Macally PowerLink Emergency Battery Pack with 2 GB Pen Drive for iPod and iPhone (Black)
by Macally
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Macally PowerLink Emergency Battery Pack with 2 GB Pen Drive for iPod and iPhone (Black)
Customer Review: I need more power, Scotty!
Summary: 3 Stars
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The Macally Powerlink is an interesting gadget. It's a combo of a 2GB "thumb-drive" and a backup battery for an iPod or iPhone. All in one neat little package. It's about the size of 9V battery with some added length for the protective caps. There's a removable (and easily losable) cap on each end. One end is the USB A connector to plug into your computer and access the 2GB drive. The other is the ubiquitous iPod connector that connects to just about every iPod out there that uses one.
I tested it with my iPhone 3G and it worked just fine. That's really good as there are A LOT of so called iPod compatible devices that don't work with the 3G. It takes 3-4 hours for the battery to fully charge. For my initial test I let it charge over night. To charge it you plug the USB side into any compatible USB based charger. I have the Apple one and it worked well. There are four indicator lights on the face of the Powerlink. One is the busy light for data transfer the others for battery strength. When you plug it into your Pod the first light goes out instantly and you get the last two to see how much you have left. They flicker before going out so you have a clue as to how much power is left. I ran down my iPhone to just about the point where the indicator turns red. Then I plugged in the Powerlink and the iPhone reacted like it was as if I had plugged the iPhone into an electrical outlet. From that point I was able to use the phone for about an hour doing multiple tasks. I made calls, played games played music and browsed the web on WiFi. All that time my screen was on and bright, I wanted to get a worst case scenario. Under lighter use, i.e. music with the screen off, you should get a lot more time. This would definitely be a YMMV case as different people will use their device differently. It's nice to know you should get at least an hour boost if not more.
On the 2GB side, it's handy, has a decent amount of storage and performs OK. It was fast enough at moving files, but I have used faster thumb-drives. Just OK here. Also included is a USB extension cable to give you a little help if the socket is in a tight spot. Nice. One more nice thing that's not included would be a drawstring pouch. Given the end caps and cable and Powerlink, it would be nice to keep everything together in one bag.
Overall, for the money, it's an OK but not stellar value. I think either the storage should be bigger, 2GB is getting pretty small now-a-days, or the battery have more capacity or both.
Customer Review: Macally PowerLink Emergency BatteryPack with 2 GB Pen Drive for iPod and iPhone (Black)
Summary: 4 Stars
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ASIN B001CHHVCU - It's not perfect, and I haven't tried it with every possible iPod / iPhone device but, for the things I did use it for, it worked very well. My first test was with an iPhone. Unfortunately, the phone was borrowed and I had limited time with it. Still, I was able to power it for an hour before having to return it and am fairly certain it could have powered it longer.
Next, I used it with an iPod. The iPod wasn't the latest generation, and was audio only. The battery pack provided power for just under 14 hours - a stellar result. I haven't yet tested the iPod with video or the Nano, and don't know that I will bother. Of course, and this is the real issue for me, I don't generally believe that my iPod dying is an emergency situation. My phone, maybe.
As a portable drive, it's a portable drive like any other. There is no function that makes it specific to an iPod, which seemed to baffle both my husband and my son, who felt certain that they ought to be able to somehow use it for songs. As far as syncing your iPod with it, I fail to see any need. Your iPod came with a cord for that. I haven't timed how long it takes to charge up again, because I keep forgetting about it after I plug it in.
The sliding on / off switch is nearly flush with the unit and doesn't accidentally get switched on in your pocket easily. On the other hand, unlike other portable drives, the battery power in this one means you really ought to keep it away from your wallet pocket. On the negative side, the caps at both ends are square but fit only one way. This is annoying, although it's minor, but since it could have been avoided, it's definitely annoying. The caps don't snap on in any way, they just slip on and fit snugly, so they can fall off and be lost too easily, another avoidable design decision. It is a little bulky when it's plugged into a computer, which means it can get in the way of plugging in other USB connections.
It works. It's shiny and sleek. It should have come with some sort of pouch. It's overpriced, in my opinion. Then again, it's winter and cars break down, people want to call for help, it would fit in a stocking... for the person who's walking around with a headset, always jabbering away on their phone, it might be an appreciated gift.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Customer Review: The celebrity autograph of iPod accessories
Summary: 5 Stars
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I do not happen to be a user of the iPhone therefore I really cannot address the utility of this product for that application. I suppose there is some value to provide a few more minutes of power in emergency call/message situations - the documentation indicated talk time could be extended for up to one hour - however, as an iPod user, I have some difficulty in determining what real value this device offers to me.
At the same time, I rate it at five stars because, essentially it performs as advertised... the point being, so what? Maybe, for some iPod users, there are services provided by the device they deem critical but since I don't see any of them as being anything more than conveniences, I certainly cannot categorize making sure I have enough power to hear the end of Maggot Brain as an emergency event and when I start watching movies on that tiny screen it will be undeniable confirmation I have crossed over to the dark side.
The unit comes partially charged and can be fully charged from any computer 1.1 or 2.0 USB port. Full charge time from 2.0 is approximately three hours. Unit charge status is displayed on the front panel via 3 LED indicators. The charger also has protective caps for the 30 pin and USB connectors. I have a preference for retractable connector heads as can be found with some flash drives, losing small parts is an avocation. The front recessed on/off switch does not appear as though the unit can easily be inadvertently powered on in one's pocket or carry bag. It is covered by a one year warranty from defects in materials and manufacturing. In terms of loss, you're on your own.
As for utility, the Powerlink functions as an emergency charger, data synching unit and 2GB flash drive. The package also includes an approximately one foot long USB extension cable so if the device is used to synch an iDevice it is not necessarily accurate the iUnit has to be suspended in the air. As a flash drive the Powerlink works just like any other USB flash drive although if that is the user's primary intent it has to be considered comparatively expensive.
I tried it with my battery depleted iPod, it works. Now, I only have to determine why that's important to me.
Customer Review: Effective Though a Bit Cumbersome
Summary: 3 Stars
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My recent travel during the Thanksgiving holiday provided me the perfect opportunity to test the Macally PowerLink. I used the unit on both an iPod Touch and an iPhone with decent results.
Just as advertised the unit will function as a battery back-up and in my experience powered my iPod Touch for about 2 hours on music playback. I purposely used the screen as little as possible to extend the battery as much as possible. I assume that the batter life would be significantly impacted by using the screen more though I can't comment on exactly how much.
I used the unit on my iPhone after I had almost completely exhausted the battery with mixed results. For some reason my iPhone seemed to run slowly or very sluggishly while using the PowerLink as the power source. I'm not sure if this was a single occurrence or what it was but I'll definitely be retesting this soon and post my results. Still I was able to place a phone call that I may have otherwise not been able to do.
The PowerLink did come fully charged out of the box. Charging the unit through my PC's USB took about 1 hour which isn't too bad. Thankfully it is also compatible with Apple's USB charging device.
My main problems with the unit are it's size. Though I realize the battery makes up a significant portion of that, it's entirely too large and cumbersome for practical use. The unit juts out from the bottom of an iPhone or Touch about 2.5 inches and I was worried that mishandling it would snap off the connector. I also had the same concern when I used the PowerLink as a 'bridge" between my iPhone/Touch with my PC. The weight of the iPhone/Touch make the entire unit sag and I was worried about damaging the connectors. I ended up having to use my hand to cradle my devices while connected to my PC.
Another let down is the 2gb flash memory drive. Only about 1.75gb are actually usable which seems low considering the price.
All in all I think that the PowerLink isn't very practical for me or anyone who has ready access to an electrical outlet or PC/Mac. I admit that I won't get much use out of this device. Though it is probably more practical for people on long trips.
Customer Review: Two devices in one
Summary: 5 Stars
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I have a 30gb ipod I like to watch video on at work. Video burns the battery up very quickly so the booster is a big help. As for space, this unit is very small - easy to fit in a purse or pocket with no worries. I like the idea of having one piece of plastic serve two purposes; flash drive and battery pack.
I have another battery booster that works for ipod or any device that connects to usb. It's huge. It was a big help on an extended bus ride to visit relatives during the great gas panic of 2008. I did not like dragging the thing around. It took up twice as much space as my ipod and was clumsy to use. This is small and elegant. I also like that its small footprint makes it easier to recycle. I hate having a dozen bits of plastic that serve one purpose when they could all be easily be combined.
What would make this better is if you could get the files off the flash drive without having to plug both units into a computer. I don't count this as a failure of the device. That's a functionality issue specific to Apple. However, IF this unit were also made for Sansa, or any unit that enables you to drag and drop files independent of software, it would really help with portability. Like if you could go to one computer, get what you need then boost it up to your device where there is more storage. Flash drives are great for documents because you can plug them directly into printers. They are also great for media, like movies and music, because most modern televisions and dvd players have usb connectors. Depending on your player or TV, different codecs and compressions are easily rendered without first having to re-encode and burn to disk media. This saves space and eliminates the need for yet more plastic.
I would like to see more flexibility in this area, which would make multifunction devices like the Powerlink more relevant. One of the great joys of having a mass storage device is that you can keep a library of stuff all in one place where you can use it whenever you want. This appeals to my sense of conservation. So good effort, Powerlink. We'll just have to wait until device manufacturers catch up with you.