- Kensington Power Inverter 150W Ultra Compact Portable
- Kensington
This is the perfect adapter for me as it powers both my notebook and all of my gadgets from a single brick. I use it for my notebook, DVD player, cell phone, mp3 player, guitar trainer and PDA. The Kensington is simple, compact and lightweight without a lot of fussy extra stuff to deal with. The iGo and Targus systems require a separate dongle for low-power devices like cell phones and CD-players.
"Brick" really isn't a good description though, because the Kensington transformer has a super slim profile and is lightweight. I bought the 120w version because some people reported trouble with the 70w on newer HP Compaq Business notebooks. I figured the 120w is good now and insurance against obsolesence in the future.
The power supply is just part of the picture though, as the real beauty of the system is the "smart tip" feature. I frequently fly on international and long haul domestic trips and like to take along my portable DVD player for entertainment. Instead of hauling heavy auxiliary batteries or having both a DC adapter for the plane/rental car AND the regular power bricks, cables and wall warts for AC, now all I need is a single power supply and the right tips.
It seemed like I was always forgetting to pack the one crucial component I needed, like the USB cable to charge my Tungsten T or the wall wart for my mp3 player. With this system, everything stays in one pouch in my carry-on briefcase and the OEM power supplies stay at home, no more sharing and forgetting....
On the downside, the AC power cord really needs to be longer. Now it hangs down off the wall with the weight of the brick straining the cord. This will eventually lead to failure and an electrical hazard unless replaced. Also on my wish list is a separate European two-prong power cord to eliminate the need to pack a plug adapter.
Technical support is a joke, as the call desk didn't even know that any of the DVD tips were available. Technical spec information is nigh on impossible to get. My DVD player wasn't listed on the website and I wanted to know which tip supplied 9v.
Good luck trying to find that out without a major research project. I wish Kensington would just publish a compatibility chart on the site and keep it current, instead of that goofy query-based tip selector. It is so out of date, that it doesn't list many of the DVD player models that have tips (e.g. Panasonic).
I wanted to find the right tip for my Philips PET1000 DVD player. I finally had to go to the manufacturer websites that Kensington makes tips for to dig out which one uses 9v (it was Panasonic). Bought the tip, works like a charm. This works for other devices that aren't listed too, like my Tascam gutiar trainer. If the tip fits your device without forcing or isn't loose, it is probably the right one. However, ALWAYS check the voltage and amperage first to avoid frying your stuff.
The bottom line is that this is head and shoulders above the other AC/DC systems out there. If Kensington can keep up the product support by making new tips for gadgets as they hit the marketplace, it could be around for a long time.
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I am very happy with my Kensington Inverter and recommend it highly. It has served me well on many road trips and airline flights.
Having a 3-prong outlet makes this a far more versatile and useful device than inverters that just have a tip for the laptop. It is by far one of the lightest devices of its kind that I have found and great for travel.
There are a few tricks of the trade when using these kinds of devices. One is that airline "empower" ports only put out 75W--and if you read the fine print it can get shut off abruptly at any time during the flight with no warning.
There ar a number of laptops that require more power than 75W--particularly if you are trying to charge the battery at the same time. No inverter can help you solve this problem but it is something to be aware of. In many cases you can either remove the battery or connect it and let it fully charge up before you turn the machine on and it will work fine.
And finally the box says 150 watts, but this is *peak* power which only lasts for a short time (such as the startup phase for your laptop). Sustained output is 120 Watts--just something to note in case you are running devices that require that reuqire a lot of juice.
But all in all this is a *great* little device and I recommend it highly.
Read Best Reviews of Kensington 33362 Ultraportable Power Inverter 150 Here
I purchased the Kensington Universal 120W AC/DC Power Adapter because I wanted a lightweight solution to keep my IBM/Lenovo T43 laptop powered through long airline flights. Kensington's product is a slick piece of engineering the brick is actually lighter than the one that came with the T43 (that went in the closet immediately, probably never to return). And, it's probably < 50% of the weight of some of the previous AC/DC adapters on the market. Yesterday, a friend was telling me of some incompatibility between his DC adapter and the set-up in American Airlines coach. I've had no such issues. I've had the opportunity to employ my Kensington Universal 120W Adapter at home, office, car and plane and I've had complete satisfaction in all settings. And as for the previous reviewer's comment about the 5" cord, yeah, it does make for a rather odd, dangling effect, but I've not had a situation yet where I've been unable to make a connection because the brick got in the way (although I've had a couple of stares at Starbuck's when I cram the brick into the power alcove).
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This power adapter is light, versatile, and performs its function very well, but verify that compatible tips are available for your specific devices.
It has replaced five power cables I used to lug around for trips, and worked perfectly in Europe and India on 220 volt supplies. It's actually lighter than my original Dell laptop adapter. The anywhere adapter also works with a 12VDC auto outlet and the Empower outlets found on many airlines.
This is a power adapter only, so it will not perform a data connection with your PDA, iPod, etc. something to consider if synching while traveling is important to you.
The power cord from the outlet to the brick is 6" short. This is by design to allow the adapter to hang off the wall and have more air circulate around it. The adapter can get quite hot when drawing maximum power. I like the short cord because it's one less item to coil just toss it in the bag. I've actually worn out two other power adapters by coiling the cords and causing them to fray. The cable from the brick to your device, in contrast, is extremely long (approx 3m/10ft). Kensington offers a retractable cable; I haven't bought it but it is intriguing.
A few more hints:
-The adapter comes packaged with several tips for the most common devices, including the iPod.
-Check to ensure a tip is available for your device. Kensington does not have the newer Nokia cell phone (AC-3U 1.5mm) tip; you can get the Nokia adapter for the older tip. There are tips available for digital and video cameras. Check that the tip is in stock! I had to look around for the BlackBerry one.
-Consider getting the dual charging cable. This is a splitter that powers two devices simultaneously (one high power such as a laptop and one low power such as a phone/PDA).
-The included zip case is awful. It's thin and the zipper split open easily.
This is based on a couple of days' experience.
The AC seems to work. Haven't tried DC yet.
It's lighter than the factory power supply for my Compaq Presario 2100. That's 18oz; this one is around 13oz without the DC cord; even with the DC cord it's a couple of ounces lighter. It's also a bit slimmer, though wider and a little longer.
It has built-in velcro straps on the cable. Cool, means I don't have to add my own.
The cabling is kind of interesting. The AC input cord is only about 5" long, so the power supply normally just hangs from the outlet. The DC output cord is about 10'. Both cords will detach from the PS itself, and then the DC output cord connects to one of several tips that select voltage and tip style.
The advertised capability to power almost anything is quite attractive, but I wasn't able to find anything about alternative tips at Kensington's web site. It'd sure be nice to be able to power my PDA and my cell phone, but they'll take unusual tips. Their compatibility page had lots of laptop computer coverage, and zero coverage of anything else.
When you combine the tip with the connector on the end of the cable, the result is about a 3.25" rigid connector sticking out the back of the computer. That make me nervous; it seems like it's asking to get broken or, worse, break the laptop. It may interfere with one of the major things I wanted this unit for strapping the laptop to the center console in my motor home. A right angle connector would be better. The factory power supply has a right angle connector, and projects only 0.75" out the back.
