Review: ezGear alarm clock is feature packed but tricky to set up
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Dec 21, 2007 at 1:38am
ezGear’s new ezWake Alarm Clock for the iPod, the US$99.99 ezWake WK7, is an overall fine system. On the plus side, it packs a lot of features and good sound for the price. On the downside, it’s a bugger to program.
The ezWake’s iPod dock not only allows you to play and control an iPod, but also charges it while connected. Multiple adapters accommodate various iPod models. I even used it with my iPod touch though this model iPod always seems a little oversized and cumbersome for most speaker systems with which I’ve tried it.
Ports on the back of the ezWake WK7 (which comes in black and white models) allow for connections to a TV, stereo, or computer, so you can use it with your Mac if you wish. It comes with a 24-function remote control and allows you to control the bass and treble. The ezWake WK7 runs on AC power or battery power (eight D batteries). It also has a built-in battery for time backup.
The ezWake WK7 is feature packed. It has a two-alarm alarm clock and a large, blue display with time, mode, alarm, radio station, iPod icon, sleep icon, and more. You can wake up to your iPod, a buzzer, the radio, or external audio (such as a CD player). The remote is extremely versatile. It can be used to mute the system when the phone rings, pause and play, adjust the treble and bass, set repeat mode, random mode, adjust the volume, skip between songs and the 40 preset radio station. Using the four buttons at its bottom, you can navigate all the iPod’s menus. One caveat: you’ll need to have the remote precisely pointed for it to work; there’s not a lot of leeway or flexibility in its range.
You can crank up the volume with less distortion than I expected on a speaker system of this size. The sound is impressive, though, of course, the ezWake is meant more for personal listening than, say, blasting tunes at a party. The midrange is clean and balanced; the bass is round if not especially deep.
Unfortunately, the ezWake takes a long time to set up. If you’re manual averse, get over it. You’ll need the instructions to program this baby, as some of the button labels aren’t as explanatory as they could be. Also, the blue display is almost too bright, at least until you put the eZWake in standby mode with nothing playing.
The ezWake WK7 could use a little finessing, but once you’ve gone through the process of setting it up, it’s a multi-purpose iPod system with all the bells and whistles.
Macsimum rating: 7.5 out of 10.
Leave a comment ⇒
Please post the article topic & comment in our forums. No registration required.
Article Information
Comment on this Article Print this Article Email this Article Digg This
Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 10,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Recent Articles
