The one on the right is a fairly standard plug with negative DC current on the outside and the positive on the inside.
The one of the left is not like that. The shiny barrel that you see, outside and inside, is the negative current side. Positive current is supplied by a very thin copper wire on the inside, which looks like the inside of a cable TV coax line, only thinner.
Here is what is stupid about it: The little wire tends to break when it is plugged in a lot. That's not a problem with CATV coax, for users tend to set them up once and leave them plugged in. But for a freaking laptop, that adapter might be plugged in and unplugged a few times a day. Which means that, sooner or later, the stupid little wire in there is going to get bent. And then it breaks.
Which is probably why the nearest Best Buy store had about two dozen replacement adapters in stock.
Nice going, HP. Here's a fucking clue for you: My next laptop is going to be a Lenovo, you asswipes.
I blame the industry for those completely stupid connectors. The larger ones are less fragile but in the end they are not self locking adn there are a million flavors due to different
ReplyDeleteIDs, ODs and lengths ignoring the polarity problem they invoke.
Eck!
So true.
ReplyDeleteI've been selling Lenovos as the computer of choice for years now.
Since they bought the business from IBM.
S
Suzan, I had an IBM and the backlight died. Fortunately, I had bought the extended warranty...
ReplyDeleteGod damn. Those needles down the middle... it's like HP declared open war on their customers.
ReplyDelete