When the lights go out all over London

[sovay]

[edit] This issue solved thanks to usernamenumber's spare charger! Bertie Owen is (slowly, but I don't care) charging as we speak! Very serious thanks to everyone who offered or had a suggestion.

This question is addressed only to residents of Cambridge and Somerville—with the subways shut down and buses running only limited routes, I cannot be sure of meeting up with anyone else.

About a month ago, Bertie Owen's power cord died. That was not a disaster; my father had some months previous given me a backup power cord salvaged from a friend's ex-computer. It didn't appear to be as efficient as the original, but it charged the computer if you left it in long enough: whatever.

The backup power cord died tonight. I was working and didn't notice until the screen started dimming that my laptop's battery had run down to an hour. That is a disaster. Especially with the city shut down for snow and God knows the hours of the Apple Store and God knows the price of a new cord anyway. Especially with projects on my hard drive that I need access to. I cannot afford to be out of work right now.

Does anyone have a spare power cord suitable for a MacBook Pro 2009? It's the kind with the magnetic connector. I can write you poetry for it.

(I may rethink this entire proposition in the morning, but right now, God damn, did I not need this.)

Comments

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

These things turn up on Craigslist cheap now and then. If nothing is listed around you now, try posting a want. You may even be able to find a loaner that way.

Both types of that cord, the low-profile (flat silver) and perpendicular (white, older) style, have a tendency for crimping and bending (coiling) to break wires inside, especially at the connector. Though it is an obvious problem for the white ones, the long silver connector does it too. I do not think it's possible to re-solder it, but when I had one go bad, I was able to move it around until it would charge, and then I applied a LOT of electrical tape to keep the orientation. Not ideal but it did work long enough to get a replacement!

[sovay]

Both types of that cord, the low-profile (flat silver) and perpendicular (white, older) style, have a tendency for crimping and bending (coiling) to break wires inside, especially at the connector.

Sadly, that is not how the old power cord (low-profile) broke, nor does it appear to be the problem with the replacement (perpendicular). With the old one, the cord frayed through near the plug; the new one frankly appears to have overheated. [edit] I spent some time last night mixing and matching parts and carefully twiddling the cord in case I could get it to spark a connection long enough to charge, but no go.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Did the white box part get really really hot?

[sovay]

Did the white box part get really really hot?

Yes. Hence thinking it might just have melted.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

When you look for a replacement, check the wattage. There is a little label on the brick that will tell you what kind it is. There are three kinds: 45, 60, and 85 watts. You can use a 60w or an 85w power brick and cord on a 60w computer, but you cannot use a lower-powered cord on a higher-powered computer. They all use the same connector end.

I always try to buy the 85w one (yes, multiple replacements) just to be sure, as then it doesn't matter. Possibly you should as well?