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PowerBooks and Power Adapters
Friday, May 26, 2006 / Laptops & Notebooks
Is it OK to use my old 12″ PowerBook power adapter (45 W) with the new 17″ PowerBook (65 W) that I just ordered from PowerMax?
Using that adapter would be bad for your 17″ PowerBook and could create a fire hazard. The reverse of this would be OK to do because a Mac laptop will not use more power than it needs. The Watts (W) of that power adapter is a reference to the maximum power that adapter can provide. Under-powering a PowerBook could cause it not to charge or shorten the life of the battery. In addition to harming the 17″ PowerBook that 45W power adapter will overheat as it tries to give the PowerBook the power it wants. More watts than needed are OK… less is not.
