Rationale
It sounded great in theory: one brick to charge them all, and on long trips juice them.
The mobility of notebooks, cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, PDAs, and other portable devices can be liberating, but while these modern marvels allow a wealth of functionality to be taken just about anywhere, their appetite for power cannot be left behind. A wide range of accessories exist for powering such devices on the go, whether in a hotel, a car, or a plane, but many, particularly the often high-cost OEM parts sanctioned by the manufacturer, are limited to supporting a narrow range of models for a particular power application. This can quickly result in a cluttered mess of cables, bricks, and wall warts to packand manage, particularly as the number of devices increases. Still worse, if a given mobile device is replaced with a different model, its associated adapters will likely require replacement as well.
A power inverter, converting the power from an automotive cigarette lighter or airline EmPower DC jack to a standard AC outlet, might be of some use in keeping the power adapter population under control by permitting the use of wall adapters on the road or in the sky. Nonetheless, the obvious flexibility of having an AC outlet while on the move frightens me, as it would be far too easy to plug in an electrical device with a power draw exceeding the capacity of the inverter, resulting in, at best, a lack of power when needed and, at worst, damaged equipment. Further, powering an AC/DC adapter from an inverter seems rather inefficient, going from DC to AC to DC.
An alternative approach would be to make use of an aftermarket "universal" notebook power adapter. Wall/auto/air models are available, permitting one to carry a single brick to power a laptop or other mobile device from a standard AC outlet, a car cigarette lighter, or an airplane power jack. Some units can simultaneously power two devices, although additional accessory cables may be necessary, and some limitations may apply (e.g., support for charging a "high-power" laptop and a "low-power" cell phone, PDA, or MP3 player at the same time, but not two low-power devices).
I only had one power brick for my current laptop, and indolence and forgetfulness already had me favorably inclined towards acquiring another, so that I could keep one at home and another at work, or perhaps one at work and another in my bag: the indolence, because unplugging the adapter, bundling the cables, and packing it all up, then unpacking it, unwinding the cables, and plugging the unit in over and over again can feel like a hassle over time; the forgetfulness, because from time to time I might happen to arrive at one of these locations without brick in tow and insufficient battery power to get me through the day.
It would have been simple enough to pick up an OEM adapter for my current notebook, but I was hoping for something more versatile. My last long flight had me longing for something I could pack for my next one or my next road trip. Meanwhile, I wanted an adapter with broad compatibility so that it could also be used with the heterogeneous assortment of laptops at work and at home in a pinch. Experience has demonstrated that I am not alone in being forgetful, as occasionally coworkers and visitors at the office have had a forgotten brick interrupt business activities. I have also seen adapters abruptly knocked out of commission in the line of duty after being tripped over or having their cables bent sharply just one time too many. For use as an emergency spare, one model of adapter seemed more appealing than half a dozen or more.
Enter the Kensington Wall/Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter
Having decided to seek out a brick for all seasons, I noted that there were iGo, Kensington, and Targus models which might fit the bill. I settled on the Wall/Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter (K33197US), as it included a broad assortment of tips that seemed to promise a wide range of compatibility, as did its 120 watt rated peak capacity, capable of supporting even power-hungry desktop replacement models. Furthermore, this model boasts a compact form factor amenable to portability, with the slim "brick" weighing in at 8 oz (about 250 g), with weight increasing to 1 lb (about 500 g) including cables.
I ordered a unit for in-store pickup from Circuit City's online store on sale for $79.99 before sales tax, a substantial discount over the $149.99 list price. The adapter came packaged in one of those clear plastic clamshell blister pack affairs, difficult to open (have scissors handy), leaving sharp edges once opened, and impossible to reseal. (I miss boxes.) The included user's guide was brief, redundantly providing basic information in multiple languages. I found this acceptable, as operation was straightforward, online support resources were available, and I am inclined to doubt that most people would bother referring to printed instructions, especially in this case.
After unpacking the unit, I immediately noted that the power cord from the adapter to an AC outlet is quite short, extending only 6" (15.24 cm) from the brick to the prongs at the end of the plug. As a result, the brick may dangle from many AC outlets by the short cord, potentially subjecting the assembly to excessive stress. As of this writing, Kensington's website had a FAQ entry devoted to this matter, indicating that the short power cord was a deliberate design choice for increased portability. Other sources, including a reader comment (thanks, dude), suggest that having the brick dangle from an outlet by the short cord is intended to enhance cooling by improving air circulation. In compensation, the power/charging cable from the adapter (brick) to the mobile device is quite long, and I suppose the use of an extension cord could easily work around this issue.
Compatibility
Having access to a wide range of laptop models, I decided to see how "universal" this power adapter would prove to be. On the whole, I was fairly impressed, but some of the laptop models to which I had access did have issues with the power adapter, even though a tip was included which Kensingon's website indicated would be compatible. With many of these tips, the metal portion of the included tips was longer than that of the stock (OEM) adapter tips, especially including the larger diameter metal base that extending outside the jack. Fully assembled, the DC power connector might extend about 3" (7.62 cm) beyond the power jack, constituting a long lever arm that, if subjected to pressure, might result in damage to the tip or the power jack itself.
I referred to Kensington's online tip selector to choose the appropriate tip for each model I tested. I also consulted Kensington's online knowledge base for possible known issues. (Hopefully neither of these pages has moved by the time you read this.)
My compatibility testing results were as follows (along with reader reports that I have not personally verified, identified as such and repeated here for convenience):
Acer Aspire 3000 - Tip N14, N14B - Tip does not plug securely into jack, with too much wiggle. Provides power and charges battery if positioned just so, but the connection seems to cut in and out if the laptop or power cable are moved the slightest bit.
Dell Inspiron e1505 / Inspiron 6000 - Tip N19, N19B - Seems to work fine for power and battery charging, with a good, snug fit.
HP Compaq 6715b - Tip N30, N30B - Seems to work fine for power and battery charging, with a good, snug fit.
HP Pavilion dv6500 - Tip N9, N9B - Seems to work fine for power and battery charging. A bit tight towards the end (very tip) of the tip on insertion and removal but when seated, seems to extend a little too much outside of the jack and can easily be jiggled.
HP Pavilion tx1000 - Tip N9, N9B - Seems to work fine for power and battery charging, though the tip is a tight fit and a extends a little out of the jack, as it's a tad bit longer than the stock connector.
IBM / Lenovo ThinkPad T43 - Tip N2, N2B (From reader comments) - "Anonymous User" reports, "I was able to power my IBM (Lenovo) Thinkpad T43 without any problems using tip N2." (Thanks, Anonymous User.)
Lenovo ThinkPad T61 - Tip N29, N29B - Does not supply power or charge - AC LED on laptop does not light when connected. If laptop is powered on with battery and "universal" adapter, POST fails with "0190: Critical low-battery error"; machine beeps once and powers down, failing to boot into OS. Tip fits loosely, readily jiggling and seeming to extend a bit too far ouside the jack. (Tested unit had a 15.4" screen and NVIDIA graphics.)
Toshiba Portege M200 / Portege M205 - Tip N1, N1B - Seems to work fine for power and battery charging. At first I thought that the Kensington website had misidentified the appropriate tip, as the appearance of the tip differs markedly from the stock connector. Nontheless, the tip does fit, although it seems a bit too tight on insertion and removal. While seated, there was a wee bit of jiggle.
I also had an ancient (by laptop standards - vintage 1999) Dell Inspiron 8000 (a model nearly identical to the Dell Latitude C800), but no compatible tip was included. Nonetheless, I noticed an entry in Kensington's online knowledge base that a compatible tip was available on request, free of charge, by contacting Kensington Technical Support by phone or email. I never actually tried this out, since I ended up returning the adapter (details below).
For mobile devices such as cell phones and MP3 players, Kensington provides a USB tip (Tip USB1/USB1B), which should theoretically be compatible with any device capable of being powered by a standard USB port. Kensington does offer specific tips for a variety of mobile devices (at additional cost), but for many devices, OEM and aftermarket USB charging cables are available (or even included), and this might represent a more flexible, if bulkier, alternative.
Kensington also offers a "dual charging cable" (P/N 38013), sold separately, which is a Y-cable that enables charging one high-power device (i.e., notebook) and one low-power mobile device (e.g., cell phone, MP3 player) simultaneously. Unfortunately, this does not seem to permit powering two low-power devices at the same time. Further, according to one reader, the USB1/USB1B tip is incompatible by design with this splitter cable, with the connector on the USB1/USB1B tip keyed to prevent attachment. (Thanks for the "tip", Bob.)
Customer Disservice
Unfortunately, the incompatible ThinkPad T61 is, as of this writing, my current laptop, and the incompatibility was a deal breaker. On a weekend, I called the toll-free number listed on the box and reached an overseas (South Asian?) call center. The customer support representative asked me which model of laptop I was using and told me which tip would be appropriate (information which I had already gleaned from Kensington's website). I explained that I was aware of which tip to use, but that it was failing to power my laptop. I was referred to tech support at another number, available only on weekdays.
During the week, I followed up with tech support, again reaching a representative whose accent sounded distinctly South Asian. I explained the situation and was told that Kensington could ship me a replacement tip free of charge. Nonetheless, what I heard from the representative did not inspire confidence on my part that a replacement tip would resolve the issue. Judging discretion the better part of valor, I returned the unit to my local Circuit City. While I was not especially impressed with the level of courtesy and attention exhibited by the Circuit City customer service representative, who seemed to be having a bad day, I was impressed that the return was processed smoothly, with no questions asked (although I would have been more than happy to answer any that might have been).
(UPC 085896331971)
(7 votes)
