If you've been scratching your head about how the new clix2 cradle will work, scratch no more. With exclusive photos of the clix2 cradle design, clixhere.net has the latest. In a nutshell, the clix2 cradle uses a simple base with a big "X". Located in one axis of the "X" is a USB plug. When used this way, the clix2 will be setup to send/receive data. Ready to listen to some music or watch a video? On the opposite axis of the "X" is a headphone jack. Plug the clix2 onto the cradle this way and you'll have sound through the built-in speaker. The clix2 cradle also features a built-in rechargeable battery and an on/off switch.

Attached Images

	clix-cradle-002.jpg (32.4 KB, 144 views)
	cradle-02.jpg (49.0 KB, 135 views)

The most interesting feature with this cradle is the powered speaker...definitely getting one of these when I buy a clix2

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Excellent, will have to get my bundle

THANKS Jeff!

Now here's the question... why didn't they put both the headphone jack and the USB socket on the same side so you can do both at the same time (rather than doing some little swapsies danse thing to switch between them)!? Quite interesting anyway.

probably was not enough room, remember they deal with very little space. It would have been nice, but since the battery's on either side of the screen (i read that on another thread, might be wrong) there is probably only room for the USB on one side and headphone jack on the other.

If not, then yes it was kind of stupid but not biggie.

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Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear

Which features are supported by this kind of docking station?

- USB mode: it's just a stand? Does it behave any different than connecting directly?

- speaker mode: it's just a speaker instead of the earphone then? Is it possible to listen to radio this time, since the speaker would not offer an earphone cable as antenna?

No line-in?
No remote control?
Better/faster charging?

Good questions traut, I'd like to know also.

Mostly unknown at this time...

The only thing I know for sure:

- Charge via the cradle (dont see how it would or could be any better or faster since it's still a usb connection)
- Listen via the cradle (music/video) unknown if FM will work but my guess is yes since the cradle will act as an antenna.
- No Line in
- No remote

Ouch... no remote.. that's one of the main reasons I'm getting a cradle for my clix soon.. Ouch. That's why it's not much more expensive this time around for the cradle?

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Player: Clix2 4GB

W/ Philips HE-591 In ear phones

To be perfectly honest I find that quite disappointing.

I thought the mysterious cradle was going to be another product hightlight, but without the line-in, line-out, remote, dock connector, etc, it becomes nothing but a large box between the player and your computer (no better than using a conventional cable) and offers a tinny little speaker if you take the clix out and put it in the other way.

I really think iriver could've done better with this - don't ask me how - but they definately could.


/rant

i dunno what u guys think, but the cradle seems kinda weak to me. yeah, its an innovative design concept, but my main concern in buying a cradle is added features. the new cradle seems to me like they are trading features for "wow" factor, but "wow" factor is not the main reason why iriver loyalists stick with the brand. i want to hold it and mess around with it before i can make any final decisions

Even though I don't like the reduced set of features of the cradle, I'm most likely going to get it with my Clix2... I mean, objectively speaking some of the features of the U10 cradle I don't use (like line-in recording, nice to have, but not necessary for me), alas, if I could see it in action before I buy that would be preferrable.

I'm surprised - you should know better. Both U10 and clix and cradle have 'standard' USB connectors, but they are abused for faster charging (fifth pin). We don't know yet how the fifth pin is used this time - and mini-USB actually git a fifth pin by default (while the USB-A plug was an iRiver special modification).

Choices are e.g.
- fifth pin is used in order to signal that USB power can be more than 500 mA
- fifth pin is used as dedicated charge pin
- fifth pin is used as extra charge pin, providing supply both via USB power and fifth pin.
- USB power delivers more than standard 500 mA

I don't like the cradle one bit. I guess one thing I don't like is that it seems like in portrait view there'd be a shadow over the picture. No remote seems kinda disappointing as well. Plus, I just thought the first cradle was so perfect (at least for design) that anything else pales in comparison.

I'm hoping (though it's a silly to thing to hope for) that they come up with a new cradle somewhere down the road.

Some good pictures from Akihabaranews.com

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