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stanw

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 29, 2007
842
5
Why does the new Air use a different charger from the Macbook Pro? is there a reason it is different from Macbook Pro chargers?

Thanks.
 
Probably because the MBA requires only a 45 watt adapter while the MBP needs a 60 watt adapter. The Pro pulls more power than the Air.
 
Battery size

Not only does the Air require less power than the MPB, it also has a smaller battery. This means it doesn't need the same high wattage to charge in a reasonable amount of time :)

The MBA charger is really nice in that it's relatively small and easy to travel with compared to the larger wall unit for the MPB.
 
Bigger Car wants bigger tires and bigger motor.

More powerful computer needs more juice = more powerful, larger power source.

The world makes sense as usual.
 
Bigger Car wants bigger tires and bigger motor.

More powerful computer needs more juice = more powerful, larger power source.

The world makes sense as usual.

That's half of the equation. The other half is that people who want airs also valuable portability. Therefore, the adapter has to be smaller than a typical charger would be.
 
Actually, what I just realized is that the power supply for my 3-yr old Macbook Pro is different from the new Macbook Air and the new Macbook Pro...
 
Actually, what I just realized is that the power supply for my 3-yr old Macbook Pro is different from the new Macbook Air and the new Macbook Pro...

And this bothers you, seems odd to you... how?
 
only because I have had 3 Macbook Pros and I purchased extra power adapters and it would have been nice if I could have used those same adapters with the new Air and new Macbook Pro, though they are different....
 
only because I have had 3 Macbook Pros and I purchased extra power adapters and it would have been nice if I could have used those same adapters with the new Air and new Macbook Pro, though they are different....
You can get a $10 adapter that changes the older, bigger MagSafe connector so it fits on the new MagSafe 2 notebooks.

You can also use a bigger 65w charger on an Air. The Air knows how to handle that situation. You can also use a smaller Air charger on a MBP, but it'll take longer to charge (and may not be able to even maintain the current charge if you're really pushing the MBP while it's connected).
 
only because I have had 3 Macbook Pros and I purchased extra power adapters and it would have been nice if I could have used those same adapters with the new Air and new Macbook Pro, though they are different....

I had two of them myself, I bought two adapters from Apple for $8 a piece. Now I use all three of the adapters interchangeably with my MBA.
 
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