I'm a real fan of this thing! A very B&O styled product, with a very B&W sound design, which I hope will be close (or better, who knows?) from the Beosound 1... Don't you think it looks like 2 beolab 9 glued together???
Concerning the fact that the iPod sits like that in front of the cabinet is explained in their site, as spthomas says, it's thought for letting you manipulate the iPod exactly the same way you manipulate it without dock. It is really less user friendly in the other dock when your hand can't go on the back of the iPod, because we have learned to use the wheel with our thumb! It's a really clever design, very B&O!
I'm just waiting to hear one of these little zeppelin!!