Review of The, Jensen JiPS-250i Rocker Docking Station for the iPad, iPod + iPhone

I got an iPad this Christmas, and immediately had a list of accessory's that I wanted for it. A charge/docking station was the very first thing I wanted, possibly even needed.

I instantly became a die-hard hooked fan to my iPad, and found that leaving it on its back while charging with the tiny wall plug it came with would eventually land my iPad into some trouble. Water spills, someone maybe leaving something on it, or some curious idiot picking it up and dropping it.

I figured a docking station would keep it nicely secured, while it was plugged in waiting for me to use it.

I searched intensely for one, and every store I looked had nothing but kickstand type frames, which would work, but at the same time they did not come with a wall plug, and they cost way too much money. For a stand alone, Best Buy was asking for around $55.00, which is just ridiculous considering it did not do anything beneficial for me, or my iPad.

I began to search for docking stations with speakers instead, and could not find anything available in stores, until finally I was about to give up and just order one online for $200.00 from iHome.
Thankfully that same day, I came across the Jensen JiPS-250i Rocker Docking Station for the iPad, iPod + iPhone, sitting beautifully in a glass case in a local Target, and get this, it was on sale for just $10.00 more dollars than Best Buys non-efficient stand.

The Jensen JiPS-250i Rocker Docking Station for the iPad, iPod + iPhone was even more awesome than I imagined it would be. It allows you to place your iPad into its frame securely, while it charges your iPad. Not only that though it rotates and tilts allowing you to view your screen at any old angle you want.

The base is made of plastic, and it is where the speakers reside at the sides of it. The base though is nice and sturdy, and will hold your iPad securely leaving no worry in your mind that it will tip over, or be too top heavy for the base to handle. It works perfectly, and I no longer have to worry about it getting hurt.

The problem I have with this Rocker though is that it will not allow me to place my iPad into the appropriate slots unless I remove my iPads protective case, which I bought earlier that week. I have to remove the case, exposing the iPad, which I do not like, especially when I remove the iPad from the dock to use it on the go. I hate having to reattach it to its protective sleeve every time. Granted it is not such a huge flaw, that renders the docking station useless. Its just an aggravation that I am sure they will work on for their next release.

Start Up
 
The moment you put the iPad into the dock it will ask you to download a free application that comes with the Rocker. If you do not download it, the station will ask you if you want to download it every time you remove, and replace the iPad back into its slot. Its annoying, and eventually you will just download it to make the notice go away for good.

The application is cool though, and features a clock, radio, alarm, weather, and so on. I however already had separate apps for these features, so it was useless to me. Instead of removing the Rockers app though, I simply removed the other separate ones and kept this one, as it seemed more efficient, and laid out more properly.

The glitchy thing that I did not like about the app though was that it needed to be running in order for the alarm to work. Like most alarm apps though. I had no use for an alarm clock though, but for those who do... don't expect this one to wow you, and remember to keep it running.

Sound:
 
The sound quality on the Jensen JiPS-250i Rocker Docking Station for the iPad, iPod + iPhone is definitely not going to wow you, and I found the quality to sound hollow, as if voices were trapped within the plastic base. It does not sound horrible, but it definitely does not sound all that great, so do not expect to drop your stereo for this fellow.

Overall:
 
For me, I needed it just to charge my iPad, while keeping it secure and in place. For me this station was a work of art. The fact that the app came with it is neat, but not necessary. The sound quality could be improved on, but other than that I have no complaints. It gets the job done, and the power chord is long enough as to where I can actually set it on a desk, and plug it into the wall, unlike the one that came with the iPad made by Apple.