AJL308 All-in-One Alarm Clock: Hands-On Product Review

The first thing I thought when I saw the AJL308 from Philips is that we are now leaving an age where we don't really need alarm clocks anymore. I mean, I have all these applications on my cellular phone then eliminate the need for a traditional alarm clock.

However, the AJL308 has some very charming applications. Not only is it an Alarm Clock, but it is a digital picture frame, an MP3 player, a video player, as well as a radio. Yeah, the AJL308 is one of those products that may actually be telling the truth when it says that it does it all.

I also found it quite simple to use. One of the best tests of any product is how well a new user can operate it without looking at the instructions, and I found that it was quite simple. The controls took a little getting used to as the vertical controls were on one side of the screen and the horizontal on the other, but anyone can adapt to this. Just think of it as an iPod with the controls spaced out a bit, and you have the general idea.

Setting the clock time and date was quite simple. The issue came when I was downloading pictures. I inserted my thumb drive, and the clock found the pictures on it in a few seconds. I then found a way to put the photo as wallpaper on the clock, and I got this slideshow effect without even trying. Unfortunately, I yanked out the thumb drive, and found that I couldn't get the pictures to stay in clock. Perhaps I should have read the instructions to see how to access the internal memory, if any.

Oh, wait, I forgot to tell you that there is a place for a memory card. Perhaps that's the way you get your pictures and videos to stay in there.

What I really enjoy about the AJL308 is the sound. The radio worked without a hitch, which usually doesn't happen when I have products with FM receivers. Some of the alarms that it comes with are also great. Instead of waking up to the stupid insipid buzz, you can choice church bells or other sounds. You can also program it to wake up with whatever MP3 you choose.

You should be able to get the Philips AJL308 on Amazon.com for about $129.99. If you hurry, you might be able to get it at an even lower price.