Best Computer Power Converter
 

What is your preference for your laptop power converter? Is there one that stands above the rest?

For a plane I suggest the APC model which provides 75W square-ish sine wave 60 hz 120VAC power. Cheaper than a computer specific airline seat power adapter and comes with a cigarette lighter plug which comes apart if the seat has an Empower little plug thing. NB the seats are 15V DC so a cheap car version won't work as they run in the 11-13.6V DC range.

Disadvantage over a computer specific adapter is that you have a lot of wires - on for the seat to the inverter, then another the original AC-DC copputer power brick and wires. Sit in a window seat so you can dump the wires on the floor.

AA seats so far are cigarette lighter plugs and sometimes you really have to aim well to plug in. A lot of seats even coach to plug into, check their seating charts - they mark the seats with little black dots.

[This message has been edited by ricktoronto (edited 02-11-2003).]

Thanks. That'll take care of my problem on the flights. Now, how about power converters from 220 to 110 for my laptop? Any suggestions?

First make sure it's needed. Any portable computer hardware I've used in the last 6-8 years has had a power supply with a 110-240 Volt input rating.

Thanks. Until now I've been able to avoid taking my laptop with me.

regulated
 

Hi,
According to this guide, there are two types: filtered and regulated. Apparently you'll want the latter, since power fluctuation is always bad for a laptop's internals. :)