American Innovative Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of American Innovative Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock
Customer Review: Good alarm clock but could be better
Summary: 4 Stars
Yes, you can customize everything, but the display is my biggest sticking point. It's back lit in blue. If you're used to the red display alarm clocks, you won't like the display. Even on the dimmest display setting, this clock lights up the room.
My solution has been to turn the display back lighting off. Unfortunately, this means you can't read it during the day (i.e. when getting ready for work). When you need to see the time at night, just time the snooze twice and the time is displayed for a few seconds.
The digital tuner for the radio is a great feature for an alarm clock. I was always paranoid about clock radios. If you bumped the tuning knob, the alarm would come on with a quiet static, instead of the music. This is not the case with this radio.
If they made this clock with a red display, it would be the most awesome clock ever. As is, it's just better than average.
Customer Review: Good alarm clock with a few qwerks.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been using this alarm clock for about 2 months now, and on the whole, I like it.
To summarize, the clock allows for 21 different alarm times. There are 2 alarms that can be set daily, and 7 alarms that can be set to go off at the same time every day. You can change the ring or radio station as you prefer on each alarm, which is nice if you're sharing the alarm with someone else. It's got a nap feature (if you're into that kind of thing), adjustable levels of sleep, and more! Everything that it claims to do it does fine (though not always great).
The problems are only a few, but they may be deal breakers for some. The alarm's dimming setting before off is pretty bright-- rather than just illuminating the numbers, it illuminates the whole screen. The nap button can be hit accidentally without knowing it, causing the alarm to go off after a specified nap time (1 hour by default, I think). Once, I think I somehow canceled my alarm before it went off, but I'm not sure how (maybe I put it in nap mode?). These kinds of mistakes in design can be frustrating, but overall hurts the alarm clock little.
Finally, I'll remark that the interface can be a tad difficult to use for those that don't read the instruction manual. Likewise, if you have a power outage, your alarm might not trigger (but it'll keep it's time. Go figure)! You may still want to have an extra, simple alarm clock handy just in case.
Customer Review: Good concept but. . . .
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this clock about a year ago. I agree with a previous reviewer, the display is so bright (even on the lowest setting) that it's distracting for sleep. I often wind up turning the clock toward the wall in the middle of the night. In the last couple of months the alarm has developed the tendency to go off at seemingly random times. Sometimes, on the other hand, it doesn't go off in the morning like it's supposed to. The ability to set different alarms on different days is what attracted me to this clock in the first place. Unfortunately, though, setting the alarms is a complicated and time consuming process if you want to use anything other than the "daily" setting. Also, I have to bring out the instructions every time I set the alarm to remind myself how to do it. Finally, for a clock this expensive, it should have an automatic "true time" setting of some kind but it doesn't.
I'll be shopping for a new alarm clock.
Customer Review: Good idea, but quirky features and bottom-of-the barrel reliability make this a clock you should avoid!
Summary: 1 Stars
I used this this alarm clock for about 2 years; notice the past tense on this. The title of this review sums it up - the ideas behind the alarm clock are quite nice but the execution is really sub par.
*** Let's start off with what was nice about the clock ***
- The customization really was well above what you'd find on any other alarm clock
- There's a descending snooze feature that I really liked - in fact it was the single feature that sold me on the clock
- It seems (note the keyword seems) to be solidly built
- It's not bad on the eyes
- Aux in lets you hook up your MP3 player of choice
*** Now the neutrals ***
- This point is probably very subjective, but the more I used the clock, I actually kind of had to ask myself why? I have a somewhat regular schedule (I work a 9/80 schedule and on the weekends I wake up when I wake up) as does the GF. The different alarm banks were nice, but in the end it was a pain to set them up and really, it was overkill. I suppose if you're a college student and have a schedule that may differ every day it would be nice
- I never figured out what to do with that USB port on the back
*** And now the negatives ***
- As other have pointed out it's at night WAY to bright, even it its dimmest mode. What's worse, is that at the same brightness setting it's too dim to be read during normal lighting conditions. I personally like it dark when I sleep, so it may have affected me more than others, but it really is like a little torch. For comparison, I've also got a DirecTV HR-21 and Netgear wifi bridge in the bedroom. The lights on those are annoying, but not to the point that it would disrupt my sleep. I can't say the same for this alarm clock. In the end, I set the brightness to 0 (no backlight at all) and just hit the snooze button when I wanted to tell the time. The backlight would then come on for a few seconds and go off. It was fine for nighttime, but a real pain during the day. Why not have a customization option to modify brightness during different times of day?
- Build quality is really sub par. In two years, I had three different units. The first unit I had had an issue with the LCD backlight where it would constantly flicker. I had to RMA that one (more on that later). The replacement one that they sent me had issues with the rotation knob. Whenever I turned it it would first go into some default display then to the one I wanted. The third and final one finally died today (I had this one for about 16 months). Doesn't power on or anything. Tried replacing the battery; nothing. Unfortunately it's also well out of warranty. I'm sorry, but $60 for an alarm clock that doesn't last more than 2 years is a joke.
- Customer service was rude and unresponsive. The first clock I had to RMA had the issue almost immediatly. I submitted an RMA request on their website within the first 90 days (the length of the warranty) but never got a response. I tried again after about 5 months and then just got a reply saying it's out of warranty and to take it to my local electronics shop. They were completely unwilling to help until I produced evidence that they never replied to my original RMA request. The second clock also came with the issues above and that one had to go back too. Both times, they wouldn't reimburse me for shipping costs even though it was their fault (and it was their policy to do so, according to their website).
- Warranty is a joke. $60 alarm clock has a 90 day warranty? You've got to be kidding me. If these units were well built then this wouldn't be an issue but 3 alarm clocks in 2 years shows there's some serious quality control issues.
*** Overall Conclusion ***
I've said it earlier. This alarm clock is packed with neat features that could make it a great clock niche markets, but the reliability and the brightness issue end up making this a product you should avoid!
Customer Review: Good, could be great
Summary: 4 Stars
I echo what "Vertigo 2 20" said in their Oct 2008 review (excellent review, btw!). This is still a very good clock radio, and better than anything else out there that I have seen. I have a 30yr old GE clock radio that finally quit (RIP, my friend!), and I have looked for 10yrs for something that will do what it would do: Wake me with music, would let me snooze as many times as I wanted, BUT if I didn't hit snooze again before the predetermined time, the BUZZER would go off. Kept me from sleeping through the music if I was really dead asleep. No radio I have found will do this, and it is so useful and simple.
However, this radio can emulate that feature by using 2 alarms on the daily or 7-day bank. I just use the radio on the first alarm and the buzzer on the second. When the first alarm hits the time for the 2nd alarm, the first alarm is cancelled (so I have learned). Then I get my buzzer.
This radio has lots of nice features, as Vertigo reviewed. Somewhat complex to program, but once you figure it out it is fairly intuitive. My biggest gripes: 1.Please print a manual in something bigger than a 6-font. My gosh, even with bifocal contacts I had to use readers! 2.Volume doesn't go low enough for me 3.Individual alarms cannot have volume independently adjusted. One setting sets all.
With some software updates, this could be a GREAT clock radio. It is very good the way it is, but why not make it incredible?