Review At first glance, Logic3's i-Station IS10 may seem like just another one of the infinite number of iPod accessories currently available. But actually, when you think about it, the IS10 offers the forgotten freedom of waking up to music of your chosing.

Logic3's i-Station: comes in a nice shade of white...

Let it sink in for a moment. Oooh, yeah... Why should we have to endure the self-indulgent, sycophantic drivel that pours forth out of the mouths of almost every DJ on air? Instead we can wake to the sounds of Beethoven's 6th Symphony - should the sunlight of a Spring-like morning stream through the bedroom window, for example. Or something more upbeat to inject a little energy into the otherwise painful process of getting out of bed: Trash City by Transvision Vamp. Perhaps something by The Prodigy, if you plan to extend that lie in and rush getting ready in the morning.

Since most people's entire music collection is more or less contained on their iPod – something that removes the painful procedure of having to stop the tape in just the right place (ah, nostalgia) or even locate that particular CD – your choice is as big as your playlist, it’s instantly accessible and takes seconds to set up.

Alarm clocks with iPod docks aren’t a particularly new idea - let’s face facts, pretty much every domestic product now comes with iPod compatibility. Of course, if you own an MP3 player other than an iPod, well, you’re pretty much flummoxed.

For what seems to be at first glance a standard issue alarm clock, straight away out of the box the i-Station IS10 feels like it packs a little bit more, and this is first apparent when glancing over the simple design and build quality. It definitely doesn't pretend to be anything flash, but instead achieves its style through understatement.

Some might say it's just plain. Boring even. And it's pretty basic, granted. But the sound quality that comes out of the two full-range speakers and sub-woofer packed into this plain little product is better than most sets of travel speakers, and certainly most alarm clock radios.

Setting the clock and alarm is extremely simple and the button to select the Set mode and then Lock is neatly located at the back of the machine with each respective setting at either end of the slider-style switch. So, far left to Set and - click-click-click - you're at far right to Lock the time.

Select your favourite tune on your iPod, slot it into the dock, lie back and wait for the Sandman to come and visit. Or to wake you up, if you're a Metallica fan...

The i-Station also offers the facility to allow data to be synchronised to your iPod. The i-Station has mini USB port on the back, and a bundled cable connects it to your computer. The IS10 can also be used as a speaker system for a number of portable audio devices as it features a 3.5mm stereo line-in - sadly these won't work with the alarm function though. It is, however, fully compatible with both Macs and PCs.

...and a fetching black model is available too

While the iPod is connected it's also charged - a standard feature, it's true, but one that becomes appreciated when you hurriedly grab your player as you run out of the front door to begin the journey to work only to find the battery's dead.

The i-Station also comes with a quite cool little infra-red remote control, through which you can tailor just about every setting this alarm clock has to offer, including the brightness level of the blue backlit LCD. We suggest you keep this on the minimum setting because otherwise it really is quite bright. So much so, valuable sleep will be lost. Trust us on this one. Other functions offered via this remote control include the oh-so-crucial Snooze function, volume controls, Repeat and Shuffle options and the option to change the source, from iPod to FM radio.

A built-in re-chargeable battery retains your settings should there be a power cut anytime during the day or night. However, there's still an opportunity here to use this as excuse for poor punctuality as the alarm clock itself will not function on this reserve power, which in our tests lasted about five hours.

Verdict

There's a vast array of alarm clocks available to suit almost every need, and many simply use this function on their mobile phone quite successfully. But if you fancy something to make having to leave the warm, womb-like confines of a nice, cozy bed more bearable - and let's face facts during the dark, winter mornings we need all the help we can get, then you can't go too far wrong with the i-Station IS10 alarm clock.