The Moondance Glow might sound bulky at 12.25 inches wide by 5.25 inches high by 3.25 inches deep, but its angled lines mean that it takes up less room than you'd think. The front features a prominent speaker grille, a retractable Universal dock, and, in the top-right corner, a small LCD screen. Also included in the box are a detchable FM antenna, an AC power cable, a remote control, four adapters for the system's iPod dock cradle, and a wireless "snooze remote" and accompanying transceiver (more on this last feature below).
The touch-sensitive controls are presented in a row along the top of the Moondance and appear more or less invisible until the unit is turned on, at which point they are backlit in amber. From left to right, the controls are Power, Source (toggles the audio input), Mood (for controlling a colored light on the back of the unit), Volume Down, Play/Pause/Snooze, Volume Up, Previous, Next, Alarm 1, and Alarm 2.
On the back of the unit are ports for the snooze remote's transceiver, FM antenna, and power adapter, as well as an auxiliary-input jack for connecting another audio source. There's also an LED mood light, a Clock button for setting the time and adjusting the LCD brightness, and a compartment for a 9-Volt backup battery (not included).
The Moondance Glow's touch-sensitive controls are cool, but the novelty quickly wears off when confronted with issues of practicality. For one thing, the buttons are very difficult to tell apart without looking at the unit: except for a raised ridge on the front of the Play/Pause/Snooze button and slight grooves between the buttons, they feel identical. Even worse, because they're touch-sensitive, if you trace your fingers over them to find the right button, you're likely to end up triggering the functions of the other buttons along the way. More than once, I found myself inadvertently cranking the volume when I just wanted to switch tracks on my iPod. And the lack of tactile feedback means you're never quite sure how hard you have to press to get the button to actually register a press.
Moreover, the fact the controls are on the top of the unit means that in order to use the system from your bed, you either need to prop yourself up high enough that you can look at them, or tilt the whole unit towards you. This can be pretty frustrating when you're trying to just listen to some music in bed, but it's downright maddening when you're trying to shut the alarm off in the morning.