I did run into one issue where the Moondance Glow's alarm wouldn't sound, even though the system powered on at the appropriate time. Altec-Lansing swapped my test unit out for another and the replacement did not exhibit the same problem in my tests, so I chalked this up to a defective first unit.

I also like that you can toggle through the display brightness settings, including turning the backlight off entirely, by hitting the Clock button on the back. There are also options for customizing what information the LCD displays, including the title of the song playing on your iPod and, if supported by your radio station, RDS tags that can tell you what program you're listening to. There are plenty of other features, too, such as an adjustable sleep timer, customizable snooze times, and a somewhat nifty--if superfluous--"mood" light with sixteen different color settings from Aquamarine to Solar Flare (you can also just turn this light off, if you prefer).

Macworld's buying advice

Despite my gripes about the Moondance Glow's controls, the sound quality and variety of features make it an attractive option--as does its admittedly good-looking black-with-silver-trim appearance. The touch-sensitive controls are eye-roll-inducing at times, but you do get used to them. Overall, though, it seems like Altec Lansing spent a little too much time considering how the unit looks and not enough on how it works.