Standardized Laptop Charger Approved By IEC

Sockatume writes "The IEC, the standards body which wrote the phone charger specification used in the EU, has approved a standardised laptop charger. While the 'DC Power Supply for Portable Personal Computer' doesn't have a legal mandate behind it, the IEC is still optimistic that it will lead to a reduction in electronics waste and make it easier to find a replacement charger. Unfortunately the technical documentation does not seem to be available yet, but previous comments indicate that it will be a barrel plug of some kind." I wish they'd push a yank-resistant and positive-connecting plug along the lines of Apple's MagSafe.

Comments

Fingers crossed

[Sockatume]

Hopefully the source article won't be quietly edited after-the-fact so that I look like a raging moron, as happened with my last submission. :/

Re:patented

[Hadlock]

And yet the Pogo charger performs the same function with the same magnetic disconnect mode. It's used by a handful of top tier tablets and phones, but clearly someone has found a loophole in Apple's patent for the connector, as it's functionally identical.

Re:There's probably patents involved

[noh8rz10]

can't use something like magsafe because all computer standards push the industry towards the lowest-common-denominator cheap component solution. This is from lobbying of all companies. Thus the "benefit" to consumers is cheap products. no wonder apple stands alone and garners 90%+ of profits in the personal computer space.

Hint to manufacturers: there's a portion of the market that likes nice things, or at least not bottom-of-the-barrel cheap things.

Re:There's probably patents involved

[brianwski]

In a another example, my HP Veer Smartphone (it's the Palm Pre line) has a magnetic charging cable that can ALSO carry data and audio!

Seriously, the HP Veer hardware was nicely designed, but the software is a train wreck. I still can't understand how the iPhone doesn't have a MagSafe recharge option, but my HP Veer does?

Re:There's probably patents involved

[brianwski]

HP Veer Smartphone (Palm Pre line) had a MagSafe connector that had data transfer: http://www.all4cellular.com/product/hp-veer-4g-usb-cable.html

You can still buy this phone and connector. The phone software is TERRIBLE, but the hardware was innovative and well designed.

Please fix the Micro-USB orientation standard

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is the Micro-USB turned one way on my Samsung and another on my Nexus units? Fix that first.

Re:There's probably patents involved

[jeffmflanagan]

Yep, my Dell charger has an easily disconnected connector a few inches from the barrel that plugs into the laptop. Yank the cord, and this connector parts, leaving the laptop on the desk when tripping on a cable.

Give me an update to IEEE 802.3at-2009 instead

[Aqualung812]

Seriously, we can do 25.5W on 802.at-2009 NOW. Some vendors are doing 51W by using all 4 pairs.

Yes, I know many of you have laptops that draw almost 200 watts, but most of us don't need over 50W most of the time. If properly designed, the laptop can just "tread water" by slowing or stopping battery drain while drawing 51W during a work session, and then recharge while you're eating lunch or surfing Slashdot.

Imagine hooking your laptop up to power and ethernet at the same time! Single connection, less real estate used up on the exterior.

Just configure the laptop to draw power over the ethernet port, and not only do you not have to worry about a AC to DC brick, but you can travel the world and not have to worry about all the forms of AC power.