Apple's Titanium PowerBook adapters: flawed design?

Over the past few days we have been exploring a potentially serious issue with the power adapters supplied by Apple for the PowerBook G4 Titanium and various other portable models.

Description of the flaw After receiving dozens of e-mails corroborating the flaw, here is a summation of the problem:

There is no strain relief built into the device and the cable on some adapters. This means that if the wire becomes pulled or frayed at the connection ends, a short can occur and the adapter can be permanently damaged. In some cases, the thin cable is actually severed where it emerges from the casing and blackened - with a burning smell to boot.

The problem apparently occurs because of flexing of the cable which results in the insulation covering the central conductor breaking and leaving a gap which allows the conductor to short to the outer screened sleeve on the cable.

One MacFixIt reader describes an extreme case that is nonetheless substantiated by a number of other users:

"I have had Apple replace about 6 power adapters since I bought my PowerBook G4 in early 2001 (400 MHz). I had the original power adapter with flat disk, and then the newer one with the small box. It didn't make a difference, because both had the poorly designed spaghetti-strand wire that wears through if you look at it too long. Twice I've experienced the sparks flying, although in every case the insulation wore through. I even went to the trouble of writing apple a letter about the design flaw, as I saw it, when I returned two power adapters at the same time, but received no acknowledgment."

Higher voltage a catalyst for failure As indicated by our initial report, this problem is more prevalent in 220V environments, leading to speculation that the higher voltage used in some countries may act as a catalyst for power adapters' demise. One reader writes:

"I went to China earlier this year and used my PowerBook G3 FireWire in Beijing and Shanghai on 220V power with the appropriate adapter. I also experienced sparks and a short soon thereafter.  I had the supply replaced under AppleCare warranty recently. It has worked normally, but I've not subjected it to anything but 110-120V power."

Apple replaces some, doesn't others In most cases, Apple is replacing damaged power adapters for machines that are still under warranty. If you notice any discoloration or excessive heat (accompanied by a burning smell or sparks), you should have your adapter inspected at an authorized Apple repair center immediately.

However, we have also documented cases where Apple conducts an investigation to determine whether or not user error is to blame for the power supply failure - be it physical abuse or improper voltage connection.

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