How to properly disconnect MagSafe power adapter

[mosx]

Seems quite a few people here and at other forums either improperly disconnect their power cable or they've had their MagSafe adapter or cord go bad from imporper disconnection.

So heres this:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306445

As well as this:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306446

Heres a video as well (where I originally found this)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qGbOC26Wko

As you can see in the video, the author's cable is already visibly strained from being improperly unplugged (as he admits to doing) and will most likely die in a blaze of glory anyway.

So there you have it. I've always disconnected my MagSafe the "proper" way and was surprised by the sheer amount of people who pull the plug out by the cable and not by the head. Hopefully this will help some.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

Good post.

Although I would like to point out the irony of Apple having to document how to pull it out when they clearly could have fixed the issue by not designing such a fragile component. There's a reason why other adapters (and the previous iBook/PowerBook ones too) have those small rills with reinforced plastic around the connectors.

Horribe Apple, just horrible.

 

[glocke12]

seems like it would be common sense to not pull it by the cord...

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

seems like it would be common sense to not pull it by the cord...

Not if you take into account what the cord is designed to do.

Seems like common sense that since it's purpose is to avoid flinging the laptop on the floor by being pulled at, pulling the cord out would/should not harm it.

Also note how tiny the connector is. It's too tiny to hold and pull out between two fingers to the average hand because of the magnetism.

 

[Twe Foju]

i knew way before i even bought my MBP

this apply to all chord

not only mac's MAG Safe adapter cords

 

[Neil321]

Not if you take into account what the cord is designed to do.

Seems like common sense that since it's purpose is to avoid flinging the laptop on the floor by being pulled at, pulling the cord out would/should not harm it.

Also note how tiny the connector is. It's too tiny to hold and pull out between two fingers to the average hand because of the magnetism.

dont want to sound rude but a you feeble or something just get hold of the
connector with thumb & forefinger twist it to the left job done

 

[glocke12]

"Not if you take into account what the cord is
Seems like common sense that since it's purpose is to avoid flinging the laptop on the floor by being pulled at, pulling the cord out would/should not harm it."

Sorry, but the magsafe is an emergency mechansim designed to prevent your laptop from crashing to the floor in the even you or someone else trips over the power cord...It is certainly not designed to be pulled out by the cord repeatedly.

"Also note how tiny the connector is. It's too tiny to hold and pull out between two fingers to the average hand because of the magnetism"

Ive got bigger hands and fatter fingers than most people, and I have absolutely no problem grasping the connector and pulling it out.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

dont want to sound rude but a you feeble or something just get hold of the
connector with thumb & forefinger twist it to the left job done

Not to sound rude but you're not exactly radiating openmindedness nor comprehension of the simplest concept.

Of course it's easy to twist it off but that was not my point. I can't for the life of me pull it out directly with a straight pull and only gripping the connector.
The connector is simply not big enough to secure a firm grip with both my fingers. I don't know if your magnet is much weaker than mine but mine is very strongly connected to the outlet.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

"Not if you take into account what the cord is
Seems like common sense that since it's purpose is to avoid flinging the laptop on the floor by being pulled at, pulling the cord out would/should not harm it."

Sorry, but the magsafe is an emergency mechansim designed to prevent your laptop from crashing to the floor in the even you or someone else trips over the power cord...It is certainly not designed to be pulled out by the cord repeatedly.

And why is this an obvious matter of course?
It might be to you but when we are talking about user friendly design, you shouldn't be generalizing assumptions like this.

Bottom line is: a lot of people have problems with the magsafe breaking = magsafe is apparently not very obviously designed in order for this user group to grasp the concept of pulling it out correctly.

It's like making a new OS with a login window where whenever the user pressed enter the computer would shut down and everyone would answer: "Duh, didn't you go to this totally hidden website where it says you need to press escape to log in? It's totally obvious to us!"

No. No it's not. It's bad design, considering the old way worked just fine.

"Also note how tiny the connector is. It's too tiny to hold and pull out between two fingers to the average hand because of the magnetism"

Ive got bigger hands and fatter fingers than most people, and I have absolutely no problem grasping the connector and pulling it out.

Funny. If I hold only on the magsafe connector with two fingers with a very firm grip and my MBP lying on a tabe, I will drag my MBP across the table. That's how strong the mechanism is. The only way to pull it out is to twist it.

So my previous statement stands again: don't make generalized assumptions based on your own pure genius. Other people might exist to whom things work in another way.

 

[Enyzam]

Oh my god, is there any chance you could show me how to unplug my scart cables from my television too?

As I'm totally at a loss as to how to do that "safely" too....

 

[Neil321]

Not to sound rude but you're not exactly radiating openmindedness nor comprehension of the simplest concept.

Of course it's easy to twist it off but that was not my point. I can't for the life of me pull it out directly with a straight pull and only gripping the connector.
The connector is simply not big enough to secure a firm grip with both my fingers. I don't know if your magnet is much weaker than mine but mine is very strongly connected to the outlet.

Yes my magnet is probably as strong as yours but blimey mate it's a connecter
not something live threatening and i would have have thought most people would
try twisting it rather than trying to yank it out

Sorry for the the punn but get a grip

 

[gnasher729]

Oh my god, is there any chance you could show me how to unplug my scart cables from my television too?

As I'm totally at a loss as to how to do that "safely" too....

I just tried the MagSafe connector: Gripping the connector and trying to pull it out absolutely straight takes a lot of power. Actually, I have to hold on to the MacBook because otherwise you pull it. I usually put my thumb on the connector and "break" it off; takes very very little force. It would seem obvious that the smallest amount of force used would do the least amount of damage.

Ever watched people unplugging power cables? It can be frightening.

 

[Consultant]

Good post.

Although I would like to point out the irony of Apple having to document how to pull it out when they clearly could have fixed the issue by not designing such a fragile component. There's a reason why other adapters (and the previous iBook/PowerBook ones too) have those small rills with reinforced plastic around the connectors.

Horribe Apple, just horrible.

It is COMMON SENSE to not grab things by the cord (instead, grab by the plug). Obviously some people don't know that and thus need the proper instructions.

 

[ZacUSNYR]

Good post.

Although I would like to point out the irony of Apple having to document how to pull it out when they clearly could have fixed the issue by not designing such a fragile component. There's a reason why other adapters (and the previous iBook/PowerBook ones too) have those small rills with reinforced plastic around the connectors.

Horribe Apple, just horrible.

The MacBook Air has a real nice end piece for the adapter - it turns it 90 degrees also.

I wonder what the juice is on it and if it'd make a suitable replacement for my macbook.

 

[GeneKam]

Oh my god, is there any chance you could show me how to unplug my scart cables from my television too?

As I'm totally at a loss as to how to do that "safely" too....

you are one of those nykas that whines afterwards their adapter breaks and blames the faulty design. Everything has wear and tear, its like complaining why your silk turned to **** after you have washed it in hot water for 40 hours straight and blame the material for having poor design.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

Yes my magnet is probably as strong as yours but blimey mate it's a connecter
not something live threatening and i would have have thought most people would
try twisting it rather than trying to yank it out

As I already stated, people's connectors break apparently because of a reason, one of the reasons being either a) bad design from Apple or b) because some people are uneducated or c) some people do not take care of their stuff. These are probably close to the same people who poor McDonalds coffee in their laps and sue the organization afterwards, but someone has to fight the little man's cause.

Sorry for the the punn but get a grip

I don't know what a 'punn' is.
And I already told you I cannot get a grip because the magsafe magnet is too strong...

It is COMMON SENSE to not grab things by the cord (instead, grab by the plug). Obviously some people don't know that and thus need the proper instructions.

Yes I agree it's common sense but my point is that it comes down to either pulling the cord which is easier or twisting the connector off which might make scratches on the computer. The magsafe offers the option of pulling the cable which the previous adapter did not and apparently some people find that easier.

As for instructions my point was that Apple is a corporation that based an entire line of products on intuition and not needing instructions for them which I find ironic.

The MacBook Air has a real nice end piece for the adapter - it turns it 90 degrees also.

I wonder what the juice is on it and if it'd make a suitable replacement for my macbook.

Yeah it does look like that which is a good move. It might indicate that newer magsafes on on the other portable products will go this way too.

I have been curious toward this but haven't really had any luck with finding any pictures of the magsafe itself.

 

[OllyW]

I've always unplugged the MagSafe from my MacBook Pro using the Figure 2 method, it just makes sense to me to do it that way.

It is probably because one of my jobs at work is to re-solder the plugs back onto the wires of proximity sensors that our stupid setters unplug by yanking at the cables.

 

[Neil321]

As I already stated, people's connectors break apparently because of a reason, one of the reasons being either a) bad design from Apple or b) because some people are uneducated or c) some people do not take care of their stuff. These are probably close to the same people who poor McDonalds coffee in their laps and sue the organization afterwards, but someone has to fight the little man's cause.



I don't know what a 'punn' is.
And I already told you I cannot get a grip because the magsafe magnet is too strong...

PUN: a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or fact that
there are words that sound alike but have different meanings

it was a joke

 

[Csmitte]

seems like it would be common sense to not pull it by the cord...

One would think? do you just yank cords out of appliances? Are these the things we teach our children? take care of your electronics and they will take care of you, most of you paid upwards of 2200USD for a MBP, or 1100 for a MB.

Take care of it.

 

[Enyzam]

you are one of those nykas that whines afterwards their adapter breaks and blames the faulty design. Everything has wear and tear, its like complaining why your silk turned to **** after you have washed it in hot water for 40 hours straight and blame the material for having poor design.

Well I don't actually have a Macbook Pro yet, but I use my friend's often and getting one when they're updated.

Right from the offset I was unplugging the Magsafe power adaptor by pulling the plug not the wire. It's common sense. You'd have to be pretty retarded to start yanking the wire as hard as you can.

 

[davidwarren]

I usually just use my thumb and swipe down from the top. It is much easier than grabbing ahold of it.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

PUN: a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or fact that
there are words that sound alike but have different meanings

it was a joke

I know what a 'pun' is but not a 'punn'. It was funny though

 

[Neil321]

I know what a 'pun' is but not a 'punn'. It was funny though

yer sorry didnt notice id misspelt it in my original post was a good use of a pun though

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

yer sorry didnt notice id misspelt it in my original post was a good use of a pun though

It was. I would just have wished it was spelled correctly the first time because I would probably have gotten it ^_^

 

[marclapierre13]

Wow, 2.5 minutes of my life wasted. Are people that stupid that they need to watch a video about "how to unplug" something???
Its ages old, NEVER PULL BY THE CORD, pull by the head! Its not difficult! (For my crappy stuff, that i dont care about, sometimes I pull the cord, but thats it)