laptop computer. The docking slot between the speakers is primarily designed for the current range of iPods, but you can use older ones as well. There's an external audio input jack at the back of the inMotion unit that comes with a small adapter to let you slot older iPods into the dock and then connect their headphone socket to the external audio. Unfortunately, it won't work with the new iPod mini.

Once the iPod is docked you can use the buttons and scroll wheel as normal. The inMotion also has its own volume control on the front, which you can use to make quick adjustments. It can run for about 24 hours on a set of four AA batteries, or you can plug it into the mains, in which case it can also recharge the iPod's own internal battery (as long as the iPod is one of the new dockable models). You can even connect the inMotion to your Mac to use the iPod as an ordinary hard disk. You'll need to buy a special cable from Apple for this, though.

So far, so ingenious - but audio quality is still the most important feature of any speaker system. The two small speakers built into the inMotion have an output of just 2W each. That's not terribly powerful, and if you're planning a rave on a beach then you'll probably want something with a bit more oomph. However, the volume should be perfectly adequate for hotel rooms or holiday apartments.

Small speakers like this tend to sound a bit tinny, but Altec Lansing's 'MaxxBass' system adds a nice bit of extra depth to the overall sound and makes up for the absence of a sub-woofer. Our only criticism is that the sound tends to break up when you increase the volume to top whack on songs with a lot of treble. On the whole, though, the inMotion speakers are as good as any other portables we've come across.

Admittedly, they're more expensive than portable rivals such as Creative's TravelSound speakers, but you're also getting the convenience of the docking unit and the ability to recharge the iPod.