Charge MacBook via USB ?

AlienSexGod · Jul 16, 2007

Hi anyone know if you can charge a MacBook via USB?

If not why not. What would they need to to do enable this? Obviously it would charge slower but for example my car has USB outputs to charge phone and GPS ... a passenger being able to charge or at least use the MacBook and not drain the battery would be cool.

cwa107 · Jul 16, 2007

AlienSexGod said:
Hi anyone know if you can charge a MacBook via USB?

If not why not. What would they need to to do enable this? Obviously it would charge slower but for example my car has USB outputs to charge phone and GPS ... a passenger being able to charge or at least use the MacBook and not drain the battery would be cool.

No, because a computer is a host and not a peripheral. Peripherals receive power from hosts, not the other way around.

MinaMACMan · Jul 16, 2007

You can always go to Walgreens or RadioShack and buy the Cigarette Lighter AC Converter. It, obviously, plugs into your cigarette lighter and it has Regular Output plugs that you can just plug your MacBook's Power Cord too and you got a Car Charger ;P

Hope that helps.

Cheers

cwa107 · Jul 17, 2007

MinaMACMan said:
You can always go to Walgreens or RadioShack and buy the Cigarette Lighter AC Converter. It, obviously, plugs into your cigarette lighter and it has Regular Output plugs that you can just plug your MacBook's Power Cord too and you got a Car Charger ;P

Hope that helps.

Cheers

I don't believe anyone besides Apple makes an adapter with a MagSafe end, since they have a patent on the design. This has been a common complaint since Apple's adapters are so expensive.

knightlie · Jul 17, 2007

It would take about 15 years to charge a battery using the output from USB.

The lack of cheap adaptors is a pain - I'd love a separate power supply in the bedroom, but for £60 Apple can go swing.

professorjay · Jul 17, 2007

cwa107 said:
I don't believe anyone besides Apple makes an adapter with a MagSafe end, since they have a patent on the design. This has been a common complaint since Apple's adapters are so expensive.

I think the device he's talking about gives you an equivalent to a wall socket, so you can plug anything with a regular plug into it. Not a direct connector from the cigarette lighter to Macbook.

MinaMACMan · Jul 17, 2007

here is what am talking about. It is a pretty handy accessory actually:

laptop_car_adapters__dc_converters__power_cords__voltage_adapter-20070717-130213.jpg

milessthomas · Jul 17, 2007

Radioshack sells a 20$ one socket power inverter.