MacBook Pro Special Report: Airline, auto power adapter problems
MacBook Pro Special Report: Airline, auto power adapter problems
The MacBook Pro does not work with power sources offered on some airplanes and in automobiles. The issue appears to be excessive power draw, as units can be charged from the inverters while powered off, but exhibit issues when turned on (while charging).
The MacBook Pro draws 85W of power, while most airline power inverters supply 75W or less.
A MacFixIt reader writes:
'I had a similar issue when trying to use a MacBook Pro with a power inverter. My experience was similar to Jim's, however, my inverter is rated at 750 watts. It charges the computer just fine, but when I try to use the machine, the inverter will randomly beep and complain. The funny thing, is it happened more often with Rosetta apps running in the foreground, even if processor load in activity monitor was low."
One solution is to remove the battery from the MacBook Pro while it is connected to a low-power (airplane, auto) source. This will reduce overall power consumption, and may allow the unit to function properly.
Another solution suggested by some users is use of the MacBook (13") power adapter which draws only 65W of power. This adapter is compatible with the MacBook Pro but will not allow simultaneous charging of the battery and operation of the system -- only one or the other.
Mikeguyver offers Magsafe car adapter conversion kit that provides direct DC to DC power, providing better operation (in some cases) for MacBook's plugged into automobiles.
Note that the same power-draw issue is apparent with third-party power inverters for the MacBook Pro, like Kensington's.
MacFixIt reader Jim writes:
'I purchased the Kensington 150 Watt Portable Power Inverter for use in my car as neither Apple or any 3rd party vendors have released a true mag-power charger. Same problem as in the plane. You can keep the MacBook Pro charged if it is off and not running but as soon as you try to use the Kensington to charge or run the MacBook Pro in the car (a Lexus LS400) the Inverter starts beeping like Hell and goes into an alarm mode."
As a side note, the site SeatGuru has some interesting information about the different types of laptop power ports found on airplanes and the adapter types you'll need to use them.
Index:
- 30" Cinema Display distortion
- Airline, auto power adapter problems
- Audio distortion/poor sound quality
- Apple addressing issues with new revisions?
- Battery Exchange Program
- Battery problems: Shuts off when not connected to power, more
- Built-in Display distortion
- Clock speed of ATI X1600 card -- some units apparently underclocked
- Cooling solutions
- Dead-on-arrival units
- Display slightly bent, not latching properly -- solutions
- Downgraded SuperDrive relative to PowerBook G4
- ExpressCard issues
- FireWire 800 cards for ExpressCard/34 slot on the way
- High-pitched whining noises: Eliminating; Apple acknowledges
- iSight not functioning properly -- fix
- Kernel panics caused by AirPort drivers; Not sleeping properly, still "on" with lid closed
- Kernel panics upon waking up (Inability to wake from sleep)
- Lack of alternative power adapters
- LEAP Networks; cannot connect to
- Loss of speaker capabilities
- Missing components
- Not sleeping properly, still "on" with lid closed
- Notes from service manual
- Poor general network performance
- Printer issues: Not recognized, more
- Problems sharing the Internet connection
- Release notes
- Repeated system freezes or sudden restarts -- checking for bad RAM
- Replaced logic boards have no software serial numbers
- Slow networking performance with VLANs; VOIP phones
- Wireless connectivity issues
Resources