Customer Reviews

Macally PS-AC4 AC Power Adapter for Apple G4

5 star:		(138)
4 star:		(104)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(66)

 

 

At less than half the price of an Apple charger, Macally is a nice alternative. When my ibook charger's cord broke, I wanted to find something more durable. I miss the little feet to wrap the cord around, but the part that connects to the ibook/powerbook is thicker than Apple's and thus doesn't need quite as much care. Macally's charger is also white, which is a pleasant bonus, and comes with a blue light on the brick to let you know it's charging. Here's the basic breakdown.

Macally:
lighter
cheaper
more durable
same 120/240 voltage
same length (when compared to Apple's w/ the extension plug)
no feet
no charging light around rim of plug
no plastic cover for plug tip (though the Apple one fits on it perfectly)
the connection to the brick is not as sturdy because Apple's is built in and Macally's is plugged in, though it's never come out unexpectedly because the brick is so light.
doesn't get as hot as Apple's charger
the wall plug is not grounded

If you need an extra or replacement charger and don't mind the difference in design then this is a great purchase.

The power cords for Powerbooks and IBooks, though aesthetically lovely, are prone to damage. This is a good replacement unit, although it lacks the amber/green LED charging indicator ring around the connector. Makes up for it in durability and value (less than half the cost of Apple's - yikes!). I'm using this charger with my 12" 867Mhz G4 with fine results.

This adapter only puts out 48 watts and is not for Aluminum Powerbooks. I am a technically minded person and I still got duped in to buying this because it doesn't say this anywhere on this page.

I now have two of these -- one for my Aluminum Powerbook, and one for my wife's Titanium Powerbook. They work great. The connection actually seems more solid than the one from the Apple version, and these are a heck of a lot cheaper. No, they don't have the nice status light or the elegant industrial design. But they power the laptops reliably, which is more than I can say for the Apple adapters we have!

This is my second PS-AC4. The first was exactly as pictured here and on the MacAlly website. It worked great and I would highly recommend it (I purchased it about 3 yrs. ago). However, the most recent one (ordered from Amazon) has been redesigned. There is no blue light, it's slightly smaller in size and DOESN'T work with the G4 iBook.

I only use this power supply when I am on the road, so I only used it a couple times in the two weeks I've had it. Recently I was doing a Keynote presentation and noticed the iBook switching from battery to power supply every second and repeating, endlessly. I reset the Power Management Unit (PMU) on the iBook, but that didn't solve the problem. When I contacted MacAlly, they informed me that this model does not work with the G4 iBook. I was told "You need to return it back to your vendor for refund or different brand."

Both MacAlly and Amazon do not reflect this new information on their website. MacAlly's site even says it's recommended for iBook users.

I am still in the process of getting this issue resolved. My advice after messing around with 3rd party power supplies...buy a genuine Apple as a replacement. It's worth the money in the long run.

Initially I was going to give this power adapter 4 stars because it lacks that charge light that the Apple adapters have, but you just can't beat the price. It is an ideal and inexpensive replacement or companion adapter. You could by a few of these for the cost of just one from Apple. The only thing to take notice is that it may not charge a laptop as quickly as the standard Apple power adapter because of it's lower wattage.

Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Inexpensive
- Inexpensive
- Durable
- Velcro cord wrap

Cons:
- No charge status light
- Lower wattage then Apple adapter
- Slightly larger then the standard Apple adapter

pros-

-CHEAP. Costs at least $50 less than the Apple product.

-more durable than Apple. It feels like you could really smash around the AC adapter and it would still be OK. The apple one not as much. The connector to the laptop is an improvement, but is still not great.

-Very light, easy to carry around.

Cons-

-not the nice design features of apple - the light at the tip of the cord, the exchangeable plug, the overall appearance etc. (but who cares?) Also doesn't have a three-pronged plug

-Does not charge computer as fast as apple, however not significant. Due to lower wattage.

-Some heat issues- the adapter seemed to be as hot as or hotter than the Apple one, and it heats my computer up more than the apple one did. I haven't seen this in other reviews though, so it may be my computer or something.

In general a good product. It seems fairly well made and will probably last you longer than your apple charger. If you're looking to replace yours, this will do the job fine, plus for $50 less you can't go wrong.

- while lacking the green/amber light on the end of the plug, it *does* have a bright blue LED on the brick itself. the LED doesn't change color according to what the powerbook is doing, it just indicates if the brick itself has power.

- it produces 2 amps, rather than the 2.65 put out by apple's. this means that while it's ok for older ibooks and tibooks, for the new albooks it's slower to charge the battery if the machine is on, and for some machines like the newer 17", may not be able to charge the battery unless the laptop's asleep.
(this can be annoying at times, but for less than half the cost of apple's adapter and cheaper than most other 3rd party adapters, I think it's a fair deal)

- the wire on the powerbook side twist-locks into the brick, so you can't yank it out accidentally.

- no, the plug isn't grounded... but then again neither is apple's flip-out plug.

overall, I think this is a pretty good deal, and might pick up another.

Accidents will happen. $500 dollars later, with my 12" powerbook 1 GhZ (purchased October 2003)repaired and with the internal pin shorn from inside the power connector, I started to explore alternative adapters, given that the Apple unit is around $80.

I bought this unit--which I needed quickly-- with one day shipping and my total was still signifigantly less than purchasing another adapter from Apple, some $51.

Sure, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Apple unit and it is a slight bit slower to charge the laptop, but the price makes it well worth it.

If you are concerned about the plug fitting your computer, I've tested this unit out in my 12" PowerBook, a 14" Ibook, and even an older 15" TI Book--it fit them all and charged them, though I don't know how quickly it charged the 15" TiBook.

The plug is also more reliable and sturdy. The cord is longer and less obtrusive than the mac power adapter--if I'd had this unit before, I don't think I would have even had the aforementioned accident! The Macally unit bundles nicely and fits most laptop bags well.

Overall, I'm very pleased.

While the MacAlly powerbook ac adapter has it all over the original ac charger in terms of length (it's nice to get further away from the outlet to be sure), it's not altogether reliable as a charger. There are many times when I'll find, if I haven't been paying strict attention, that the cord has shifted slightly and, though it looks like it's still plugged in, it is no longer charging the computer. I've left it charging overnight to find in the morning that the battery is still not full. Makes me appreciate the charge indicator ring on the original cord that much more, too bad the Apple cords are A)given to dangerous wear & tear, and B)expensive to replace.