clock radios

I needed a dual alarm feature, and this was the only clock-radio left in Target that said "Dual Alarm" on the box. Now that I have it, I see why this was the only model left.

What the box doesn't say is that one alarm setting is for the radio and the other is for the buzzer. Frankly the "user manual" doesn't explain this either. I didn't know that the buzzer and radio each had a separate alarm time setting until I read one of the other reviews here. The user manual could have been written much better.

The physical design is poor. How many buttons does it take to implement these features: Radio on/off, setting the clock, setting alarm 1, setting alarm 2, and snooze? This alarm clock uses two 4-position slide switches and seven separate buttons. User-friendly this ain't. The goal of a good manual is to eliminate the need for product support. The goal of good product design is to eliminate the need for manuals. This product fails on both counts.

I really can't understand how everyone else hates this thing, but let me give you my 2 cents. I think it's great! I received this as a gift from my sister for Christmas, and I am shocked to see that the price is under 40 bucks!

What I like:
- sleek, aesthetic black design
- nice, easy-to-read green display
- two settable alarms - one for the buzzer and one for the radio
- easy to set the clock or alarm time; intuitive, with both forward and back buttons with slow/fast speed (basically)
- decent reception on the radio

I guess my only quibble would be that the single speaker is not exactly Bose-quality, but I have a stereo system for that... I just want to listen to Howard Stern's annoying *** to wake up in the morning. Good thing the station I listen to isn't owned by ClearChannel... Oh, and I'm not sure, but maybe I have accidentally hit the Alarm Cancel button when trying for Snooze before, but I have been known to shut off other alarms in my sleep as well, so I can't crucify the alarm for that.

The bottom line is that compared to most others out there you can get at the store, it really is a nice alarm clock. No stupid looking cheap white plastic, no impossible-to-figure-out clock, option to set both the radio and buzzer alarms... it's all good stuff. If my house burned down and I was looking for another alarm clock, I would buy this one for sure! No competition.

It is just one tiny little button. One tiny little button behind the snooze bar. One tiny little button that you probably won't even realize is there, until it is too late.

I think I'm a smart guy, but it took me and my significant other a week to figure out why the ... my alarm would mysteriously shut itself off, seemingly on a whim.

Maybe it's my fault. I admit I didn't read the instruction manual. But it's a clock radio! Why should I? I'm in the IT industry. I don't need no stinkin' manual!

Or maybe the mention of the tiny little button is not in the owners manual. no difference. the tiny button might wreck you too.

The tiny button is right behind the "snooze" button. The BIG snooze button, the button you smack with your big swarthy, sleep deprived American hand when you're mumbling "forgodsakesjustshutupandletmesleep!"

The button is the "alarm cancel" button. And let me tell you, it is far, far, far too easy to hit, and it will shut your alarm off until the next day. And you will slumber peacefully until you wake with a start realizing that it's an hour later, and your Sony ICF-490 clock radio is sitting there silently.

The Sony engineers (and most clock radio "engineers") had/have the right idea to make you slide a switch or operate some other kind of gizmo that requires some waking coordination to shut off the alarm. Indeed, you have to slide a switch on this clock radio to shut the alarm off, a logical operation. But then, for some reason, they added the "alarm reset" button to the top of the radio. behind the snooze bar. the tiny button from hell.

If you've read this far and you aren't scared yet, the thing does keep time. And the numbers are nice and big and bright, which is good if you're like me and half-blind (as well as swarthy.) The radio reception pretty much is awful, but if you the station you want to tune in is broadcasting from underneath your bed, you should be ok.

But you should really avoid this alarm clock if you actually have to get up in the morning. I've trained myself to gingerly reach out and tap the snooze like a little girl but needless to say, I'm shopping for a replacement. And then, when I find it's replacement, this clock will pay the ultimate price.

I'll leave you with a little haiku:

Sony Alarm Clock
sleepy hand reaches for snooze
sun rises, late again.