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Provides: Speakerphone and handset functionality
Developer: IPEVO
Minimum System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.5, 400MHz processor, 128MB RAM, USB port, CD-ROM drive, Broadband Internet connection
Price: $79.99
Availability: Now

iChat and Skype are amazing programs for keeping you, your friends and your family connected. You can chat via text, voice, or even video if you have the right hardware, which most Macs do. But perhaps you’re a little disappointed with your Mac’s built in mic. Or maybe you have a Mac mini, which doesn’t have one. No matter your reasons, IPEVO has a multipurpose solution for you, it’s called the TR-10i speakerphone. Not only is it a desktop mic, it’s a speakerphone and a handset that can switch between conference calls and personal chatting with ease.

IPEVO’s TR-10i is equipped to handle all of your VOIP related needs. It’s a mic, a speakerphone and a handset all in one nifty USB device.  What in the world would you use it for?  Tons of stuff actually.  iChat and Skype keep many people in contact everyday without those pesky phone fees, and this device is built to be used with both of these. You can “call” someone on the other side of the planet, and all you have to pay is your monthly internet fee to your provider. Well, assuming you aren’t keeping a secret from your overly trusting neighbors. The TR-10i can give you better sound quality than your built in mic (if you have one), and it’s more versatile.

Why is it more versatile? It has dedicated buttons for a number of different tasks. If you use Skype, there are buttons for answering and ending calls, as well as starting and stopping recording of the call. If you use iChat, or pretty much any other application, you still have control of volume (of the speaker), muting of the mic, and whether you’d like to use the TR-10i as a speakerphone or handset. All you have to do is pick up the device, flip the switch and hold it like a phone. Privacy is right at your fingertips.

I have to give a big compliment to IPEVO on design. Like all IPEVO products, this one is easy on the eyes without sacrificing any functionality. The buttons are sufficiently clicky, and the white and grey plastic casing is elegantly designed. It’s also light and fairly small, so you can bring it on trips with you easily. I’m told that the CEO himself designs the products at IPEVO, which I think is just awesome.

It also performs well. The mic picks up audio slightly better than the built in mic. But unlike a built in mic, it’s movable, so you can get better audio quality be placing it closer to you. The speaker also helps to separate sounds coming from other apps on your computer.  Instead of your system speakers mixing iChat with iTunes and whatever else you might be listening to, you can have one dedicated place for all of your chatting audio. It also does not create any feedback loops like a MacBook has a tendency of doing. And while no one (that I’m aware of) is releasing an album singing through a TR-10i, it’s more than capable of being your chatting mic; you could even use it for a podcast if you’re into that sort of thing.

The only real downside to this product is that in order to get full functionality out of it, it really needs to have another application running at all times. This application is what enables the buttons of the device to control things like answering of calls and the like. It can be used without this as a regular USB mic, but with fewer features. Without the program running, it actually shows up as a differently named source in System Preferences. Thus far, I’ve actually had issues getting it to work with iChat without the extra program running, though it works perfectly everywhere else in OSX. If you don’t mind the extra program, it works as advertised.

Other than the extra application (which always makes me sad), I really like this device. It’s an especially good choice for Mac mini owners, since there is no built in mic for iChat and the like. Even for other Macs that have a built in mic, this is a good choice since it can separate iChat and Skype from all other system sounds, and alleviate any feedback problems you may be experiencing with your current setup. All that said, I do think it’s a bit steeply priced since your Mac can already do most of what this does, albeit with a little more effort and a little less quality. But it most certainly could justify itself if you find yourself using iChat or Skype often, and it’s still cheaper than having a land line.