Is there a way to tell which laptop charger I have (wattage)?

[Scoobie Newbie]

2008 MBP 17 inch

Also are there any good 3rd party companies that produce these?

 

[Dysfunction]

it's a Macbook Pro? 85w

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Yes MacBookPro 17 inch. Thanks. I thought so but wasn't sure. Any idea on a 3rd party retailer that makes a better version?

 

[pigoo3]

Any idea on a 3rd party retailer that makes a better version?

If you already have the proper 85watt charger for your 17" MacBook Pro...how can you do "better" than that...and what would be considered "better"??

- Nick

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

By better I mean better quality then what Apple puts out.

 

[cwa107]

By better I mean better quality then what Apple puts out.

There are generic knock-offs. They are not of better quality, but Chinese knock-offs and are potentially dangerous. Any non-Apple charger you encounter is a knock-off because the MagSafe connector is patented out the wazoo and Apple aggressively goes after legit third parties trying to sell them.

 

[pigoo3]

By better I mean better quality then what Apple puts out.

Just curious...what do you find lacking with the quality of the Apple chargers?

If they are treated with care...there is nothing wrong with them. If folks would treat the charger like it was a dozen eggs...then there would be no problems.

These chargers are not designed to be:

- thrown around
- stepped on
- tripped over
- liquids split on them
- pets chewing on the cords
- etc.

- Nick

 

[cwa107]

I'd agree that they're not the most rugged chargers in the world, but as long as you don't pull them by the cord (as opposed to the connector itself), they hold up fine.

I've had two of them fail out of the 6 I've owned, but they were kept plugged in 24/7/365 for years and I think they did OK all things considered.

 

[pigoo3]

I'd agree that they're not the most rugged chargers in the world, but as long as you don't pull them by the cord (as opposed to the connector itself), they hold up fine.

DEFINITELY one of the worst habits someone can do with the chargers...yanking on that cord!!!

- Nick

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Ok I don't want something that is more dangerous. To answer the other question, I need a new plug and a lot of reviews I read for the Apple have said it was junk. So if there was something out there built better then why not upgrade.

 

[pigoo3]

...need a new plug and a lot of reviews I read for the Apple have said it was junk.

Who was saying the Apple chargers were junk??

Were they knowledgeable reviewers who know how to properly test & use the charger...and also professional enough to write a fair & balanced review. Or were they upset individual users...who could have possibly been abusing their own chargers...and when the charger didn't hold up to the abuse...they then wrote nasty things about it?

You can always find folks saying negative things about almost anything. Just remember...for every negative comment you see about an Apple charger...there are probably 500-1000 folks who are completely happy with their charger.

I'm not saying that every Apple product is "perfect"!...and I'm not saying that Apple chargers couldn't be made more rugged & durable. But if proper care is taken when using an Apple charger...they work just fine.

- Nick

 

[Dysfunction]

Many of the reviews on the online apple store talk about the poor quality of the chargers. I can't say I've ever experienced this. The 85w that came with my 2008 mbp is still in excellent condition, and is still used daily. Actually, other than the one my oldest daughters cat ate, all of the apple chargers around here (about 6 of them) still work as new. I can only surmise from this that either I'm extremely lucky, or the reviewers abuse their equipment.

 

[pigoo3]

I guess if Apple laptop chargers are compared to various Windows laptop chargers (which I admit I'm not overly familiar with)...it is certainly possible that the Apple chargers aren't as durable.

But what I do know is...the "Mag-Safe" chargers are a BIG improvement over the laptop chargers that Apple used before "Mag-Safe". Those older chargers with the "non-Mag-Safe" connector (the connector that plugged into the computer itself)...had all sorts of durability issues.

If you tripped over the power cord...or moved the computer quickly while plugged in...you could easily damage that connector. And in some cases...not only could the chargers connector get damaged, but the "tip" of the connector could get broken off in the "power port"...and even worse...occasionally the logic board could get broken.

This is the same connector that many Windows laptop computers still use...one reason why the chargers used by Windows computers certainly aren't better than Apple chargers with the Mag-Safe connector.

- Nick

 

[MrBobb]

Funny, I have always wanted an Apple charger for my Windows laptop. The Apple chargers look more compact, and that you can directly plug it into the wall, san one less cord seems like genius to me, so better than Apple's?

If u don't want to pay retail, there is always eBay.

 

[Stretch]

Macsales.com often has a discount on the Apple chargers.