8 ms·

Except, there are strain relief features built in to Apple power adapters. Power Adapter: http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t

Except, there are strain relief features built in to Apple power adapters. Power Adapter: http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t LED Cinema Display Power Adapter: http://www.cl.ly/3i1B3R142q0S25223q2U http://www.cl.ly/3i1B3R142q0S25223q2U These may not be adequate, but clearly Apple industrial design has taken a pass at the problem. Anybody have photos of older power adapters to see if that sheathing has always been there?

baguasquirrel 15y ago
Some teams may be more experienced than others? I just noticed the strain relief on my latest-gen power adapter. I never noticed that before. It is so cool.
radicaldreamer 15y ago
They've gotten better recently. I think the best example of this is the USB to dock connector cables, where the strain relief for the phone/iPod end is woefully inadequate.
ugh 15y ago
I have a 2007 magsafe power adapter. It looks pretty much the same.
sil3ntmac 15y ago
The OP is referring to Apple's iPhone power/usb connector cable, as seen in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/yAywo.jpg http://i.imgur.com/yAywo.jpg. The dock connector strain relief is decidedly weaker (I have had two or three break on me personally) than other Apple products. One thing that is interesting is how Apple's Industrial Design team, mentioned in the post, affected the design of the new Macbook power adaptors (like the one you linked to, http://www.cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t http://www.cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t). The old ones had the cord coming out perpendicular to the laptop. I liked that design a lot better than the new style, which is a bit awkward to plug in and leaves you either: 1. With a cord facing out the back of the laptop, then (probably) looping around 180 degrees and back to the power outlet, or 2. With the cord running parallel next to the laptop, completely blocking the ethernet port. Obviously neither of these solutions is streamlined or Apple-like, so I wonder if the ID dept made the trade-off of a parallel connector with minimal strain relief, or a perpendicular connector with built-in strain relief.
- ugh 15y ago
  Huh? My power outlet is nearly always right behind where my laptop is. A cord facing out the back of the laptop is perfect for this - no more 90 degree turn.
  - sil3ntmac 15y ago
    You're right, I generalized: the position of the power outlet varies with every place you plug in your laptop. However, I often find myself with the outlet behind me (i.e. sitting against the wall at an airport, restaurants; I take my laptop out of the house with me frequently), so I run into this problem. I liked the perpendicular adapter because in the worst case, the cord had to make a 90 degree turn.
    - CrazedGeek 15y ago
      Out of curiosity, how often are you using the Ethernet port at those places?
      - sil3ntmac 15y ago
        Haha, good point. I said ethernet because it is the first port blocked. The cord also blocks the display port and makes the first USB port awkward to use (this is the biggest annoyance for me, as I often have flash drives/my iPhone/a USB keyboard with me and there are only two USB ports on the laptop).
        cookiecaper 15y ago
        Also note older generation MB(P)s that are on newer-generation power adapters (I'm on my fourth power connector since I got my MBP in '07 -- two of them have used the new design) have a blocked USB port, not a blocked ethernet port, which is significantly more problematic for portable use.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
nostromo 15y ago
Yeah, here's the adapter from my 2004 PowerBook: http://imgur.com/RTLKM http://imgur.com/RTLKM
- adamesque 15y ago
  It's interesting that the older ones DID have the vented / slotted strain relief sheath. I wonder how much more expensive that is to manufacture vs a stylistically cleaner, simpler solid sheath.
  - jevinskie 15y ago
    Injection molded plastic? I'm guessing the cost difference is negligible or non-existent.
  - ecopoesis 15y ago
    And despite the article author's claim, the old style connectors also frayed, usually right at the strain relief. In my experience, while the magsafe style strain relief isn't perfect (it's showing a little wear after two years), it's lightyears ahead of the old barrel connector which required replacing every 9 months.
- chopsueyar 15y ago
  I've had two of those catch on fire from where the wires became exposed near the RCA + 1/8" headphone jack connector. This is the same design used on older (circa 1994) Powerbooks, like the 520. Here is a generic adapter for a 520. You can see the same connector... http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/138/470/449/Hsai.jpg http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/138/470/449/Hsai.jpg
- kelnos 15y ago
  I had a 2005 PowerBook with the same adapter, and, despite the slightly better strain relief, it still broke after a few years. And, like another poster mentions, it caught on fire (tiny tiny fire, really just the next step up from smoldering). That was... not so awesome.
pygy_ 15y ago
The Magsafe ones are far too elastic and thus too weak. I'm typing this on a 2006 MacBook Pro, which still works nicely, but this is my third power supply. The first one died at the transformator junction, and the second one at the plug junction. The new connector, introduced with the MacBook Air, looks more sturdy, but the transfo junction is still as weak. My brother experienced the same problem once (at the transfo junction).
tlrobinson 15y ago
This is purely speculation, but maybe they're more careful with the higher power ones that can catch on fire... I've had older PowerBook power adapters short out to the point of sparks and smoke...

baguasquirrel 15y ago

Some teams may be more experienced than others? I just noticed the strain relief on my latest-gen power adapter. I never noticed that before. It is so cool.

radicaldreamer 15y ago

They've gotten better recently. I think the best example of this is the USB to dock connector cables, where the strain relief for the phone/iPod end is woefully inadequate.

ugh 15y ago

I have a 2007 magsafe power adapter. It looks pretty much the same.

sil3ntmac 15y ago

The OP is referring to Apple's iPhone power/usb connector cable, as seen in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/yAywo.jpg http://i.imgur.com/yAywo.jpg. The dock connector strain relief is decidedly weaker (I have had two or three break on me personally) than other Apple products. One thing that is interesting is how Apple's Industrial Design team, mentioned in the post, affected the design of the new Macbook power adaptors (like the one you linked to, http://www.cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t http://www.cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t). The old ones had the cord coming out perpendicular to the laptop. I liked that design a lot better than the new style, which is a bit awkward to plug in and leaves you either: 1. With a cord facing out the back of the laptop, then (probably) looping around 180 degrees and back to the power outlet, or 2. With the cord running parallel next to the laptop, completely blocking the ethernet port. Obviously neither of these solutions is streamlined or Apple-like, so I wonder if the ID dept made the trade-off of a parallel connector with minimal strain relief, or a perpendicular connector with built-in strain relief.

ugh 15y ago
Huh? My power outlet is nearly always right behind where my laptop is. A cord facing out the back of the laptop is perfect for this - no more 90 degree turn.
- sil3ntmac 15y ago
  You're right, I generalized: the position of the power outlet varies with every place you plug in your laptop. However, I often find myself with the outlet behind me (i.e. sitting against the wall at an airport, restaurants; I take my laptop out of the house with me frequently), so I run into this problem. I liked the perpendicular adapter because in the worst case, the cord had to make a 90 degree turn.
  - CrazedGeek 15y ago
    Out of curiosity, how often are you using the Ethernet port at those places?
    - sil3ntmac 15y ago
      Haha, good point. I said ethernet because it is the first port blocked. The cord also blocks the display port and makes the first USB port awkward to use (this is the biggest annoyance for me, as I often have flash drives/my iPhone/a USB keyboard with me and there are only two USB ports on the laptop).
      - cookiecaper 15y ago
        Also note older generation MB(P)s that are on newer-generation power adapters (I'm on my fourth power connector since I got my MBP in '07 -- two of them have used the new design) have a blocked USB port, not a blocked ethernet port, which is significantly more problematic for portable use.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]

nostromo 15y ago

Yeah, here's the adapter from my 2004 PowerBook: http://imgur.com/RTLKM http://imgur.com/RTLKM

adamesque 15y ago
It's interesting that the older ones DID have the vented / slotted strain relief sheath. I wonder how much more expensive that is to manufacture vs a stylistically cleaner, simpler solid sheath.
- jevinskie 15y ago
  Injection molded plastic? I'm guessing the cost difference is negligible or non-existent.
- ecopoesis 15y ago
  And despite the article author's claim, the old style connectors also frayed, usually right at the strain relief. In my experience, while the magsafe style strain relief isn't perfect (it's showing a little wear after two years), it's lightyears ahead of the old barrel connector which required replacing every 9 months.
chopsueyar 15y ago
I've had two of those catch on fire from where the wires became exposed near the RCA + 1/8" headphone jack connector. This is the same design used on older (circa 1994) Powerbooks, like the 520. Here is a generic adapter for a 520. You can see the same connector... http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/138/470/449/Hsai.jpg http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/138/470/449/Hsai.jpg
kelnos 15y ago
I had a 2005 PowerBook with the same adapter, and, despite the slightly better strain relief, it still broke after a few years. And, like another poster mentions, it caught on fire (tiny tiny fire, really just the next step up from smoldering). That was... not so awesome.

pygy_ 15y ago

The Magsafe ones are far too elastic and thus too weak. I'm typing this on a 2006 MacBook Pro, which still works nicely, but this is my third power supply. The first one died at the transformator junction, and the second one at the plug junction. The new connector, introduced with the MacBook Air, looks more sturdy, but the transfo junction is still as weak. My brother experienced the same problem once (at the transfo junction).

tlrobinson 15y ago

This is purely speculation, but maybe they're more careful with the higher power ones that can catch on fire... I've had older PowerBook power adapters short out to the point of sparks and smoke...