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Allow Third Party Power Adapters By zcrane,  Nov 12, 2007

Currently Dell won’t allow a user to charge their batteries with a third party charger, such as a Targus Universal Power Adapter. Dell has some sort of a power adapter identifier that will only allow you to *power* the notebook, but not *charge* the batteries with the said charger.

This is a horrible case of forcing customers into purchasing the Dell branded power adapter, even if a different company produces one that fits the user's needs better. This is like saying only a Dell branded mouse will work with a Dell notebook... ridiculous!

Dell, this needs to be changed, and changed soon.
zcrane50.0
  Mon Nov 12 20:56:01 GMT 2007
Comments: 25
Categories: Laptop Power  
Status:Acknowledged


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By kaizanne  May 14, 2008
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I'm for 3rd party products who are up to the mark, as it's unfair to penalize reliable & responsible manufacturers due to the negligence of some (many). Perhaps Dell could have similar MFD/WWD (Made for Dell/Works With Dell) like Apple's MFi/WWi (Made for iPod/Work With iPhone). Dell would qualify these manufacturers-> release specification-> conduct approbation on 3rd party products-> give or reject MFD/WWD certification.

By failureman  Aug 17, 2008
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On my last Dell laptop I went through 3 power adapters (the cord split on all three in the same place) in 18 months. After paying dell $99 for the third and it failed I bought a targus which is still working 4 years later. On my new Dell laptop the power adapter quit after 40 days! Of course I can't use my old targus with my new dell because it won't charge the battery. Dell needs to change this to allow 3rd party adapters, period. Its not fair to the customers.

By skyhack  Apr 1, 2009
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Love pages where someone asks a question, and all you get is philosophical arguments about whether what the person wants to do is safe/ethical/warranty voiding/contributory to global warming. Just like Mandriva not wanting you to EVER log into a GUI as root. Here's the hack, use it at your own risk.

http://www.laptops-battery.co.uk/blog/dell-ac-power-adapter-type-cannot-be-determined-solution/

By joan2009  Aug 24, 2009
Comment Link   
This is a horrible case of forcing customers into purchasing the Dell branded power adapter, even if a different company produces one that fits the user's needs better. This is like saying only a Dell branded mouse will work with a Dell notebook... ridiculous!   
Dell needs to change this to allow 3rd party adapters, period. Its not fair to the customers.

By AnotherLostCustomer  May 5, 2010
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The apparent planned obsolescence of Dell's laptop power supplies has lost me as a customer until such time as this policy of locking out (perceived) third party power supplies changes.  Other laptop manufacturers, at least in my experience, seem to do fine without crippling the CPU and disabling battery charging when confronted with  (perceived) third party electricity.  Not Dell, though.

My friends come to when they have computer issues.  Nowadays I tell them to avoid Dell laptops like the plague, specifically because of this issue.  I'd otherwise be wholeheartedly recommending Dell as I've done in the past - this is my one and only complaint, but it's a total deal breaker.  Unfortunately, I suspect that to the accountants at Dell this is not a bug, but a feature, one which won't likely be corrected willingly.  Enjoy the money you've bled from me by forcing me to replace your oh-so-delicate amnesiac power bricks which have forgotten their Dell heritage but otherwise work just fine; enjoy that money knowing it has cost you an easy half-dozen sales of thousand-plus dollar computer systems so far... with more (not) to come.

Posted from a Dell Inspiron 1420N with a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo that thinks it's 800 MHz because I left my new Dell Power Supply at a friend's house last night and am currently forced to use my old Dell Power Supply, which has lost touch with its roots and as a result... well, it would work fine if you'd only allow it.


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