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iBook-AC cord?
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Jackson TN USA
Status:
Offline
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I just got a new iBook, G4, 14 inch. It comes with a power adapter, which I understand. There is also a something called the "AC cord" for use when the cord on the power adapter is not long enough. The manual says "use only the AC cord that came with your power adapter".
Is this really necessary? Does the box really know whether the power adapter is plugged into an outlet or into a normal extension cord? I don't want to damage anything, but the computer is for my daughter who will be on tour for several months and needs to travel as light as possible.
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Administrator  Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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Offline
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The reason for the notice is YOUR safety. Some people would plug huge appliances into the thinnest of extension cords, which is patently unsafe. They also cut the grounding prong off power cords when they seem to be "inconvenient." So are electrical fires.
Some people are really idiots, and you gotta protect them from themselves, or they'll bring their problems down on you, too. (pant, pant) Rant over.
Now, a real concern with what you plug your notebook into is how well the cord is constructed, and whether or not it properly provides power the way the adapter needs it. If you get an adapter with a three-prong cord, you should use that cord, because it's been designed with the electrical needs of the machine in mind, as well as your safety.
And really, are you going to worry about how far from an outlet your iBook is sitting while it's recharging? Isn't the two meter power cord long enough for that function?
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Rockville, MD
Status:
Offline
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Does it matter if you leave the AC adapter plugged in when the iBook is not connected to it?
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Administrator Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
Status:
Offline
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Originally posted by selowitch:
Does it matter if you leave the AC adapter plugged in when the iBook is not connected to it?
Excellent point. I was always taught that you should plug in the equipment end of a power adapter before you plugged it into the wall, but that's not what Apple says to do. The iBook adapter is not a conventional transformer/rectifier design; it seems to be some form of switching power supply. This makes it very light, cool running, and smart. I would not leave the adapter plugged into the wall all the time, but you can leave it plugged in even when you're using the iBook on battery power.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Rockville, MD
Status:
Offline
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Originally posted by ghporter:
I would not leave the adapter plugged into the wall all the time, but you can leave it plugged in even when you're using the iBook on battery power.
Doesn't the first part of your statement: "I would not leave the adapter plugged into the wall" contradict the second: "you can leave it plugged in even when you're using the iBook on battery power"? After all, the iBook is always on battery power if it is powered on but NOT plugged in....
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Last edited by selowitch; Feb 18, 2005 at 03:26 PM.
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