Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 + iPhone review

I've had an Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 speaker system for almost half a year now, and I'm very pleased with it. It supports older iPods, like the iPod Nano I used to have; the sound quality is very good; and I love that it can run on either AC power (i.e., plugged into an electrical wall socket) or you can disconnect it and run it off the battery for a very long time -- it hasn't died on me yet during normal use.

iPhone support

The only negative thing about it is that it doesn't "support" the iPhone 3G. Of course "support" is a mysterious word in this area right now. My iPhone 3G actually works with it, but you will get the "This accessory is not made to work with iPhone" error message. You may also get intermittent "mobile phone interference" from the iPhone, though I haven't actually had this problem with it. Because the iM600 isn't made to work with the iPhone it also won't charge the iPhone 3G battery, which was a nice feature with my old iPod Nano.

So, if you already have an iPhone or iPhone 3G that you want to use with an external speaker system I don't recommend this sound system.

Summary

Given that intro, here's a quick summary of my pros and cons regarding the Altec Lansing inMotion iM600:

Pros:

• I love the battery/AC-power option.
• The sound is very good.
• It plays FM radio channels, supporting up to four preset channels.

Cons:

• The preset channels only work with the remote control.
• You'll get the "accessory is not made to work with iPhone error message" if you try to connect with it using an iPhone 3G.

Unless you need to support an iPhone I recommend the iM600. As I write this, the feature that stands out the most is that with the battery support I really do pick up this device and carry it all around the house with me. I carry it into the bathroom and have it near me when I shave in the morning, I have it in the office with me as I type this, and I listen to it on the porch in the evening. Since I discovered the FM preset options with the remote control I've even been happier with it.

Newer model iPhone and iPod support

If you're like me and looking for iPhone 3G support, Altec Lansing has just released a new product named T612 which is compatible with the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately though, that product doesn't seem to have a battery -- it only works on AC power.