Review: MacAlly LINK360-U
A great gift and travel accessory for iPod (December 15th, 2005)
The Good
- Easily connect your iPod without undo gymnastics. Flexible connector.
The Bad
- Only for the iPods with 30-pin dock connector. USB 1 only.
In the course of a day my trusty iPod is plugged into several different computers as I update, repair, or backup my clients’ machines. My iPod Photo 60GB serves as a backup device and even an emergency start-up drive. Sometimes it is a strain to stretch and reach connectors while connecting the iPod to a computer under a desk, and I wish that there were more connector flexibility. MacAlly has a great solution with a new line of adapters that are designed to allow you to easily connect your iPod to a computer. These are small products with the less flexible in mind.
Strech and Swivel
The Link360-U, designed for all dock-connecting iPods, has a 3-dimensional swivel 30-pin to USB adapter. It even comes with a 4 foot USB extension cable. The product is named for a patented neck that allows you to rotate the adapter in a complete circle to meet a wide range of angles. A thick metal ring between the two parts houses the rotating mechanism. Both sides of the adapter swivel, which makes snaking around the back of a computer much easier. The swiveling neck seems durable, but I’m sure that overly harsh twisting might injure it.
This is a handy adapter for a traveling kit because it only weighs .3 ounces. It is a very useful gift for anyone who works on multiple computers. A FireWire 400 version (LINK 360A) will be available soon. The LINK360U is covered by a one-year warranty and can be purchased directly from MacAlly’s site.
Edited by Ilene Hoffman, Reviews Editor
