3 ms·

Those Apple chargers in fact use the C7/C8 connector to interface the plug adapter, so you can skip their official parts and use any compatible cord. I for yea

by wolrah 3mo ago

Those Apple chargers in fact use the C7/C8 connector to interface the plug adapter, so you can skip their official parts and use any compatible cord. I for years used a power cable from an Xbox with my old Magsafe1-era Macbooks.

dsego 3mo ago
Same here, I used a black power cord from an old stereo.
vladvasiliu 3mo ago
The issue with a generic cord is that it won't connect the earth pin on those chargers. But it does work in a pinch.
- wolrah 3mo ago
  > The issue with a generic cord is that it won't connect the earth pin on those chargers. Nor does the two-prong "wall wart mode" tip many of them shipped with. The ground was only connected on the extended cord attachment.
netsharc 3mo ago
Huh I was going to say you may be talking about a differen thing, but I checked and they actually are C7/C8: https://ptcomputers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/without-power-connector.jpg https://ptcomputers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/without-power-... So in this universe Apple doesn't invent its own standards...
- Y-bar 3mo ago
  You might or might not be very surprised to learn they recently abandoned the C7/C8 https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/02/apple-140w-power-adapter-compatibility-issue/ https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/02/apple-140w-power-adapte... Even the MacRumors commenters who are generally cheerleaders are scratching their heads about this one. And so do I.
  - jlokier 3mo ago
    Unless, as purplefox speculates: > My guess is that's a fake one. I've seen fake Apple chargers in local shops recently, with complete Apple packaging, "made by Apple in California" etc. and only detectable by close inspection of the details, specs not matching any Apple product, device info reported electronically that doesn't match any Apple specs, and the tiny inset writing not making sense when looked at under magnification. So that sounds plausible to me.
    - Y-bar 3mo ago
      There is a detailed teardown here: https://www.chargerlab.com/teardown-of-apple-140w-usb-c-power-adapter-a3607/ https://www.chargerlab.com/teardown-of-apple-140w-usb-c-powe... And a discussion here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262949?sortBy=rank https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262949?sortBy=rank And you will notice that the regular power adapter cable is not compatible with the new 140W charger: https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/mw2n3x/a/power-adapter-extension-cable https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/mw2n3x/a/power-adapter...
theodric 3mo ago
If you do that, you're losing grounding, which will result in the machine having that AC leakage buzz when you touch it. The chrome lug that the plug nub slides onto is a ground connection, and the Apple official cords and some country-specific nubs implement the ground brush connector. There is (was?) a third-party Schuko (not Europlug) nub.
- wolrah 3mo ago
  Those power supplies often shipped with both a full cord input which was grounded but also a folding two-prong component that made it in to a wall wart and of course was not grounded.

by wolrah 3mo ago

dsego 3mo ago

Same here, I used a black power cord from an old stereo.

vladvasiliu 3mo ago

The issue with a generic cord is that it won't connect the earth pin on those chargers. But it does work in a pinch.

wolrah 3mo ago
> The issue with a generic cord is that it won't connect the earth pin on those chargers. Nor does the two-prong "wall wart mode" tip many of them shipped with. The ground was only connected on the extended cord attachment.

netsharc 3mo ago

Huh I was going to say you may be talking about a differen thing, but I checked and they actually are C7/C8: https://ptcomputers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/without-power-connector.jpg https://ptcomputers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/without-power-... So in this universe Apple doesn't invent its own standards...

Y-bar 3mo ago
You might or might not be very surprised to learn they recently abandoned the C7/C8 https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/02/apple-140w-power-adapter-compatibility-issue/ https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/02/apple-140w-power-adapte... Even the MacRumors commenters who are generally cheerleaders are scratching their heads about this one. And so do I.
- jlokier 3mo ago
  Unless, as purplefox speculates: > My guess is that's a fake one. I've seen fake Apple chargers in local shops recently, with complete Apple packaging, "made by Apple in California" etc. and only detectable by close inspection of the details, specs not matching any Apple product, device info reported electronically that doesn't match any Apple specs, and the tiny inset writing not making sense when looked at under magnification. So that sounds plausible to me.
  - Y-bar 3mo ago
    There is a detailed teardown here: https://www.chargerlab.com/teardown-of-apple-140w-usb-c-power-adapter-a3607/ https://www.chargerlab.com/teardown-of-apple-140w-usb-c-powe... And a discussion here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262949?sortBy=rank https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262949?sortBy=rank And you will notice that the regular power adapter cable is not compatible with the new 140W charger: https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/mw2n3x/a/power-adapter-extension-cable https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/mw2n3x/a/power-adapter...

theodric 3mo ago

If you do that, you're losing grounding, which will result in the machine having that AC leakage buzz when you touch it. The chrome lug that the plug nub slides onto is a ground connection, and the Apple official cords and some country-specific nubs implement the ground brush connector. There is (was?) a third-party Schuko (not Europlug) nub.

wolrah 3mo ago
Those power supplies often shipped with both a full cord input which was grounded but also a folding two-prong component that made it in to a wall wart and of course was not grounded.