Apple MagSafe 60W Power Adapter for MacBook - MC461LL/A with Extension AC Wall Cord (bulk packaging) [model# A1290, A1172, A1184]
by Apple Computer
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List Price: Our Price: $36.00 You Save: $66.16 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $24.40 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple MagSafe 60W Power Adapter for MacBook - MC461LL/A with Extension AC Wall Cord (bulk packaging) [model# A1290, A1172, A1184]
Customer Review: The Weak Link in the Apple Chain of Reliability
Summary: 1 Stars
Purchased new Macbook Pro 13" for spouse in August, 2010. She and my daughter use it for school (grad school for her, high school for the daughter), and both have become very dependent on it. I bought it because she just had to have one (teacher) and I wanted something ultra-reliable for her to use (I spend too much time in my job fixing Windows PCs, primarily problems due to viruses, hard drive crashes, etc.). I just wanted to spend the extra bucks and not have to worry with her system.
This model power supply is what currently comes with the both the standard Macbook and the 13" Macbook Pro, and it failed this week (right before Thanksgiving), November, 2010. I went back to the major electronics chain store where I bought it, since it was less than than four months old, and was told that since I did not buy an extended warranty, it was not covered under the regular warranty by Apple (nor is the battery, but that is true for all laptop manufacturers) and my only choice was to buy a replacement power supply for $80. WTF?????
Based on my reading of reviews here and elsewhere, and noting the excessive warmth of the defective unit on my laptop, I believe the 60W L-connector supply is either a) defective in materials and/or design, or b) severely underpowered for the application. I had acquired from a friend an old 85W Macbook Pro power supply with the T-connector that had a bad cord (another defective Apple design, also, but this was a poor mechanical design with the strain relief on the cord). I was able to crack it open and repair the cord, so that I could have something to charge the battery while I wait for a replacement supply to arrive by mail (I am NOT paying $80 for a replacement in a retail store). This older 85W unit does not run hot at all when charging or in operation, and works great with the laptop. I would recommend to anyone buying a replacement power supply to avoid the P.O.S. 60W L-connector model, or better yet, avoid a 60W power supply altogether as being underpowered and inadequate, and buy an 85W supply instead. The replacement I ordered is an 85W T-connector model.
Looks like Apple has dropped the ball on this one, spec'ing an undersized supply or going with a low-budget crappy Chinese manufacturer, and based on the number of complaints I've seen in these reviews, I believe they are pushing a defective product. Most Windows-based PC manufacturers warrant their power supplies for a year, and since Apple does not (or has stopped doing so), I would guess they are very aware of this defect but want to avoid admitting it publicly because of the embarrassment it has become to the company and the potential it has for litigation.
To spend this kind of money on a laptop (nearly three times as much as a comparable Windows PC) and have the power supply die after four months is simply ridiculous. To have Apple exclude it from a basic one-year warranty is even more ridiculous. Buyer's beware! A Macbook Pro may be a great laptop, but if you can't power it up, it is simply a brick. This truly is the weak link, the Achilles heel, of what should be a great product.
Apple, you may have shaved off $5 on the manufacturing costs with this piece of crap, but this particular decision will cost you a whole more than it saved, in the long run. Shame on you! I expect this kind of stuff from low-budget PC manufacturers, but not from Apple, and not after paying three times as much for the mystical Apple reliability. In the end, you apparently are no different from any other PC manufacturer, other than you charge more for your product.
Customer Review: deeply-flawed and dated design
Summary: 1 Stars
HEY, the MacBook Air-style adapter is finally available and the price is the same. Ditch this old junk and buy the new one.
The comment below applies to the Apple original adapter, not knock-off or used items.
Although we Apple product users have been spoiled by the ingenious design found in the power adapter since the second generation of PowerBook Titanium was introduced almost eight years ago, there are still serious flaws.
I will mention the timeless and positive elements first.
1. removable/exchangeable power connector. This allows you to leave the long power cable connected in the office and at home, and just switch out the flip-prong plug. This way you don't have to bend down and unplug the whole cord, not to mention the weight saving when you travel.
2. for the same wattage, Apple's adapter is far smaller and lighter than other notebook brands' adapters or other 'Apple compatible' after-market adapters.
3. although nothing new, the MagSafe connector provides added protection when someone trips over the cable or if you accidentally 'run' away with the MacBook/MacBook Pro.
4. you may buy an expensive 'figure-8' connector at each location that you frequently visit, so you don't have to hunt for AC outlet each time you need to use your power adapter.
Now, the ugly.
1. to make the power cord more flexible, the material inside of the cable is prone to wear and breaks easily (breakage inside cannot be seen unless you X-ray it).
2. after seven years of problems, Apple has learned to turn the power cable 90°. The biggest problem with the side-accessed design is that we often have materials next to the computer as we work, so those cables and connectors just get in the way. Inevitably, we turn it 90° to route it to the back. Worse yet, sometimes the connector is bumping against the way and accelerate the wear. This feature, unfortunately, was made available on the MacBook Air. It's been that way with the MacBook Air since introduction almost two years ago. However, this design has only recently been utilized on the MacBook (unibody) connector. This glacial change will finally make it across the entire product line, but only Apple knows when.
3. do not use the 'ears' for coiling the cord. If you must, be sure to leave about 1-2" of cable looped (not bent 90° immediately as the picture suggests). Coiling the cable repeatedly as illustrated would accelerate the break down of the power cable.
4. For no reason at all (polarity is not an issue, because the flip plug does not differentiate polarity anyway), Apple makes a non-standard figure-8 connector. This makes the non-standard cable unusable on previous version Apple adapters, even though there is absolutely no risk of mixing up the polarities. This is a wasteful design in more ways than one. First, it uses more plastic to fill up the cap. Second, it makes the cable not as useful.
I wouldn't buy one between December 2009 and February 2010, because I strongly believe that the new adapter (MacBook Air/MacBook plastic unibody style) will take over this flawed design very soon.
Customer Review: Dumbing down of the American consumer
Summary: 4 Stars
Whoa. In seeking to replace my MacBook power cord I have come across a host of weird reviews in myriad websites, including Apple dot com's.
First, let me say my MacBook has worked nearly flawlessly for two years. I purchased it only because my Series G3 couldn't keep up with OS X advances, and my software became obsolete (so much for Mac's early promises to maintain compatibility down the line!).
Towards the end of the warranty period my MacBook experienced a boot-up problem but the local Apple service reps initialized and re-loaded the hard drive under warranty and it's worked fine since.
The power cord? I think the MagSafe idea is great. I keep mine plugged into the wall via the long cord. The outlet is behind a dresser and in pushing the dresser close to the wall it causes the cord to bend sharply, which has resulted in enough overheating over time to turn the insulation brown at the bend. However, the integrity of the cord is still intact.
The thin output cord, the part everyone seems to be complaining about, has caused me no problems whatsoever as far as fraying, etc. What did happen was that my wife found the MagSafe head lying in a puddle of cat urine. Inspection of the head showed a short-circuit which blew out one of the four mini-pins in the head. I hope the cat got a good jolt out of it for its indiscretion.
None of this is really a big concern to me. Yes, $79.00 does seem a little pricey, but what the hell.
What is of concern to me is the fact that if there were truly a design flaw, everyone would be experiencing the problem. So what factor is separating those who complain from those who are having no problems? On the face of it, it appears to be... spelling! Those who insist that the MagSafe has a design flaw seem to be unable to spell - or generally unable to write a complete sentence, for that matter.
First and foremost, the part in question is a CORD, not a CHORD. Nearly all the whiners misspelled this ridiculously simple word. A chord is many things (in geometry, music, engineering and medicine) but it is not what you plug into your laptop.
Why would poor spellers as a group experience problems with the MagSafe head fraying and burning? In my opinion, poor spelling is part and parcel of a more serious underlying problem: lack of attention to detail.
Yes, the cord is narrow and delicate, but this allows for more unfettered use than if the cord were thick and heavy. All that needs to be done is to prevent the cord from kinking or being pinched, because this will cause it to overheat at that location.
My fear is that the many folks who complain about the design of this product are lazy, unattentive sluggards who lay on their power cords or wind them carelessly or otherwise knot them up.
My apologies if my comments appear to be condescending. The fact is, I'm no better than anyone else - after all, my cord was destroyed by cat pee - and how disgusting is that? I must admit, though, I'm a stickler for spelling.
Customer Review: Magsafe Power Adapter - Flawed Design
Summary: 1 Stars
I will soon be on my 3rd genuine Apple MagSafe 60W Power Adapter. I say soon because the wires on this one are fraying near the MagSafe connector. I was heartened to see a lawsuit has been filed against Apple in California over the MagSafe Power Adapter asking for class action status. The design is flawed, unreliable and dangerous. The only thing worse is the 85W MacBook Pro Adapter. I recommend you read customer feedback on the Apple web site. There are two major design defects, both in the connector. The spring pins lose their contact force over time due to annealing from the flow of current through them. As they decrease in force the current flow is forced to increase to compensate for the increase in contact resistance increasing the rate at which the annealing occurs. Eventually, the heat in the contacts can cause melting of the case or burned fingers. The second design failure is the strain relief, or lack thereof. The wire jacket protruding from the connector case is insufficiently anchored to prevent the jacket from pulling away from the connector body, exposing the wires inside and eliminating whatever benefit the strain relief was providing.
We may have been a little harsh with the first MagSafe Power Module, I don't think so. By this I mean we weren't always following the instructions on the Apple web site, which we only found AFTER the first module failed, to flick the MagSafe connector off the computer rather than pulling away or holding onto the cord. We were especially frustrated to have it fail while we were on vacation and unable to find anywhere to purchase a replacement nearby. On the second MagSafe Power Module we have followed the recommended procedure with diligence.
I am very disappointed in this product and Apple Corporation as a result. The failures were identified soon after this was introduced and there has been no redesign to correct the flaws. Couple this with the design flaw that causes the roller on the Apple mouse to fail at infancy and you get very frustrated customers and I am one of them.
Customer Review: FAKE APPLE MACBOOK ADAPTER! BE AWARE
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this apple mackbook adapter from the store front at amazon and was completely amazed to find out that its a fake macbook adapter, Guys please stay away from this store front "bobcatpower Storefront" and i would not recommend anyone to buy anything from this bobcatpower Storefront. The plug is loose and its very low quality. If you see the picture on the storefront it shows "APPLE LOGO" on the adapter but the adapter that received has no such logo.
When i ask the seller to take it back in return at the same time i wrote a honest feedback saying that the seller "bobcatpower" is selling a fake adapter and i really wanted other people to know so that they dont make the same mistake as i did, Now the seller threaten me saying that if i dont remove the negative feedback the storefront "bobcatpower" would the same to me. I am completely amazed as how amazon allows this kinda store front to operate. I am a valuable customer of amazon but now i really have to think hard before i make any other purchases on amazon's store front.
When i asked the seller to return my shipping cost, the store front "bobcatpower" is replying me back with another threaten email saying that they would only return back my shipping cost only if i remove the negative feedback. But i dont care much about the shipping cost and i would make sure that this store front is banned from amazon who indulge themseleves in threaten their customers and also by selling wrong and fake items to their customers.
I would also suggest amazon to stop allowing this fake store fronts to operate on such a reputed online store.