Any good, cheap, third party MacBook Pro chargers?

[Dangerous Theory]

My L shape charger that came with the MBP has twisted and loosened to a point where there is not longer electrical contact and it's useless.

I need a new charger but I want to get away with paying as little as possible. I know amazon sell Apple ones for only £24 or so (beats ridiculous official £50 pricing), but I was wondering if anyone has had a good experience with some cheaper third party branded one? It doesn't matter if it's T or L shaped, and in fact I think T would be a more ideal shape as the cable tends to be at a right angle anyway.

I hate how Apple (and most laptop manufacturers) design the chargers so that the expensive part, the transformer, is permanently attached to the cable that plugs into the laptop - the one that is likely to fray and become damaged. It just seems like a horrible way to extract more money out of customers than necessary.

 

[Mal]

No. Apple has not licensed the MagSafe design, so there are no legal third-party chargers. I wouldn't trust anything that's not an official Apple-branded charger within 10 feet of my computer (not on a MacBook Pro). I think the days of third-party chargers are long gone, and I used third-party chargers without worries in the PowerBook days.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, it's probably well worth taking it into an Apple Store and seeing if they'll replace it for you. They can be very nice about those things sometimes.

jW

 

[robgendreau]

I hate how Apple (and most laptop manufacturers) design the chargers so that the expensive part, the transformer, is permanently attached to the cable that plugs into the laptop - the one that is likely to fray and become damaged. It just seems like a horrible way to extract more money out of customers than necessary.

Actually I think the magsafe part might the expensive bit, if you take into account what it would cost to license the technology. It's not at all expensive to output x volts to that laptop. Also, I wonder if the battery-sensing technology is in the brick or the computer itself...anyone know?

You can repair those magsafe connectors...iFixit has a guide. Pretty fiddly soldering though.

And a good thing to do before your magsafe breaks is to reinforce the strain relief. I used white suguru; works great and doesn't look too bad.


Rob

 

[Ccrew]

It's not at all expensive to output x volts to that laptop. Also, I wonder if the battery-sensing technology is in the brick or the computer itself...anyone know?

It's a switching power supply, and the circuitry for voltage clamping is in the charger not the laptop.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

Actually I think the magsafe part might the expensive bit, if you take into account what it would cost to license the technology. It's not at all expensive to output x volts to that laptop. Also, I wonder if the battery-sensing technology is in the brick or the computer itself...anyone know?

You can repair those magsafe connectors...iFixit has a guide. Pretty fiddly soldering though.

And a good thing to do before your magsafe breaks is to reinforce the strain relief. I used white suguru; works great and doesn't look too bad.


Rob

I don't think the MagSafe would be expensive at all - it's just a plug with a light and a magnet (admittedly more expensive compared to other laptop plugs). It's the brick that houses the more complicated electronic/electrical components that regulate power to the MacBook that is the costly part, same with any generic laptop charger (HP for instance). They attach the expensive part that doesn't break with the feeble cable that does, so you have to fork out to replace the unit.

I did attempt to solder it already but it was a mess and only lasted a week before coming apart, and it's now in a worse, non-solderable state.

Anyhow, thank you for the suggestion of reinforcing idea. I'll try that next time.

 

[Krazy Bill]

I wouldn't trust anything that's not an official Apple-branded charger within 10 feet of my computer (not on a MacBook Pro).

^ This pretty much sums it up.

To put all of that money into a fine machine only to get cheap on the power supply just doesn't make sense (as tempting as it may be).

I have gone the ebay route on a power supply for an older macbook before. It lasted 3 months.

 

[IngerMan]

I have purchased 2 refurbished apple original bricks from OWC for a MBA and my MBP. I use them often were I have them set up in the living room and I also grab them for travel.

 

[EwanMcTeagle]

When I bought my girlfriend her 2008 white Macbook I bought her OEM MagSafe (with Apple logo on it) on the web for $55 and it works perfect and looks the same as the original adapter I got with my refurbished MBP.

 

[Romeo604]

Not advertising or propagating their site but go to:

http://www.dealextreme.com to get your charger or any other Apple accessory.

Yes third parties can't be as reliable if you do not know where to buy them or how they are made/how they function. I have bought my charger here and small cables like the ipod docks, ipod usb cables for pennies instead of the ridiculous prices at the Apple store.

For example USB iPod cable is $1.00 - $2.00 at dealextreme.com and this price reflects the actual worth of these cables so you got to know what you are buying is actually worth.

Like you can buy a HDMI cable at Bestbuy for $50.00-$80.00 or go to a computer store like NCIX and buy it for $10-$20. All made by the lowest bidders but repackaged to the highest dealer.

My L shape charger that came with the MBP has twisted and loosened to a point where there is not longer electrical contact and it's useless.

I need a new charger but I want to get away with paying as little as possible. I know amazon sell Apple ones for only £24 or so (beats ridiculous official £50 pricing), but I was wondering if anyone has had a good experience with some cheaper third party branded one? It doesn't matter if it's T or L shaped, and in fact I think T would be a more ideal shape as the cable tends to be at a right angle anyway.

I hate how Apple (and most laptop manufacturers) design the chargers so that the expensive part, the transformer, is permanently attached to the cable that plugs into the laptop - the one that is likely to fray and become damaged. It just seems like a horrible way to extract more money out of customers than necessary.