Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

pusman83

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 9, 2005
101
0
First post.

I'm thinking of buying a 20'' this summer but I'll probably be off to Europe for a semester and want to bring it with me. I read that the power supply now works for NA and Europe. Anyone can confirm this?
 
There was a thread here earlier about a iMac G5 owner who purchased in the US and plugged it in (with a simple plug adaptor) in the UK and blew the smithereens out of the machine. The NAmerican model of the iMac G5 did not have the same auto-ranging power supply as the EU model.

Don't make assumptions. Check with Apple first and also check the actual machine to look for either the 110-240~ or the 110-120~ symbol on it.

The Apple USA store says "Line voltage: 100-240V AC" it does not say it is auto switching or not.
 
Your best bet is to buy a European power inverter and bring it with you. Some local PC shops, and Radio shack stock them.

It is better to be safe then sorry!
 
I would check the previous paragraph example ,

" These same power supply specifications are listed in the Mac OS Info Center on your computer's hard disk."

and Call apple care BEFORE plugging it into euro power.

Besides!
you will have other things you will want to use in Europe. a $23 power transformer will let you run those items and your iMac without having to worry about something blowing up.
 
CanadaRAM said:
There was a thread here earlier about a iMac G5 owner who purchased in the US and plugged it in (with a simple plug adaptor) in the UK and blew the smithereens out of the machine. The NAmerican model of the iMac G5 did not have the same auto-ranging power supply as the EU model.

I tend to believe this is one of these "urban legends". Why would Apple put a different power supplies in the same model? Would just increase the costs for building these puppies and I never saw a newer Mac in my life that didn't have a universal power supply. I know people from North America who brought their Macs over to Germany and just replaced the power cords and never had a problem. My PowerBooks always travelled with me and my power supplies always worked, no matter where I was.

Especially since we don't have 110/120V power here in Europe I don't see why Apple would build in a 110/120V only power supply in North America, but for Europe an auto-ranging one and not a 220/230V only.

To build in an auto-ranging power supply in all computers is cheaper than having two different models to build concurrently.

Just my 0.02€.

groovebuster
 
Power module, power supply

If you are going to be using the Apple in Europe, it may be as simple as
looking at the back of the unit or the power module/brick and determining
what the power label says and then buying a power cord for the country(s)
you are going to travel to in Europe. If it says 110-120 Vac 60 Hz and there
is a switch to be moved to 220-240 you have a switchable power supply and
will need to switch to 220-240 and buy a converter for the US power cord.
If it says 110-240 Vac 47-66 Hz then you have a switching supply and it will
sense and set the voltage accordingly. Power cords aren't cheap so buying
a set of international plug converters will save the cost of the cord and will
allow you to use the adapters for other electronic devices.
Hope this helps, and remember on returning to the US to reset the power
switch if in fact that is what needed to be set. Also most if not all big
computer manufaturers of late are providing supplies that auto range to the
voltage and will work world wide!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.