My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools - Gizmodo Comments

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

gizmofo — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:07:41 EDT

guys guys guys ......

The stock cord is earthed! The metal stud actually feeds into the earth in the bulky connector bit.

I can confirm this as the surface of my macbook pro carries a small charge if I use the method above.

gizmofo

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

Ethan Allison — Sat, 03 May 2008 01:54:58 EDT

ThinkPad power cables (in between the brick and the wall) work too. At least the one from my old T30 does.

Ethan Allison

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

lecti — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:25:23 EDT

Uh...I believe most of us already knew that apple's power brick, like any other brick, uses standard connectors. I've been doing this for years now.

lecti

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

HubertAeacus — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:18:37 EDT

Comment on My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools DO NOT DO THIS IN THE PHOTO!!!!!!! The ground is very important. Yes the mac laptop will work and all seems well. Except when you start to use a USB hub and then your USB devices do not work properly. It has caused me headaches, especially USB external hard drives and card readers.

HubertAeacus

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

iTheophilus — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:48:15 EDT

Yepp, nothing to see here, folks.

I thought everybody did this.

iTheophilus

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

Narfmaster — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:14:33 EDT

@nutbastard: Sounds sweet. Pics plz.

Narfmaster

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

ecobore — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:44:32 EDT

Jeez, been doing this since apple brought out these kinds of chargers - rather old hat I'm afraid!

ecobore

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

wesrubix — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:13:34 EDT

@TOWken22: actually I don't think the travel two prong flip part is grounded, so it doesn't really matter.

(Look at how many thinkpads out there don't have the grounding tip!)

wesrubix

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

davezatz — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:42:01 EDT

Are you insane, man?! A black power cord with a white power cube? Bet you also got some new fangled ear buds in rainbow hues. Mr. Jobs will NOT be happy.

davezatz

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

Josh_Geyer — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:59:54 EDT

I've done that before, hasn't everyone?

Josh_Geyer

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

nutbastard — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:59:18 EDT

I actually just repaired a magsafe cable the other day - the typical problem, the outer wrap had frayed and eaten through the jacket. I ended up cutting the white connector housing off VERY carefully with a dremel. I found out later there's a better way to disassemble the thing, but i was sort of in a hurry. soldered new leads directly to the board, and molded a new housing out of hot resin, so now the LED lights the whole body up when it's plugged in.

nutbastard

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy! — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:53:44 EDT

@sam_i_am: Or you can just get any adapter that will convert between a standard three-prong and whatever plug that country uses. They're pretty cheap as well.

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

chillywilly — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:52:36 EDT

This is a good option, since Apple does not sell the longer cable separately from the MacBook power supply.

I actually like the cord that comes with the MB power brick since it allows me to extend power to one of the few plugs you find in hotel rooms. Some of the newer rooms have closer plugs now, but it's just nice to have the cable to keep you from hugging the well next to the TV when you need to power your MacBook.

chillywilly

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

Rabid Penguin — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:50:23 EDT

I had to do something like this once... The PSP uses an unpolarized C7 (figure-8) cable that plugs into a brick. I lost my cable so took a PS2 cable (C7 polarized - instead of rounded on both sides like a figure-8 it's flat on one side) and I carved it round wit ha steak knife, and jammed it in lol.

Rabid Penguin

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

tanderson79 — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:40:58 EDT

I think you need to get someone else to edit your submissions in the future: "...although it's not generally not advisable to switch to a two-prong..."

tanderson79

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

sam_i_am — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Dude! you missed the most important feature - you can buy a figure-8 power cable in the country you're visiting. I just moved from Australia to the US, i bought a figure-8 power cable for a few bucks and plugged my macbook power supply straight into the wall. Works with my ipod charger too!

sam_i_am

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

notfred — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:29:55 EDT

You get a different cable in many countries. For example, the old Canadian (and probably US) cable had no grounding. Neither does the current Japanese, probably. So when I upgraded, I just kept the old cable and give the new 3-prong cable with the old laptops.

I actually do the reverse when traveling - using the tiny Apple "nub" as a microscopic extension cord for my camera battery charger...

notfred

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

WTFFTW — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:25:58 EDT

Uh oh!!! Now Apple is gonna come out with a proprietary power cord for all future apple products which can only be purchased through Apple for $49.95

WTFFTW

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

TOWken22 — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:17:38 EDT

@EBone: @TommySez: I see, thanks for the clarification. My PowerBook didn't come with that longer grounded cable so I never knew.

TOWken22

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

graffiksguru — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:16:15 EDT

@Eothein: It means its a replacement tip for his macbook cable, which can be found at kevin kelly's cool tools website.

graffiksguru

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

TommySez — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:14:24 EDT

@TOWken22: On my MacBook, the prongs on the brick itself are attached to a nub that snaps off and can be replaced with a longer cable with a big-ass three-prong plug. It's this longer, and thick, cable that they're replacing.

Did that make any sense?

TommySez

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

EBone — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:13:55 EDT

@TOWken22: you have to slide off the "duck" portion off with the prongs.

EBone

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

bms — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:13:43 EDT

Does it come in white?

bms

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

IVPPITER — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:12:21 EDT

I dont realy understand that news. I mean who still uses the original apple cord?
+ you dont need a sony cord as said above.

IVPPITER

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

TommySez — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:11:45 EDT

I'm still pondering why the nub isn't polarized for grounding purposes, but the hose is a three-prong.

And whether the difference is important when substituting an EC C7 cord.

(Personally, I just wrap the big cord around the brick. Is this really that big a problem?)

TommySez

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

monstakind — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:09:58 EDT

are you guys kidding? that`s as old as my grandmother`s toenail!

monstakind

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

MasterYong — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:07:51 EDT

I'm looking at my power cord for my MacBook Pro right now and I've got to say that the only bulky part is the power brick, I guess it would be a LITTLE smaller to use a PS cord, but then you void any warranty you have when it gets fried for not being grounded...

MasterYong

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

TOWken22 — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:06:46 EDT

That is pretty cool BLAM but the power cord I got with my 12" PowerBook has a really thin power cable that wraps around two prongs that flip out from the brick. Also, the brick does not have a ground prong. Am I missing something or was there another power cord/brick combo that came with Macs?

TOWken22

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

digitalhen — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:01:52 EDT

doesn't have to be a playstation cord - any old figure-8 cable will do!

digitalhen

My MacBook Cable Replacement Tip at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

Eothein — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:00:33 EDT

I'm sure I'm not the only one who had no idea what the title of this article meant.

Eothein