Griffin Simplifi offers you an easy and compact solution

With the everyday clutter arising around your computer from having too many gadgets (is there such a thing?!), the Griffin Simplifi offers you an easy and compact solution to help you organize mounting untidiness.

The Griffin Simplifi is an all-in-one card reader, USB hub, and iPod/iPhone dock that lets you clear up your desktop while disguising itself as a polished Apple product. The card reader is capable of accessing SD/SDHC/XD/Sony (pro) memory sticks and compact flash cards. There are two USB inputs in the back of the Simplifi and it comes with six plastic moldings to fit a variety Apple iPods and iPhones. Also included is a rather short USB cable to attach to your computer and an AC wall plug.

As I mentioned earlier, the Simplifi looks a lot like an Apple product with its anodized aluminum finish and glossy white plastic sides and moldings. A very bright neon blue light gushes from the Simplifi denoting power and will flicker when you put a memory card in. Underneath the Simplifi is a rubber stopper the covers the majority of the base and gives it more balance and weight to keep the device grounded, so it’s not sliding all over the place. USB slots could be more spread out or there is easily room for two more.

The Griffin Simplifi is simple to use and requires no drivers or software. Card reading is fast and a drive image appears on your desktop (Mac) where you can drag and drop files to their appropriate location and then eject the image when you are done.

I had no real problems with the Griffin Simplifi. Some people may find the supplied USB cable to be mighty short but that’s nothing they can’t fix. Card reading was fast and the USB slots reacted fine to multiple hub daisy chaining. One downside for some will be the fact that the Simplifi will NOT charge your iPod/iPhone unless it is plugged into your “running” computer. The AC power is only used for the USB ports. I keep my computer on 24/7 so that’s not an issue for me.

If you are in the market for even just an iPod/iPhone dock you can’t go wrong with the Griffin Simplifi. Add in the card reader and the extra 2 USB ports and it becomes quite the utilitarian device. Price may be high for some but given its features I think the price is fair.

Pros:

* Easy to use
* Great use of space and features
* Aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

* Won’t charge iPod/iPhone unless connected to a running computer
* USB to computer cable is very short
* May be pricey for some

Buy it here for $49.99!