Off topic: generic laptop adaptor?

Madison Kelly linux-5ZoueyuiTZhBDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org
Thu Sep 22 21:27:17 UTC 2005


Alex Maynard wrote:
> I apologize in advance for an off-topic (and probably trivial) question.
> 
> Does anyone happen to know if laptop adaptor/power cords are generic or is
> it better (necessary) to buy the adaptor that matches the laptop? (I have an IBM
> think pad 21, whose adaptor just broke.)
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Alex

There is a certain amount of interchangability in adapters but as a rule 
of thumb, you need the right one for your system.

Long answer:

There are three things you need to check:

The adapter must provide the proper voltage (probably 16vDC on your 
laptop). This must be exact (before I get corrected, you /can/ vary up 
to 10% in either direction but generally it's not a good idea).

The polarity of the connector must match. This means that if the center 
pin on your laptop is positive and the outer shell is tied to ground, 
the polarity of the adapter must be "positive center". This generally is 
shown as a graphic like: + --)-- - (the graphic is a little clearer).

The last thing is the amperage. The adapter must provide at least as 
much amperage as your laptop will draw. If the adapter provides more 
than your laptop needs, that is okay. If it provides less, it is not okay.

HTH

Madison
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