Altec Lansing Debuts Palm Speaker Dock

Posted By: Ryan on Thursday, September 29, 2005 11:53:48 AM

Altec Lansing inMotion iMT1 Altec Lansing has unveiled the market’s first mobile speaker system for Palm devices with the inMotion iMT1, a small audio dock that turns MP3 music files stored on Palm devices into a roomful of sound for headphone-free listening. The system -- which is compatible with the Palm LifeDrive mobile manager, Palm Tungsten T5 and Tungsten E2 handhelds, and Palm Treo 650 smartphone also charges the device, doubles as a desktop speakerphone for the Treo 650 smartphone.

The iMT1 is a book-sized, white and silver unit that extends the technology used in Altec Lansing’s market-leading inMotion docks for the Apple iPod to the Palm platform. Like all inMotion portable speakers, it can run on AC power and then switch to batteries when no electrical outlet is available to permit out-loud listening on the road.

Press a button on the front of the iMT1, and a tiny flap rises from the surface to reveal the dock. Pop your device into the slot, attach it via the connector at the bottom of your Palm device, and let the concert begin. The system’s Class C digital amplifier powers four 1” neodymium micro drivers that reproduce every note, chord and lick over the entire frequency range. The speakers also incorporate patented MaxxBass technology that delivers the all-important bump of the bass without a subwoofer.

Special features include:

Charging and synchronization of the Palm device through the iMT1 dock. Charging is automatically initiated whenever the Palm product is docked and the iMT1 is plugged in. Data transfer can be triggered by connecting the iMT1 to the user’s computer via a standard USB 2.0 port on the back of the product and then pressing the “Sync” button.
A full-duplex speakerphone, permitting hands-free conversation whenever a Palm Treo smartphone is in the iMT1 dock. The full-duplex feature makes it possible for both parties to hear each other when they are talking simultaneously. Users can switch from music to speakerphone mode by pressing a button on the iMT1 unit. The speakerphone can also be muted to prevent background noise from interfering with the conversation.
Fold-flat design for easy packing, with a closable dock door that also protects the connector mechanism when the iMT1 is not in use.
Optional connectivity to other audio devices such as CD, MP3 and portable DVD players through an input jack on the back of the unit.

“Convergence is one of the major appeals of our Treo smartphones and our other mobile devices, and the iMT1 extends our capabilities even further by providing an audio docking system, speakerphone and charging device in a single piece of hardware,” said Jim Schwabe, general manger, Accessory Solutions, at Palm, Inc. “This is convergence at its best, a tribute to Altec Lansing’s engineering leadership in the portable audio space, and a strong alliance that adds even more versatility to products that are becoming essential in consumers’ everyday lives.”

The Altec Lansing inMotion iMT1 Mobile Audio Dock will be available in consumer electronic stores and at alteclansing.com at an MSRP of $179.95 in December.

It measures just 8.5” wide x 5.1” deep x 1.7” high, and it is compatible with the Palm LifeDrive mobile manager, Palm Tungsten T5 and Tungsten E2 handhelds, and Palm Treo 650 smartphone. Each package includes a power supply, an international plug set, and a 3.5 mm stereo cable for connecting non-Palm audio devices. Four AA batteries (not included) are required for battery operation.

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Article Comments
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Size

arp @ 9/29/2005 3:15:06 PM #

Looks clunky, make it half the size.

--
http://www.arpx.net/article.php/top_10_palmos_applications - my top 10 palm apps

Lack of video-out is a DEAL-BREAKER

hkklife @ 9/29/2005 3:27:47 PM #

You can basically do everything this thing does, albeit not so sleekly, with a $3 1/8 headphone to RCA stereo patch cord and a $8 USB sync/charge Athena cable.

That said, it's REALLY nice to see "name" companies supporting the Palm devices. If Palm sticks with the multi-connector for any period of time and standardizes on it across their line (PDAs, Treos w/ both OSes) then they can get continued peripheral support like this. This is how it was in the III/V days before manufacturers gave up trying to redesign their products and pay for new tooling every time Palm decided to change their connector.

Finally, where' the video-support that the Athena/MC standard supposedly permits? A "fixed" LifeDrive would be lot more appealing if it came with a little dongle or AV-out cable so you could hook it up to a TV or VCR and run an impromptu slideshow presentation. AFAIK, only the Sony NZ90 had this feature, right? And that was just in certain Sony-specific apps?

RE: Size

Gekko @ 9/29/2005 3:48:23 PM #

silly dumb device. whoever buys it is a fool.

RE: Size

adamsmark @ 9/29/2005 3:56:44 PM #

Gekko--

Occassionally you say something that makes sense, something constructive. Still waiting.

Device looks cool. Don't know that I'd use it though.

RE: Size

JarJar @ 9/29/2005 4:10:06 PM #

It is great to see Palm peripherals from a known brand company. This is a good thing and a sign of health!

Why is it necessary to bad mouth every single hardware or software product that doesn't perfectly meet your needs. Why does PIC have so many complainers? All this does is kill of PIC and in the long run it kills off the innovation that creates any good products.

RE: Size

Gekko @ 9/29/2005 5:20:19 PM #

i will not lavish praise upon crappy products.

RE: Size

ChiA @ 9/29/2005 5:29:01 PM #

Gekko said i will not lavish praise upon crappy products

...then please give us the benefit of telling us what makes it crap for you; that way we can agree or disagree with you.

It does have its uses, let's face it, it does everything an ordinary cradle does plus it's classier looking, a speakerphone and a loudspeaker system. The only downside is it's bigger than an ordinary cradle.

I'll confess it's unlikely I'll go out of my way to get one but I'll definitely use it if someone gave it to me!

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog" - Dwight D. Eisenhower

RE: Size

Gekko @ 9/29/2005 5:48:02 PM #

chiapet - if you want to put that big cinder block on your desk, God bless you.

How big's your desk?

ChiA @ 9/29/2005 6:36:05 PM #

if you want to put that big cinder block on your desk, God bless you.

Ah, now there you go, it's only for those of us with BIG D**KS (yes, DESKS), those of us not so fortunate need bother! I bet Billy Gates has got a desk big enough for one and his Treo700p!

I agree with you and the first poster - if it was a third of the width and half of the thickness then it'll be much more appealing.

It's a nice try with the functionality but it's just too big for most desks.

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog" - Dwight D. Eisenhower

RE: Size

hkklife @ 9/29/2005 7:37:53 PM #

You know what would not be a half-bad idea?

This same dock but 1/2 the size--maybe even a tad smaller at the expense of speaker quality that has a nice LCD or LED alarm clock display on it. That way those who sleep with their Treos near the bed for emergency nighttime calls can charge, play tunes, and have an alarm clock all in a single device...and, of course, make it less than $100 MSRP. It'd also be nice in black for a cramped office desk as well.

RE: Size

T. @ 9/29/2005 10:45:58 PM #

Half the size would probably mean half the sound quality. There is only so much enclosure tuning can do at this size. There is no way to tell if it is too expensive or too big without hearing it first.

Like Gekko says, I'm off to buy one.

(What can I say, I still think the Red Sox are going to win the series).

Output jack?

AdamaDBrown @ 9/29/2005 5:08:05 PM #

This is kind of cool, but does it have audio output on the back panel as well as audio input? I would think that many people would want to hook it up to a larger stereo.

RE: Output jack?

Gekko @ 9/29/2005 5:19:11 PM #

the cinder block *IS* the stereo.

RE: Output jack?

Admin @ 9/29/2005 6:03:22 PM #

seems it only has a line in jack for inputs from other audio devices, no output jack.

Altec Lansing Debuts Palm Cinder Block

Gekko @ 9/29/2005 5:49:11 PM #

This contraption is almost as silly as the iBiz FM Radio SDIO card and the NoviiRemote Blaster SDIO card.

RE: Altec Lansing Debuts Palm Cinder Block

hkklife @ 9/29/2005 6:01:50 PM #

Gek;

It ain't AS bad as those devicves. It doesn't need drives so, in theory, as long as new devices with the Athena connector they should be compatible with this....thing.

The SDIO FM radio takes the cake for most preposterous Palm device yet.

RE: Altec Lansing Debuts Palm Cinder Block

pmjoe @ 9/29/2005 7:12:38 PM #

Oh, come on now. It's only $179.95.

If only the last set of Altec Lansing speakers I bought hadn't made horrible noises even when everything connected to them was turned off.

Ironic

Gekko @ 9/29/2005 7:34:41 PM #

Ironically, today in my mailbox was a retail flyer with this on the cover -

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13669171

Used it;: it's pretty cool, actually

nrosser @ 9/29/2005 11:17:52 PM #

OK all you naysayers - I played with this thing at CTIA, and it ROCKS. Here's why I think it's awesome:

I work out of my house, and use my Treo as my single device for all my phone calls and listening to music during the day. I use one of those combo Palm 'Hybrid Headsets' for the music and phone calls. I use a USB charge/sync cable to keep the device charged while I'm at my desk. Now, with this Altec Lansing unit, I can just set the Treo in that unit, have great music and phone calls, all at the same time.

It's a nice product.

RE: Used it;: it's pretty cool, actually

dorelse @ 9/30/2005 11:45:53 AM #

Exactly...when the 700w is available, this will be purchased shortly afterwards. Perfect for working in my home office, just perfect.

Could it be a little 'cooler' design wise? Sure, it doesn't seem to keep the iPod guys from spending a ton of money on them though.

Over-priced

Galley_SimRacer @ 9/29/2005 11:34:41 PM #

Drop it to $99, and I'll buy one for work.

Galley's Music Scene
A different music topic every weekday
http://my.opera.com/Galley/

Nice but why?

speak2u @ 9/30/2005 3:22:28 PM #

Size is relative (thankfully) so that is not the issue. My question is why/who need(s) it. AL creates some great iPod speaker systems as do many others. I have a couple of music files on my T5 but if I want music the iPod is the device of choice. It is not that big to carry around. You will be primarily using it on home base so it is more than easy to plug in the Pod and listen away. Companies need to make money and there are always some that will buy (myself included with the right toy), but I pass on this one. But, I am not a big Treo fan either so enough said.

Dr. Steve Lansing

RE: Nice but why?

Captain Hair @ 9/30/2005 3:46:21 PM #

Why? Because I don't have an iPod and my Treo (with a 1 GB card) is my primary music player. If it wasn't already set up through my Seidio cradle into my stereo, I'd consider this.

"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."

RE: Nice but why?

hkklife @ 9/30/2005 4:19:37 PM #

Bah, 1gb isn't enough. Bring on the affordable 4gb SD cards and THEN we'll talk!

RE: Nice but why?

ackmondual @ 10/3/2005 11:42:01 AM #

keep waiting. 2GB SD cards that were supposed to come out years ago instead just came out recently. Then there's the 3 periods of waiting:
-2GB becomes affordable
-4GB to debut
-4GB to become affordable

The top 2 can probably run concurrently as when the new max capacity comes out, like with pen drives, the former max now becomes affordable. I'd say give it at least 5 years

"Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake? Anyone can make an error, but that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it."
-Grand Admiral Thrawn

the secret to enjoying your job is to have a hobby that's even worse

My PDAs: Visor --> Visor Neo (blue) --> Zire 71 --> Tungsten T3 (with 4 of 6 screws still remaining) ~?~> zodiac 2?

good idea

joad @ 9/30/2005 4:35:18 PM #

I can see this as a very cool and handy device for streaming internet radio through the Treo out. The built-in speaker is not very impressive with classical stations.

However, no WAY will I pay $200 bucks for the ability to do it.

1) Palm has a nasty habit of flaking out on their device base and connector design about every year (rendering it useless as my collection of cradles, cables, chargers, cases...).

2) I am SO sick of GodAwful silver electronic cases. The millenium is here already, silver is ugly, scratches far too easily, and clashes with just about everything. Plain old black works beautifully, bring it back.

3) $200 dollars - huh? MAYBE $99 bucks if it was astoundingly built. (black spray paint isn't too expensive).

Good omen that the Treo is finally getting some third-party support like the iPod gets. Haven't found a decent Treo case in 2 years, and the ones Palm offers ironically seem to be some of the worst.

It's $180, not $200

ackmondual @ 10/3/2005 11:48:14 AM #

And yes, I can see the $20 difference making a difference for some

RE: good idea

joad @ 10/5/2005 1:55:20 AM #

sorry, I tend to see $180 as $200 after tax, gas, time, shipping, etc is honestly accounted for within the price. IE: tax rate of 8.75%= about $16 in taxes on top of $180= $196.00. If you don't think you're paying another $4.00 in time, gas, whatever just to acquire something like this you are fooling yourself.

If you round UP the purchase prices you begin to evaluate them a little more realistically. Something I have neglected to do on several of my PDA purchases over the years, but anyway...

RE: good idea

ackmondual @ 10/6/2005 8:11:36 AM #

What I meant was there's still a diff after all that u said. True, $180 is moreso $196 in what u actually pay at the end, but $200 would bring it to around $220. Still different

This type of innovation is why the Palm platform beats wince

Dr Opinion @ 9/30/2005 11:04:44 PM #

This is awesome... and it sounds fantastic.

Our little friend Geeko is green with envy. It must suck to have a small desk. :)

Can you imagine how powerful the palm platform must be in the market to have justified this sort of R&D by a superstar consumer brand like Altec Lansing???

Can you even imagine such a device ever being developed for the failing wince platform??? Microsuck couldn't *pay* people to develop this sort of high-end gear.

Oh well: at least now that Slick Willy Gates has dumped millions into Palm so he can own a Treo with a start button, wince fans will be able to share in *some* of the toys available for the awesome Palm economy. :D

------
"People who like M$ products tend to be insecure crowd-following newbies lacking in experience and imagination."

RE: This type of innovation is why the Palm platform beats wince

ackmondual @ 10/3/2005 11:50:10 AM #

AFAIK, PPC has its own share of accessories including to removable microdrives, GPS, and its own set of sound systems.

It's still nice to see Palm having this kind of "useless" accessory. Will receive extra credit if the athena connector is here to stay.

RE: This type of innovation is why the Palm platform beats w

joad @ 10/5/2005 2:01:41 AM #

quote="Will receive extra credit if the athena connector is here to stay."

Wouldn't that be nice.

I'd definately use this if...........

ackmondual @ 10/3/2005 11:53:23 AM #

they slashed the price in half

If I had the desk space (not saying this is too big, i just don't have space for anything but a T3 cradle)

I had a LD, T5, T|E2, or a tr650 OR it also accepts PUC connections

has good battery life

Having good bass is good to know. The only way to get any decent bass from handhelds is through headphones. This eliminates the need for good headphones

Palm Software on sale