Travel Technology - USB Charging - IBM Thinkpad T40 + Motorola V3 Razr

As a travelling technophile, I am always looking for ways to cut down the number of chargers I have to carry during my trips. Specifically, I am wondering if the USB 2.0 port on the Thinkpad T40 can charge the Razr V3 via a mini-USB cable?

Additionally, how long does it take to charge the battery?

As a travelling technophile, I am always looking for ways to cut down the number of chargers I have to carry during my trips. Specifically, I am wondering if the USB 2.0 port on the Thinkpad T40 can charge the Razr V3 via a mini-USB cable?

Additionally, how long does it take to charge the battery?

I have something like this for my phone (which is actually a Samsung). I can't speak for your phone, but the battery on mine takes a couple of hours to fully charge from totally dead (about the same as the AC charger). I have to say it is quite handly epsecially in hotel rooms that seem to have one easily accessible outlet that I need for my laptop.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5827856737

It should be possible, considering the wall charger plugs into the mini-USB port. IME however, the cable supplied with the phone is data-only; the phone does not say "Charging" or exhibit any other sign that it is charging when plugged in, so you'll need to obtain a different kind.

It should be possible, considering the wall charger plugs into the mini-USB port. IME however, the cable supplied with the phone is data-only; the phone does not say "Charging" or exhibit any other sign that it is charging when plugged in, so you'll need to obtain a different kind.

No such thing really, USB is USB. The one thing some PC's will do is disable powering the USB bus when there is no device driver installed, so make sure you install the mobile phone tools so the Thinkpad knows that a device is plugged in.

The USB port should be able to supply 500mA which is probably more than the delivered charger can supply, so charging should be possible from empty to full in under 2 hours.

You know, I jiggled the cable and the icon now shows that the battery is charging (and ring style changed to loud)! Cool, thanks ScottC.

As a travelling technophile, I am always looking for ways to cut down the number of chargers I have to carry during my trips. Specifically, I am wondering if the USB 2.0 port on the Thinkpad T40 can charge the Razr V3 via a mini-USB cable?
I charge my V3 by connecting it to the USB port on my Apple PowerBook G4, so I would expect it would work on your Thinkpad too.

Charging the battery is definitely slower on the USB connection than on the wall-wart, but I couldn't give you a definitive answer - I tend mostly to top-up charge since batteries last so damn long these days anyway.

As a travelling technophile, I am always looking for ways to cut down the number of chargers I have to carry during my trips. Specifically, I am wondering if the USB 2.0 port on the Thinkpad T40 can charge the Razr V3 via a mini-USB cable?

Article in November's Mobile Technology To Go mag says that some notebooks do not charge Razrs unless the driver for the Motorola USB modem is installed on the computer. The driver does not come with the phone but is available when you purchase Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools software (or a 3rd party sync program that supports the Razr) :td:

A Google search led me to the drivers here:

[EMAIL=http://forum.osnn.net/showthread.php?t=79510]

You have to register in the forum before downloading the file (and remember to thank them). :D Hope this helps.

Coathanger, thanks for the post as I'll leave my charger at home on future trips.

As a travelling technophile, I am always looking for ways to cut down the number of chargers I have to carry during my trips. Specifically, I am wondering if the USB 2.0 port on the Thinkpad T40 can charge the Razr V3 via a mini-USB cable?
A buddy of mine has this configuration (different model Thinkpad) and it works fine. The gotcha is the Razr cannot be completely discharged, it has to have some power left to be able to be recognized and recharged. So as long as you don't let it go dead, you'll be fine.

I can absolutely confirm that this works on the Thinkpad with the Razr, it is what I do, BUT as mentioned earlier, you HAVE to have the Moto drivers installed.

I don't know if is a security bit within USB, but if you just plug in to the Razr, it looks like it is charging, but it will never charge. If you install the Moto driver by installing the Moto Phone Tools or another package (I can get you just the driver if you need it), it charges up fine and you don't need to have any applications loaded to do it.

This is on my TP X31 and T41 with a Razr v3 (cingular).

--Doug

...and along with what I said above, same situation with the Blackberry 7290. You have to have the drivers installed (Blackberry Desktop) for it to charge, else it looks like it is charging, but doesn't. I replaced the battery once thinking it was a bad battery.

With by USB cable and Thinkpad I charge the Razr, Blackberry and a Sony MP3 player when traveling, cuts down on the cords! Too bad the iPod doesn't take the standard mini-USB.

Thanks for all that feedback! One less charger coming with me on my next trip :)

http://www.apscell.com/zipadpmt4.html