Apple AC adapters were designed poorly; any aftermarket alternatives?

IIRC, Apple patented the MagSafe ends, so nobody else makes adapters with them.

Did yours not come with a cable that can snap on the end, to where the cable plugs into the wall, putting the adapter to where it'd lay on the floor?

The AC adapter has a separate CORD that can be plugged into the wall so that the power brick is NOT against the wall. No one else makes the adapters; Apple patents the connection. You can always use an extension cord too.

if you really need, you can follow hyperjuice method

I've only had them fall out of extremely worn sockets. And while perhaps not super convenient you can by a new one for 69 cents at any hardware store. It's cheaper than a new power adaptor anyway.

I thought the on-wall design is quite ingenuous, it rids you of having to carry an extra cord, but OK in real life, worn AC jacks don't hold it properly. No choice right, so do the next best thing, pull out a metal file and "roughen" the blades in the hope that the increase friction does the job.

As fraying goes, ur right, it can be better. Meanwhile clean the cord with a damp clothe like once a week to rid it of oil and airborne chemicals, at the same time u doing the same to your palm rests, keyboard etc.

ancilla said:

Sorry, but it's true.

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No, it's not true.

ancilla said:

Who at Apple thought it made sense to make a heavy AC adapter box that HANGS FROM THE WALL? It's like hanging a brick from a suction cup--it will inevitably fall off.

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I've never had one fall off in almost 5 years of using them. As already stated, you have the option of using the extension that comes with it, so you don't have to plug the "brick" directly into the wall.

ancilla said:

Mine constantly falls out, especially when I go somewhere where the outlet has relatively wide socket holes.

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That's the fault of the socket, not the adapter.

ancilla said:

Is there a decent aftermarket alternative?

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I wouldn't trust or recommend any non-Apple battery or adapter, due to the number of problems reported with "knockoffs". Apple has not licensed its MagSafe adapter technology to any 3rd parties. There is no assurance that knockoff batteries or adapters have the same charging technology that Apple uses, involving the battery, the MagSafe adapter and the Mac's logic board.

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

ancilla said:

Wish Apple would just hire competent engineers to design their AC adapters

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They have more than competent engineers and designers, and they're designed quite well. You just have some problems with specific sockets. If they were poorly designed, everyone would be having the problems that you are. They're not.

ancilla said:

The issue with the separate cord that apple attaches is that it is stiff and inflexible, so it takes up a lot of space in a backpack.

Wish Apple would just hire competent engineers to design their AC adapters

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You don't read posts then.

No aftermarket, case closed.

ancilla said:

Mine constantly falls out, especially when I go somewhere where the outlet has relatively wide socket holes.

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I've only ever run into this problem in really old houses with worn out electrical outlets. All of the plugs in my house support the A/C adapter just fine. If I go anywhere and I have problems, I have the extension cord coiled up in my backpack.

Is there a decent aftermarket alternative?

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Nope.

Chill Out

ancilla said:

And don't get me started about how the Magsafe 2 always falls out (or how the Magsafe 1 had fraying issues that provoked a lawsuit...

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You are stressing yourself out... maybe Apple products aren't for you.

you can always use a printer power cable to plug into the apple "box" adapter. I use an old PS2 cable whenever I'm in a pitch and I didn't bring my apple cord.

ancilla said:

The issue with the separate cord that apple attaches is that it is stiff and inflexible, so it takes up a lot of space in a backpack.

Wish Apple would just hire competent engineers to design their AC adapters

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Then buy a cheap flexible extension cord at any supermarket or hardware store. Believe it or not... you do not need the Apple cord... you can plug the assembly into any extension cord rather than the wall.

The ONLY time I've ever had problems with it staying in the wall is in older hotels... especially in the sockets that get used frequently.

/Jim

flynz4 said:

Then buy a cheap flexible extension cord at any supermarket or hardware store. Believe it or not... you do not need the Apple cord... you can plug the assembly into any extension cord rather than the wall.

The ONLY time I've ever had problems with it staying in the wall is in older hotels... especially in the sockets that get used frequently.

/Jim

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I have a house from the 1950s, and there are a few sockets that are old and worn, and power bricks, be they Apple or anything else, fall out. I haven't had time to replace the sockets though.

To the OP: It seems that so many devices uses power bricks that stick into the wall sockets. If the apple socket falls out, so would lots of other power bricks. I have a few that I use for charging other devices, and I simply keep them in a surge protected power strip.

Everyone claiming there are no aftermarket chargers is simply misinformed; there are tons of cheap 3rd party chargers. Fortunately I haven't had to resort to those yet.

asting said:

Everyone claiming there are no aftermarket chargers is simply misinformed; there are tons of cheap 3rd party chargers. Fortunately I haven't had to resort to those yet.

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I think people are advising HEAVILY against them. First, they usually look (and will act just like) the real Apple ones. Second, they may fry your expensive laptop.

I've owned PowerBooks, 15" MBPs, 13" MBPs, rMBPs, Airs.. and I've never encountered any of these problems with my AC adapters.

old-wiz said:

I have a house from the 1950s, and there are a few sockets that are old and worn... I haven't had time to replace the sockets though.

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old-wiz, worn wall outlets aren't just inconvenient; they're dangerous! Don't take my word for this, ask your fire department. Please, take the time to replace them.

I've had numerous problems with Apple's laptop AC adaptors. From what I've read, so have a lot of other people.

asting said:

Everyone claiming there are no aftermarket chargers is simply misinformed; there are tons of cheap 3rd party chargers. Fortunately I haven't had to resort to those yet.

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No one is saying that cheap 3rd party knockoffs don't exist. The fact is that since Apple has not licensed its MagSafe adapter technology to anyone else, there is no assurance that the knockoffs will be compatible with the Mac charging technology, involving the battery, adapter and logic board. I wouldn't risk a $2-3000 computer for the sake of saving a few bucks on a power adapter.

TheRealDamager said:

I think people are advising HEAVILY against them. First, they usually look (and will act just like) the real Apple ones. Second, they may fry your expensive laptop.

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Third, they may fry you as well.

I have often had the problem of the brick falling out of the socket at coffee shops, libraries, etc., and often the problem can't be solved with the extension cord b/c these sockets are as likely to be 2-prong as 3 unless the building is fairly new.

Additionally, the Magsafe of my CD MacBook randomly exploded a few months after I purchased that particular computer.

So yeah, there's some room to gripe. What we're talking about here is one of the more frequently documented weak points of the MacBook line. There's a lot not to like about it.

Never had a problem, how are you misusing yours?