Many of us carry the empower power adapters for our laptops. Unfortunately, there are not adapters available for all laptops (including my Sony).

One solution to this problem is a power inverter. APC makes one that has been approved for inflight use by the RCTA. The unit is named "Travel Power" and has a model number of PNoteAC75. It has an output of 75W at 120V. I have one of these and have sucessfully used it with my laptop and a portable DVD player.

I like this item because it is not hardware specific. When purchasing my next laptop, I will already have an inflight power adapter regardless of which brand or model I purchase. Also, I no longer have to carry an extra battery for my laptop or any battery for the DVD player.

The main downside to this item is the form factor. I think it is larger and heavier than it needs to be. This may be due to RCTA's requirements. It weighs about the same as an extra laptop battery (3/4 lb). The size is approximately 4.5"x3"x1.25".

I was able to buy this with shipping for approximately $75 (watch out for exorbitant shipping costs). This used to be very hard to find, but it is becoming more readily available.

If you want more information, you might want to check APC's web page