Time to Unwind
AC adapters are an ever increasing part of our lives. Cell phones, digital cameras, GPS devices, MP3 players, and of course laptop computers all use them. I personally have at least a dozen in my house, most are ThinkPad adapters which are deployed in critical spots to power my T400s. I also have four or five in my office, and of course one in my backpack. I certainly don’t want to be stranded somewhere without one.
Working at Lenovo exposes you to more computer users in one day than probably any job in the world. Everyone I see has a ThinkPad in hand either on the way to a meeting or is already there using one. It’s very common for Lenovians to carry an AC adapter to meetings, especially if they are long ones. Trust me I’ve certainly been in my share of those.
Martha would be proud
Over the years I’ve noticed that people are not just physically, but are also emotionally connected to their AC adapters. It’s scary just how much attention is paid to them. People zip them into special pouches, carefully carry them their in laptop bags, or purses, slide them into a convenient pocket, or sling them over their shoulder like a jaunty scarf. Some people label them with their business card to avoid disappearing adapter syndrome. This happens way too often in the corporate world. I’ve had a few people even suggest we make the adapters the exact size of their business card to enable this practice more neatly. These are probably the same people who diligently arrange/label the snarl of cords and cables behind their computer desk. I think Martha Stewart did an entire show on this.
Are you a winder, wadder, or something else?
One of the most interesting things I have noticed is that everyone seems to have a slightly different method for winding up the adapter cord when they are ready to hit the road. They have a tendency to fall into a few categories. Some people carefully stretch and straighten the cord then precisely wind it around the adapter body parallel to the longest dimension. Others quickly wrap the cord around the body in the opposite direction. This type of winder typically takes less time to neaten things up. A few just wad the cord up in a snarl and sinch it to the adapter body with the Velcro. I like to call these people wadders. I guess they must be more interested in speed than neatness. I’ve also seen some cord purists bundle the cord independent of the adapter body.
Design inspiration can come from your own backyard
We have designed many AC adapters over the life of the ThinkPad brand. Some new processor power requirement is typically the driver for a new design. Big ones, small ones, short ones, fat ones have all passed through the design studio.Of course we have tried designing the adapter shape to make winding up the cord eaiser. My favorite design earned the nick named the “dog bone”. It won several design awards back when it was first introduced. Oddly enough, the very features we built into the adapter to aid winding made some people unhappy. The distraught crowd often stated it didn’t match their own winding style. Interesting, the shape actually helped winding whether you wound the long or short way. Some whined that it looked like a dog bone. Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps they missed an opportunity to train their dog to fetch more than a pair of fuzzy slippers. Such is the life of a designer, everyone is a critic.
Subsequent ThinkPad adapters have been pretty simple in design. They usually feature form fitting black cases, heat dissipating ribs, molded logos, a zillion agency approval marks, and of course a grey Velcro strap to top things off. We haven’t given up on making something that adds winding value. The trick it to invent something that doesn’t add size, cost, or weight. It also can’t have design features that jam, break off, hook your clothing or make the myriad of winders and wadders mad. Something to think about while you’re unwinding over the holidays.
David Hill
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
December 2nd, 2009 2:12 pm
IHMO the dog bone design was best, but even at its time not many of them where around.
You talking a lot about design, but mostly we have seen simplistic, cheaply made power bricks, which do indeed contain noisy and hot eletronics. All of them emit high frequency noise. Some of them I do notice with my own ears. That’s very very annoying!
My dogs are leaving the room, when I pulg in these adapters. That’s animal torture!
IMO Lenovo should concentrate on high quality and efficient electronics inside the power adapters. After this was achieved you should look at the design issues again.
The ultimate solution:
What about a higly energy efficient Thinkpads with integrated power device? No need for an external brick to care about.
December 2nd, 2009 3:18 pm
thanks for the post, Dave.
Not that i’m very picky about my AC adapter, i thought, but the sketches and your dissing of wadders (like me) badgers me. I would like to wind the power cord along the long side of the brick, but always (with approx 7 different models…) the bulky power plug end somewhere else than the edge of the brick, how annoying. If it is at half length of the brick, there is no nice way of wrapping the velcro, and if it sticks out at one end, the package is not compact enough for me.
That’s why i wad. I can adjust the slings such that a minimal volume is achieved finally. Over the years i practiced enough to be quite fast in packing it up that way.
@lophiomys: highly efficient thinkpads is a nice idea, then the battery will last enough not to care about the adapter for the entire business day. But please, no internal transformator, there is already enough heat production on my lap. And i would definitely go for computing performance, if left the choice, that’s why i type this on a T400s instead of a X301…
December 2nd, 2009 3:49 pm
@hecke
For me, high energy efficieny equals barly no heat emission. With good electronic components that is possilbe. And if there would be an energy efficient Thinkpad, the neccessary energy troughput would be small anyway. It’s the 21st century today.
December 2nd, 2009 4:24 pm
Haha, that ‘bone’ adapter is genius. Anyway,
I personally never wind my chord and just
stuff it into my bag, so I guess I fall into
the “something else” category
If there’s anything I’d change on the power
brick assembly, I’d move the brick from
[wall outlet]——[brick]—–[thinkpad]
to
[wall outlet][brick]———–[thinkpad],
similar to what the ‘fruit company’ is doing.
I think the 2nd layout gives much more
mobility when plugged in.
December 2nd, 2009 4:55 pm
Hi Dave,
I’ve always wanted to ask and now it seems to be topic related:
Why is one of the TP adapter’s corner cut down?
Thanks for the answer and keep up the good work
December 2nd, 2009 4:57 pm
Felix, We used to make an adapter like that but it limits your ability to plug it into certain types of outlets. Having a corded solution on each side is much more flexible.
December 2nd, 2009 5:34 pm
it’s funny to me how little the design of power adapters has changed while battery life has evolved to the point where power cords are less necessary than in the past.
I have three power cords: one at each desk and one in my backpack. My T400s with an ultrabay battery and SSD lasts long enough that I can’t remember the last time I plugged it in other than at my desk — well, maybe at an airport to get the maximum charge before boarding a plane.
So the key feature for the power cord is that it be small and light so it doesn’t take up much space in my backpack. I leave it at the bottom of the laptop compartment and slide my machine in so it sits on top of the cord.
Seems like the dog-bone design would only enlarge the size of the brick, so that wouldn’t be appealing.
One thing I’ve never understood about power supplies is why the AC plug to the wall is detachable from the brick. I’ve never found it necessary to replace the AC plug, but on more than a couple of occasions it has become disconnected from the brick and then I didn’t get a charge. I guess this allows you to get a longer AC cord, but I bet that very very few users ever do that.
December 2nd, 2009 5:44 pm
matt, this is mostly to meet the different plugs in different countries without having a brick for every country Thinkpads are sold. (Quite a few, eh?)
December 2nd, 2009 5:50 pm
I would not mind puting my teeth in that bone (again).
December 2nd, 2009 5:56 pm
I guess I’m a cord purist. I always detach the 2 prong AC cord from the brick. I then pull it out to full length and fold it in half until it is the length of the adapter.
With the ThinkPad side cord I keep folding it along creases that are the same length. I then wrap the cord up in the velcro in a three layer strategy (1st half of the ThinkPad side cord, AC side cord, remainder of the ThinkPad side cord).
I use this three layer strategy because I have bought several of the extra AC side cords (of various lengths) that I leave plugged in around home/work. I can then plug the brick into the cord that is already in the wall and easily unroll just 1/2 of the ThinkPad side cord without messing with the rest of the cables. I find this method works very well.
The separate cord/brick strategy also lets me make the adapter long rather than wide. This is very useful as it just barely fits across the top of my ThinkPad Leather Ultraportable case this way (otherwise I’d have no idea where I’d put it).
However, like Matt I also find that I leave the AC adapter behind far more than I take it with me. The 8 cell battery & SSD on my x200 Tablet generally lasts long enough to get me through any meetings, workshops, or similar events that I don’t bother with the extra weight in my light travel kit.
December 2nd, 2009 6:09 pm
I’m pretty happy with my adapter, a standard T43 one. One thing about it that’s very good is the cord configuration:
wall—trafo———–laptop
This gives good mobility without a wall wart that can block two or three outlets if you’re unlucky.
@matt: The point of detaching the cord is to wind that thick one up separately, and the thin one around the brick (the long way).
This is probably the most space efficient way of winding up the cord, and the only one I use. But that is only when I travel either without my everyday backpack or when it’s full of stuff.
Most often I don’t wind up my cord at all. I just stuff it into a pocket in my backpack where I don’t have much else. I care about speed since my battery is worn so that I only have 40 minutes when on battery power. I haven’t replaced it since I want to replace my laptop… but I really dont want a new one because of all those keys in the bottom row… but my spine wants a new one.
And then I hear this. I dont want a new laptop after all. I have over-sensitive ears, and these new (switched?) AC-DC converters puts out such a noise! Yes they are very efficient and can be both lighter and cheaper, but I cant have them in the room I work. The one that followed my new phone I gave to my brother. And the same problem exists with cheap dimmers, may be a similar technology. But more expensive ones are quiet without generating more heat, or being bulkier. Does this mean there is hope for me?
Another too long comment… but no one has blamed me so far… ?
December 2nd, 2009 6:34 pm
I prefer the old design like the one with a T42 I have.
The cord between the transfo and the laptop used to be thiner, making it much easier to wind or to lay it on the desk.
Also, I like the transfo of Dell (and it is probably the only thing I like from them).
It is much easier to wind the cord around it and the integrated plastic tie is very convenient and easy to tighten.
December 2nd, 2009 6:47 pm
I’ve still got and still use the “dog bone” adaptor, which I got with a T21 a good few years ago, still works well with my T43. Its a shame that new thinkpads can’t use these older adaptors.
I second the call for a better quality of adaptor, the ones I have are quite noisy now (high pitch whine or a buzz). An old Toshiba adaptor is still more quiet.
December 2nd, 2009 8:21 pm
None of the Thinkpad adapter designs are good they some just less horrible. First Lenovo should be pushing piezoelectric laptop power supplys like the US military use they are the size of a sharpie and run cool.
The cord used on the power adapter should be removable. The cords should be high quality rubber so the are flexible and don’t have a shape memory. The AC connector should be a low clearance with rotate and a pull ring. All the adapters should be the slim style.
December 2nd, 2009 9:11 pm
Most adaptors for any electronic device are wound up and secured with twist wire such that when the cable is unwound, it retains the curves. I retain the wire to rewind the cable following the curve of the cable, or I use new twist wire. But if it was already wound around a dog-bone adaptor I’d use that of course. And if the wall socket is close enough I don’t bother to unwind the cable. That’s how I do it at work, with a power strip on my desk.
Felix, as David said, having the prongs on the brick itself poses physical restrictions, specifically where adjacent AC sockets are too close to one another. And even for the AC connector itself, the angle at which the cable leaves the connector also poses the same issue. Often when the cable is at 90 degrees it then crowds against the next AC connector on a power strip.
December 2nd, 2009 9:39 pm
I’m still using the dog bone style adaptor with my T43p, and in my opinion it’s one of the better designs. When winding up the cord on the other rectangular bricks, the cord always falls off the edge of the brick and end up in a giant tangle, while I’ve never had that happen on the dog bone design.
As for winding style, I wrap the laptop side cord around the 4 thin edges of the brick, while the wall side cord is wound like the leftmost style on the illustration.
December 2nd, 2009 9:49 pm
I think my favorite was the one with the really thin, round cable that wrapped as a spiral around the body of the adapter. The thin wire was really flexible and easy to wind. Wasn’t that from the 701c? Did it have velcro?
December 2nd, 2009 10:26 pm
Jane, The adapter that came with my 701c was a brick with folding AC prongs that plugged directly into the outlet. It worked well as long as it fit into the outlet. Any recess foiled it totally. These issues were common in Europe.
December 3rd, 2009 3:35 am
I think the power adapters that comes with the macbook/macbook pro are well designed. the adapter comes with two ‘ears’ that swing out from adapter; you could then wind up the adapter cord to the two ‘ears’. When not in use, these ears can be folded back and it would lie flush with the rest of the adapter body. Its quite a brilliant ‘form & function’ design example.
December 3rd, 2009 7:41 am
azharif, I agree it works well for winding cord but the design restricts the ability to plug the adapter into many outlets that are commonly found around the world.
December 3rd, 2009 8:19 am
I use the new 20V slim line adapter with the dual chager option for my phone. It is a fairly nice pice of kit, apart for som (for me) obvious ommissions.
1) If you wind, curl or whatever the cords with the AC plugged into the adapter, the whole package is so long it will not even fit in the small supplied pouch! So it’s off and on with this plug every day (already ruined one cable). why not use a 90deg plug as the DC-out is??
2) The system with the interchangeable tips means you get such ‘long’ a plug, the thinkpad can stand no nearer than 8-10cm from something behind it – again why not a 90deg plug??
- the same thing goes for the normal power adapters, if you have one of the newer docks they cant be placed nice close to eg. a back wall because of the power plug extending 4-5 cm back out of the dock.
December 3rd, 2009 11:59 am
Both my new Thinkpad 65W AC Adapter and Slim AC/DC 90W Adapter are noisy and getting hot. However my X61s’s adapter is quiter but not dead quiet.
Well, Thinkpad AC adapters are pretty well made, but the components built inside are too noisy and too hot to be called ThinkPad power adapter
December 3rd, 2009 12:06 pm
As a former (!) MacBook user I really miss their neat adaptors. The main box has two hooks that you can unfold and wind the (rather thin) cable around them. That only allows for nicely winding up the adaptor-to-computer part of the cable, but on the other hand I have always had short distances to power outlets and thus never needed the extension cord that can be attached to the other end of the box. The perfect AC adaptor would be like the Mac ones, including the magnetic power connector, but having the scratch-resistant black case of the ThinkPad adaptors.
December 3rd, 2009 12:08 pm
Douglas Adams had a wonderful article on the 500 different adapters everyone has to carry…
http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/980707-03-a.html
Luckily, it seems that (mini-)USB is now becoming a standard for many of the small things one has to power, reducing the count of different adapters needed by about one..
Would it be possible to add a USB-port to the adapter, so one could plug a phone in without using a port of the thinkpad attached?
December 3rd, 2009 2:12 pm
David, I never saw the dogbone; its cool, but as a cord purist it seems a little angular for my tastes… the natural coiling of the cable is what i’m after.
Anyway it inspired my cord purist’s dream adapter sketch:
http://i2o.org/dmimg/adapter_disc.gif
I suppose the main flaw is that it would need to be such a small/thin adapter to fit the cord in the back, especially non-US plugs now that you mention that…
Somewhat unrelated, I should note that I never use the velcro… I just keep it rolled at the end of the cable and ignore it. With a good coil, the cable should lay flat on its own.
Keep up the great work!
December 3rd, 2009 4:01 pm
Now I remember where I stole the circular wrap idea from, my coffee grinder, another great Braun design: http://i2o.org/dmimg/braun_grinder.jpg
December 3rd, 2009 7:42 pm
My favourite adapter so far: the one that came with the Dell D610 I used to have at work.
Why?
My home laptops (T40s) and my work laptop (HP 6930p) all use Velcro straps to secure the cords.
The Velcro strap always flops around, slides down the cord, gets caught in itself… a PITA to use.
The Dell adapter has a stretchy rubber belt with holes and “button” and is attached do the adapter. Very easy to wrap the cords around the adapter (or bundle if that is your style) and then wrap the rubber belt around the adapter and cords and then hook one of the holes over the button.
December 4th, 2009 5:45 am
Dave, as Christoph pointed out, there is a way to attach several brick-to-wall solutions to an apple AC adapter, you are not left with the direct plug.
During the time i was forced to use a MacBook i did not fall in love with the adapter, but when i tore my T400s down the coffee-table stumbling across the power cord, i yelled a prayer that you guys at Lenovo find some way of incorporating the magnetic part of the apple adapter into your design. Several Colleagues encountered huge damage with the same accident. Fortunately i could fetch the machine with my foot, such that it only gently touched the plushy carpet. But annoyingly the deceleration by my foot was enough that the DVD drive slid out the bay by breaking the (in my opinion cheap) plastic nipple that should prevent exactly this.
Thus some words on the new bay: I am absolutely fine with the mechanism itself, if i have to change the drive, well, i undock the machine, and use two hands, no problem. But the inner friction with the optical drive as well as the HDD adapter is way too low. Additionally the plastic frame for weight saving does not fit well (it is too flat and not rigid enough such that it bends during insertion) and it gets stuck behind the friction spring such that i could remove it only by pushing from behind, after removing the keyboard. Not what you intended, i guess. And yes, this is the original T400s accessory part.
All frustration aside: i vote for
- rubber coating
- noise free
- a magnetic plug
- as light and small as technically possible
- thus no ports, winders, wings, bone ends …
- OK, maybe a USB port in a travel variant.
You are going for new adapters aren’t you? Or is this a classic-design post? OK, professional discretion, i know.
cheers
Hecke
December 4th, 2009 7:13 am
@craig: Sure that is nice for winding up the cable as fast as possible, but it’s not very space-efficient.
And I like to vote for the changes Hecke pointed out, but the USB port is a must. I would like two, for charging the variety of mobile devices. I don’t have enough USB ports on my system for that. And I don’t want the drivers to all those neither.
And since I’ve been dealing with professional audio gear, I feel awkward about all these stiff cables with plastic coating. Many many thin thin copper leads, preferrably wowen, and neoprene rubber is what makes cables that are great to handle. I guess aluminum would break.
Well, I use such cables for mics. I would like that quality of cables for everything. They’re flexible, have absolutely no memory, have better friction. As a result they also lie flat and stable when not intended to be moved.
So, my priority list:
- Quiet!
- Better cables, preferrably neoprene rubber
- Rubber on the adapter so it sits firm
- Magnetic plug
- USB ports
- All connections flush
- Of course smaller is better. Should still be rectangular, but thinner one way is better than smaller in all directions.
Everybody have your say
/O8h7w
December 4th, 2009 4:41 pm
If you’re going to wrap the cord,why not have the cord come out along the side, instead of sticking out 90 degrees? Then you have to bend it to wind, part still sticks out, and is at greater risk of being knocked around and failing.
To avoid blocking wall outlets, why not a stubby cable that wraps around the adapter with the plug fitting a cavity.
Ideally, the cord to the computer should rewind itself, like a window blind, inside the adapter.
Think quick, convenient, tidy.
December 4th, 2009 6:06 pm
O8h7w, i also thought about a rubber coating of the adapter itself, but somehow i suspect that not to conduct heat good enough. But if the trafo does no longer produce any heat, as it will be designed with the top-edge energy efficient technology, a rubber coating would be great: stays in place, and is silent when put on a table and the like, not to mention the feel we all like from our Thinkpad lids.
tOM, i vote against anything that makes the brick bigger than necessary. Any cavity, winding mechanism etc would definitely blow it up a lot. And i did not get your first point, at all my adapters, the cable to the computer comes out alongside…
have a nice one
Hecke
December 4th, 2009 6:49 pm
Hecke, I always enjoy discussing design issues with you. And of course the heat from todays trafos would cause problems if there was a complete rubber coating. Todays trafos cannot even be smooth, they’re ribbed just to dissipate enough heat. But if they were more flat, that would mean a higher surface / volume ratio and thereby better heat dissipation.
But sure it would be a lot better to use really efficient electronics. I’m just concerned that they may sound even worse…
But, on the other hand, when spending about $2000 on a ThinkPad a similarly state-of-the-art AC/DC adapter can cost $100 or more, no problem… if you don’t need many of them? I use only one but really should have two. What about the rest of you, how many adapters do you use and what are you willing to pay? Should there be a low-cost alternative?
Now I’m curious
/O8h7w
December 4th, 2009 10:03 pm
Nice to see that my vote for a usb-port finds support
A magnetic connector would indeed be very much desirable, I hope that there could be a non-patent-encumbered solution for something like that.
December 5th, 2009 1:42 am
I have 4 ThinkPads, 3 X60/61 tablets and 1 T40p. I have 6 IBM adapters and 4 Kensington adapters. I leave the IBM adapters in the home office, in the bedroom, and at work. The Kensington ones are the only ones I take anywhere. Let me explain:
1. The Kensington adapter is an AC/DC adapter and can be used on the airplane, in the car, and in the wall outlet.
2. The Kesington adapter is crazy thin and light.
3. The Kensington adapter has a very short (6″ maybe) removable AC cord, this is great because you can remove it when you are using a DC source like the airplane adapter or the cigarette lighter adapter.
4. The Kensington adapter has an optional part that is a cord and winder all in one that is about 6′ long and looks like a small tape measure when all wound up.
5. The Kensington adapter has different power adapters that you can get which work with hundreds of laptops and other devices.
6. The Kensington adapter also has an optional splitter that lets you power one high power device (laptop) and one low power (ipod, cell phone, camera, etc).
This is the best power adapter I have ever used. I will be very sad if they stop producing this.
December 5th, 2009 1:45 am
Hopefully this will work:
Dell power brick with rubber strap:
http://accessories.us.dell.com.....pid=167580
Dell A/C cord with right angle connector that plugs into the end of the power brick:
http://accessories.us.dell.com.....pid=167580
These guys have it nailed.
December 5th, 2009 4:28 am
That Kensington adapter sounds like halfway there…
What about the quality of the cables? Are they flexible and memory-less? And is there any rubber on the cables or adapter, so that they don’t slide around and about? Does the adapter make any noise?
I’ve thought about this before, but it struck me as obvious just last night, a few minutes after I typed the word “discussing”. This comments section actually works as a design forum. Well, there is a real forum here at the Lenovo site.
Maybe we should start “The ‘Design Matters’ Thread”, so that we could discuss in an environment designed for just that. What do you say, shall we? And where to put it, under General Discussion?
Now I’m excited
/O8h7w
December 6th, 2009 5:25 pm
How about the shape of a cylinder that you can wrap the cord around? I think the “bone” shape was too complex as a shape, too shy in execution to be effective visually, and to be honest not very pretty.
December 7th, 2009 6:00 am
O8h7w, you are right, that we discuss a lot in the comments to Dave’s posts (or Matt’s if he gets back to serious hardware innovation from his windows excursions
). But one very important issue to me is the feeling (hope?) that both read the comments to their blog posts, which i would doubt in case we move to the forum. Therefore i would prefer flooding the comments section.
But, let’s just ask: Dave, honestly, do you read every single comment to your posts? I would have given up in the middle of the ‘wireless’ cries to your posts on the new external keyboard (which, btw., is still not available in Germany with a US layout *sigh*). And on the other hand: would you follow a forum discussion which is dedicated to a certain post in your blog?
If we move to the forum i would suggest starting a new thread for every blog post, such that the discussion stays on-topic, at least as much as it does here in the comments.
cheers
Hecke
December 7th, 2009 11:31 am
O8h7w, I read all the comments on my Design Matters blog. I can’t possibly respond to them all, but I try to join in where I can. To be honest it would be tough for me to also follow a forum unless it was specific to a post I created.
December 7th, 2009 11:58 am
@David re “To be honest it would be tough for me to also follow a forum unless it was specific to a post I created.”
We could make that happen…
December 7th, 2009 12:34 pm
Where are the right angle low profile plugs?
The (otherwise smart) slim adapter, has a ridiculous long plug sticking out preventing a quick curl-and-go, it wont even it in its own pouch with the cord attached.
Same thing with the 20V plugs that go into the thinkpads, if you use the tipped dual charging cable you need 10cm clear space behind your thinkpad in order to operate – not very clever.
The Docks – same thing the power plug, they need 5-6cm of space behind them – why is the power plug not recessed like the other ones on the back?
regards,
jesper
December 7th, 2009 2:06 pm
@David, Hecke, Jane and other interested people…
Maybe we should get the webmaster to make this comments section better suited for heavy discussion. Though that feels both odd and kind of unreal to me… but, miracles can happen. Elements from the now quite good US site is slowly starting to appear on the rest of the sites.
Of course we could start a new thread for each blog post, but to keep it from messing up the rest of the forum that would need a separate board. Usually forum moderators are quite flexible, I guess it’s a possible solution. Maybe a little overkill.
Of course we can continue to use these comments just as usual. But it’s a mess checking for new comments on old posts…
December 7th, 2009 5:05 pm
O8h7w, What is the issue with the comments function that currently exists on this blog for discussion? I’m concerned about having to scour various forums etc. for feedback.Today I read all the Design Matters comments. I can’t guarantee that for forum discussions. I’m too busy trying to lead the design of ThinkPad etc.
December 7th, 2009 7:21 pm
@O8h7w “Usually forum moderators are quite flexible”
I like to think we’re always flexible although I expect there are a few people who would disagree with me!
December 8th, 2009 5:48 pm
So, if you, Dave, do not mind, that we run heated discussions abusing the comments section of your blog, there should be no real need to move.
OK, sometimes i was also quite busy remembering the number of comments to several posts, just to know which ‘thread’ is still active, this is annoying for sure. But if we keep the (not so nice) tradition of always commenting on the latest post, even if the comment’s topic is more related to older stuff, there should be no real problem.
Otherwise some kind of rss feed of the comments, for us hardcore fans would be a nice functionality of lenovoblogs.com…
cheers
Hecke
December 8th, 2009 9:07 pm
I was also a fan of the dogbone until I decided the smaller 65w ones were easier to handle. The Dell and Fruit bricks also have nice ideas, but I don’t like the right-angle Dell AC cable. The Fruit one, at least for the music players, has a detachable plug that can be replaced with a standard C7 cable. I do like the fact, though, that TP AC cords are quite short, though the sticker flag with the cord PN needs to go.
As long as TP bricks do not go to the bulky Mickey Mouse (C5) cord that IdeaPads use. Yuck. But I do like that the DC plug is right-angle.
December 9th, 2009 9:04 am
Some cool stuff about AC adapters here.
That said, the thing that struck me about this blog entry was that maybe the design energy and insight would be better invested elsewhere.
For example if you have 4 AC adapters strategically placed around the home or office,this is an an indicator that the battery life of the device is far from adequate – you don’t need that many AC adapters just for once a day charging. And I know this is true because I have resorted to the same myself.
At the moment Lenovo has had to resort to what are basically external batteries – batteries that actually fit in the dimensions of the casing are inadequate in size already and most users resort to the bigger ones that stick out quite far from the casing of the unit are typically te. And yet we all still have chargers all over the place.
Instead of the “dog bones” and so on, shouldn’t Lenovo expend more energy in designing battery units that similar to the macs for example are custom-shaped and able to provide more runtime. Or bay batteries that are longer lasting and able to be the secondary power draw instead of the the first as they are today? Or more power saving tricks like those Panasonic uses on its “Toughbook Elite” line of products?
These for me would be far more valuable than a cooler, “more fun” AC adapter that I have to have with me all the time.
December 9th, 2009 2:59 pm
Okay, we’ll continue in the comments of the new post…
December 11th, 2009 12:06 pm
David,
Great subject!
The ThinkPad power supply should be defined as a system, not as a “brick.” Along these lines, at least five improvements can be made to the standard 90W ThinkPad adapter.
1) A zippered pouch can be included (as with the Slim A/C D/C Adapter, #41N8460), or optionally offered for sale. The pouch concept provides an additional cord-storage/convenience/transport option.
2) As O8h7w comments, four non-slip, 1/2″W self-adhesive disk bumpers should be provided. These pads keep the brick in place on smooth surfaces and raise it above the threat of common “liquid damage.”
3) As SouthPaw suggests, the hard-wired power adapter connection is awkward and unaccountable; it should be replaced with a modular connector. (Modularity facilitates storage and cable replacement–the cable is subject to damage from heavy use.) In addition, optional/replacement cables can be offered in various lengths.
4) With a salute to james, a right-angled connector cable should be available between the power adapter and the ThinkPad. The current connector extends 1-1/2″ from the back of the ThinkPad (beyond the 9-cell battery on a T400)–too far for many users and subjects the machine’s power jack to unwelcome torque.
5) A two-state LED should be added to the brick; green for connected to A/C and ThinkPad and operational; (blinking) red for loss of A/C but still connected to the ThinkPad (in this state, powered by ThinkPad battery).
On another note, please consider a post on the introduction of the forthcoming “UltraSlim” A/C D/C Combo Adapter, #41R4493, which is to replace the above-referenced “Slim” version.
December 16th, 2009 11:03 am
I wrap and bind the DC cord separately from the adapter body and leave the AC cord unwrapped. This way, the adapter is not too thick to fit neatly into any sort of pouch. Also, the primary reason for this – if the wall outlet is not too far away I can plug in the laptop without ever unwrapping the cord.
December 17th, 2009 4:34 pm
One thing to consider is why users see the necessity to use the power adaptor as a cable wrapping spool in the first place.
Lenovo should consider reintroducing the ‘dog bone’ not as a power adaptor but as a stand alone cable wrapping spool, with a clip-in storage space for the mains plug in the centre of the spool.
As for how I coil and bind the cables on the power adaptor for my 3000 N200, the far right sketch is the method I employ.
December 20th, 2009 5:03 am
I love ThinkPad. But its power adapter block is not as good as other laptops. The gray Velcro just doesn’t cut it compared to the Dell way of having a built in rubber band on the block itself. My office uses the Latitude ones which have this design.
December 20th, 2009 11:09 am
@Dave – Built-in, tough rubber bands and wrist/hand problems/arthritis don’t mix very well. Velcro is must easier/less painful to deal with.
December 22nd, 2009 1:39 am
Jane…
Not having arthritis I am not in a real good postion to dispute your comment, but:
The rubber straps as found on the Dell power bricks don’t need to be stretched much – just enough for the band to be snug. And the end of the band is pretty decently sized, very easy to grip. Whereas I find velcro hard to grab and fiddly as it is slippery and tends to curl up and stick to itself. So I would have have though the rubber strap much easier to manage for people with limited mobility in their fingers.
December 27th, 2009 1:39 pm
The bone is cool. Bring it back please!
December 30th, 2009 4:56 am
The adapter that came with my ThinkPad 760 years (decades?) ago was the best, to my mind. It had a recessed portion for the cable to wrap around (and therefore can’t slip off the edge of the brick and cause a mess), and a little dummy connector on one edge for the laptop plug to snap into.
A somewhat un-explanatory picture: http://www.westworldcomputers.com/parts/760AC1.gif
The laptop connector snapped into that gap on the bottom-left of picture.
January 4th, 2010 2:42 am
@Jane & Rick
Thanks for responding guys..
The rubber bands on the Dell power bricks I’m referring to are really like large rubber wristwatch strap — but without the square shaped “buckle” component:
http://site.shoplaptop.net/img.....&w=180
http://youraccount.ekmpowersho.....cf4525.jpg
As Rick mentions, they don’t require a lot of strength to use, and don’t flop around as much as Velco (which I believe actually requires more dexterity to use).
January 4th, 2010 11:36 am
to wind the cord around the adapter body parallel to the longest dimension–hard to imagine