I recently purchased a 3g 15g iPod and I am really enjoying it. I can't believe I settled for a Rio for as long as I did. Anyway, I wanted to be able to enjoy the iPod in my car, as Atlanta traffic is brutal. The Transpod seemed like the ultimate solution as it was a good car mount, charger, and FM transmitter in one package.

Looks: I know they made it white to match the iPod, but I would like more(or maybe changeable face plates) color choices. The white really sticks out in the car. Beyond the color, it's bigger than it looks in pictures. Not big/ugly, but big.

Setup: It comes with two different adjustable arms that can be used seperately or together. Although the two arms together gave me the most clearence from my shift lever, I decided not to use it. With both arms attached the tower vibrated and looked really out of place in the car. With the smaller arm only attached it looked more "stock"(again, with a different color face plate it could look even more factory). However, the smaller arm did get in the way of my shifter. Most problems came while putting the car in park. About 80% of the time my hand would brush the buttons on the right side of the unit that changes the FM frequency. This of course would change the FM frequency and obviously make you lose your signal. Again, because of the better looks, I delt with it.

Use: Ease of use is where this product shines. Literally drop it into the craddle, change your FM station, and you're set. No cords to deal with, just one package. I loved this part.

Sound quality: Your milage may vary, but I was REALLY disappointed. I did not have problems finding a station without interference(I live in Atlanta), but the sound quality was just not there. I kept waiting for something to happen that would make the sound quality better. I tried every station and the sound did not change. The best way I can describe the sound is like there is only one speaker playing. Just flat. Also, you have to turn the sound WAY up to really hear it. This may be my factory stereo not being amplified enough for the FM transmitter, not sure. It will get your attention if you forget that the sound is turned way up and you switch back over to the radio!

Verdict: I really, really wanted to like this unit. Again, one simple package made it the obvious choice for me. But the disapointing sound quality turned me off. After a week I pulled out my old cassette adapter and plugged it in for the first time to my iPod, and WOW! The sound came alive in my car for the first time. I returned the Transpod and purchased the Belkin dock car charger instead. I use this with the cassette adapter and am very pleased with the sound quality. I don't like all of the cords, etc, but that's the trade off.

In closing, I believe that the Transpod, for me, is really close to being perfect. If they improve the sound quality they will have a runaway hit on their hands. Further, adding some customized color choices would be nice. Your milage may vary, but I would, with regret, not suggest buying the Transpod.

Tom