random use of different notebook transformers

It matters a lot. The wrong voltage or polarity could potentially destroy the laptop, the power supply or both. The wrong size plug could damage the plug or the jack. Using an adapter with the correct voltage, plug and polarity but not enough current probably would not work well or has a chance of overheating the power supply as it tries to provide more current than it is designed to. In all or most modern laptops, the power supply is integrated on the motherboard so the cost of repairing the damage could be very high.

computer.

I just cut and strip the end of an extension cord and put the wires in whatever holes look convenient.

Obviously you know the answer.

It's reckless to use the wrong adapter. Will probably work over a big range of voltages, but it's generally a BAD idea.

But did you check your assumptions before jumping to conclusions? It's possible that he's done that a bunch of times with that adapter and lapotp. If you check it once, probably don't need to do it again. Maybe what you judge as reckless might just be a good memory ;-) Yeah...what am I thinking... mike

Humorous post ... although you might not have intended that. Old farts are often dismayed when their old-time logic and knowledge crashes and burns in front of the kids that they raised. It's OK BTW; they are more tolerant.

Jumpster

With respect I have not seen a Laptop/Notebook with the 'Power Supply' integrated on the motherboard since the days of 486's (Toshiba for example) 'Power Supply' being the components that convert the AC mains from the wall socket to the DC voltage required to run the Laptop / Charge it's battery. These days universally an 'external' power brick or 'transformer' as described by the OP.

Quite agree with your first two points though.

Best Paul.

I believe the point he was trying to make isn't the power transformer and ac/dc conversion being on the motherboard of the laptop, but with the charging circuits, and the voltage converters/regulators, etc., being integrated internally in the laptop. I've seen a number of adapters with multiple voltage outputs, but more and more I see these single voltage barrel plug connectors with 19V or whatever. Knowing that the components in the PC actually run primarily on 5 and 12 volts, the conversion is being done in the laptop. Mess that up, and you've got an expensive repair.

Love it! That would be quite the light show, eh?

I once bought a power brick at a swapmeet. Put it on the voltmeter. Measured zero CD volts, but it shocked the pee out of me. Turns out someone had tied the AC mains to the output and put a postit note inside saying, "F...You!". Glad I tested it first. I know who sold it to me, but he's much bigger than I am ;-( mike

Yow! I think I'd be pretty pissed

Yikes, I'd think that would be a criminal offense, someone could be killed.

At some time in 1962, some Japanese EE designed the first piece of crap with one of those tubular jacks.

If he would have thought ahead, he would have realized the huge problem he was creating.

It seems nobody went to the trouble of coming up with some sane standard for these connectors, so we ended up with idential-looking connectors, some with AC, some with DC, of either polarity, and unfathomable amperage. I have a weed-whacker charger that puts out

You may be able to luck-out, as most laptops have very flexible power supplies,a s they haev to be able to run off batteries, charged or almost discharged. So most laptops can tolerate a modicum of voltage ranges. Many even have a diode or four to protect against reverse polarity.

But in general it's best to make mismatching difficult to impossible. Like putting green paint on the connector and on the laptop socket. And blue on the printer and printer cord. And so on, all the way through your modems, routers, bridges, usb hubs, weather stations, radios, boomboxes, and whatnots.

I had a 1960 five -or- six-transistor radio with an optional external power cord/wire/plug-in device thingy. Matched perfectly with the input of an immersion coffee re-heater, but that only worked once. :/

Should we have our right legs tattooed "right" and the same for our whatnots?

A friend had to go in for an operation on her foot. She and another friend wrote on the other foot in felt pen, "WRONG FOOT".

Guess which one they operated on?

USA: "We have the finest xxxxxxxxxx in the world"!

Yeah, right.

Yeah, but can't you just /smell/ "lawsuit"?

Bet they got the correct foot fixed for free, plus some extra pocket cash.

Don't you be color coding MY whatnots!

Okay - I know what you mean, and totally agree. While there have been a good number of altered barrel connectors (different OD, different post ID, some color coding, etc.) it's still way too haphazard.

Truth is, in a pinch, I've used some pretty weird connector combinations myself...whatever was in the junk box at the time ;)

friend

Have a friend who bought a pickup truck with his part of the settlement. Have no idea what the lawyers bought. His knees weren't labeled though. IIRC he let the same doctor do the correct knee. At least he knew he had good malpractice insurance.

with so many proprietary stuff around, u lucky u didnt have to buy another replacement laptop!

computer.

Tested and proven ! Still...I'd be a little concerned...

Hi!

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wall

There's not a "whole" line voltage to DC power supply in a modern laptop, but there is very often a power supply known as a "DC-DC converter" that takes the single voltage from the power adapter and provides all the different voltages the computer will need. This supply usually also has the majority of the battery charging circuitry on it.

Some (very few) laptops actually have power bricks that put out more than one voltage. I haven't seen any recent ones, though.

William