[Sway]

I have a MacBook Pro because I'm very cool like that, and I really enjoy it. It's not perfect, but it's hard to find a higher quality notebook PC these days, especially since I am not a believer in giant fuck-off 18lb. monstrosities meant to replace a desktop. I love the chiclet-style keyboard a lot too. But one thing that I have always just despised about post-2006 MacBooks is their terrible, terrible power connector, the MagSafe.

For those unaware, these adapters are connected to the MacBook magnetically, so that they pull out easily if someone trips over it or whatever. Not really that useful in my opinion, but whatever. The old model looked like this:

 magsafe_anim.gif (94.9K)
Number of downloads: 0

It's the model I currently have.

Well, for the second time in two years, my MagSafe has separated at the junction between cord and connector. The first time it happened was literally the second day I had my MacBook, but it lasted me a good nine months before it frayed and separated enough to not work. Luckily, AppleCare, but now that's done. Mine was never this bad, but it looks something like this:

 magsafe failure.jpg (14.42K)
Number of downloads: 0

It's not like I'm anything more than ridiculously gentle with it, either. My MacBook always charges in my room on a flat surface with no strain from gravity being put on it anywhere, and if I want to take it elsewhere around, I can almost always get by on the battery life. If I have to bring the power supply along, I pack it carefully and hook it up in a similar manner wherever I need to. Of course I never had to be this careful with a regular power supply, but at least this looks pretty, right? I will admit I often have to wrap the cord around the back if power is available off to the right and not the left, but if a cord can't handle that, there are some serious flaws.

So, now, here we are almost two years exactly from my original purchase, and my second one separated last week and has already gotten so bad it won't charge without forcing it together and taping it or rigging it with aluminum foil or any other stupid thing I can think of, so I go to order yet another one. Turns out they have a new model now because they got enough complaints/a class action lawsuit was filed, because their design, in practice, was total shit. Not only does it fray, but you can cook an egg off the fucking power brick at times (this I know of firsthand as well). Oh, and then there was the time I got some magnetic debris caught in there and it took like an hour to dig out.

The new design, though, is $80, which, while consistent with their previous pricing, is new enough that no one is selling it cheaper than $72, and I don't have time to wait for a deal or a good eBay auction or something. Sooo... here I am, buying the original shitty model for $25-ish off of Amazon and just hoping I make it to my next laptop purchase. Which I shouldn't have to be doing anyway, let alone twice.

[???????]

Uh, are you looking for others who've suffered because of this faulty charger, warning future potential buyers of the laptop, or will this topic become some place where we can complain about faulty (laptop) adapters in general and eventually faulty electronics?

If it's the latter, then I actually have a story or two.

This post has been edited by ???????: 31 August 2010 - 03:37 PM

[Sway]

Go ahead and complain about whatever. I did not really think ahead with this and just wanted to vent.

[Kvitne]

I definitely agree with this sentiment. While I think the idea of having it attach magnetically for those accidents that could pull your computer off the table is a brilliant one, the rest of the design is pretty shitty, and the newer version is far sturdier.

[KennEH!]

*heh* Macs.

["That Other Guy"]

Huh. I always thought those were a good design, but I've never been around one more than 20 seconds out of the package.


So, speaking of Apple, who's looking forward to the new iPod touch that's going to be revealed today I hope?

[???????]

I'm the type who prefers generic MP3 players and I tend to despise touch screens, so I don't plan on looking out for it.

I do sort of pay attention to the games released for it/iPhone/smartphones. I still have very strong doubts about these devices competing on even grounds with Nintendo and Sony, but it's sometimes interesting to see what people develop for it.

["That Other Guy"]

I tend to despise touch screens too because a majority of them are godawful. The iPod however, is not one of those.

[Kvitne]

I'm just hoping Game Center comes out of beta so I can finally put the finishing touches on a, um, "project" of mine.

["That Other Guy"]

Goehoeohoehoeohoheoh

Is it bad that I thought "It's only $300?"

[Red]

I preferred generic Mp3 players too, until I realized I can't fit 150gb of music on a 4gb sansa clip.

["That Other Guy"]

The funny thing is that the iPod Classic (ie the only ipod that can hold over 64GB of music) is the only one that didn't get a revamp.