IDAPT i4 Universal Charger Review

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/idapt_i4_universal_charging_station' target='_blank'>http://www.maximumpc.com/article/re...harging_station</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"The i4 delivers a supremely convenient means of charging four handheld devices at once, and it gives you the opportunity to leave your devices' factory chargers at the office. And given the short battery life that most smart phones exhibit today, having a charger at both locations--or carting one back and forth--is almost essential. In the final analysis, $60 is a high price to pay for convenience, but it's probably less than what you'd pay in aggregate to buy second wall warts for each of the four devices you need to charge on a regular basis."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1287004627.usr10.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>I've tried different variations on "universal" charging stations before and all have left me somewhat wanting. &nbsp;Luckily all the devices I frequently use charge via mini or micro USB, making everything pretty universal.</p>

[Joel Crane]

Looks cool, but too expensive. I've been searching for a good charging solution: I have only USB cables for my G1 and iPod Nano. I grabbed a $3 powered USB hub, but it doesn't do the job.

My G1 claims that it is charging, but it charges very slowly. There's no circuitry in the hub to tell the G1 that it's okay to draw more than 100ma.

The iPod doesn't charge at all. Apple licensed chargers short the data pins with a resistor. If there's no USB host, or if the data pins don't resist correctly, the iPod won't charge.

For now, I'm charging my G1 and iPod with my network attached storage device on my nightstand. It's an awful waste; there are no Ethernet cables nearby.