This lamp plus iPod docking station meets my needs very well. The footprint is small, the lamp is attractive, and the amount of light it casts on either my computer screen or surface of my desk is what I needed because the overhead fluorescent lighting at work is poor for reading. I was able to dock my older iPod nano easily with one of the inserts, and the sound quality of the speakers exceeded my expectations -- very happy with that. The sound volume can be controlled via the a small lever on the base when the iPod is docked.
The three inserts for docking various iPod types are described in the manual as "8," "9," and "10," but the markings on the inserts themselves are too tiny to read easily -- my only quibble. But it was quick and easy to eyeball them and figure out which one would fit my nano. There is an external connector included for the iPods that do not fit the docking station (such as the shuffle).
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend