Fake Power Supplies - An Interesting Look - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: urbis
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 07:43:46 am
content: Saw this posted on an Apple website I frequently visit.http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pricey.htmlWe've all seen the teardowns, usually of the smaller 1A power supplies.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 11:15:10 am
content: IMHO you're overpaying for the genuine one. The fake one there looks perfectly fine to me and is already much better than many others I've seen. He didn't evendo a hi-pot test.QuoteIf you do that, then you're abloody idiotand a Darwin Award candidate... or maybe an average Apple user.(This is of course assuming that you already have a sufficiently low-resistance path to ground, that the water is sufficiently conductive, etc.)

author: tjb1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 11:30:06 am
content: Quote from: amyk on May 14, 2014, 11:15:10 amTypical Apple troll eh? You'll notice it says condenses...not place by hand.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 05:13:56 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on May 14, 2014, 03:47:36 pmStill use the orginal cable that came with my iPad1 in 2010, still not one problem. The problem is usually the user.My girlfriend is now going to need her fourth powersupply cable repair for her laptop since she always keeps it connected while working on the sofa and don't ask me how she turns and turns till it is broken again at the connectorNext time I will weld the cable to the laptop.

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 06:09:16 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on May 14, 2014, 05:13:56 pmIn a place where I work, many Apple notebooks are used. I talked with many users and it seems that these Apple power adapters are just slaughtered on a daily basis - cable gets torn, connector gets broken, connector doesn't have proper contact, etc. Apple power adapters are very expensive to replace as well (typically not covered by warranty). On the other hand, non Apple computers with their power adapters last very long, only few have issues (burned switching silicon), but that is it - much higher reliability. I think it clearly shows that reliability is not the concern for some brands at all.

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 07:12:36 pm
content: Quote from: amyk on May 14, 2014, 11:15:10 amAs I recall, pure water is pretty good as an insulator - it is the contaminates that cause it to be conductive.

author: gis
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 07:00:25 am
content: Quote from: Kjelt on May 14, 2014, 05:13:56 pmOr this (before it breaks):http://sugru.com/guides/how-to-repair-a-laptop-charger

author: Nerull
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 08:35:09 pm
content: Quote from: Neilm on May 14, 2014, 07:12:36 pmWater is also an excellent solvent, and will pick up contaminates from just about anything it touches. Its best to treat it as a conductor unless you're sure it isn't.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 08:36:50 pm
content: This whole discussion is uninteresting in that people seem to be surprised that the cheap ones are of inferior quality.Duh!

author: Len
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 09:33:32 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on May 15, 2014, 08:36:50 pmSorry, but they don't get off with a "duh!". It's not just a cheaper product, it's an outright fake with Apple's name on it and phony safety marks. It should not be on the market, period.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 11:59:23 pm
content: QuoteYes. We should probably let the market decide if it should or shouldn't be on that market.In general, we are all better off with both high and low quality products on the market.

author: richard.cs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 11:49:55 am
content: I was expecting to see something much worse for $3, unlike some of the teardowns I've seen that one looks fairly useable and not *that* unsafe. A little more filtering and another notch in the board and they could have made it a very nice $4 charger.

author: Len
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 01:54:34 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on May 15, 2014, 11:59:23 pmIt's clear that the market isnotworking to provide a decent range of quality & price.First of all, it's against the law to use others' trademarks (Apple, UL, etc.) without permission. (It's also illegal to lie about what your product is or does, but judging from ads that I see, that law is no longer enforced.)Second, it's not possible for "the market" to make decisions without information. These things are sold over the internet, or in impenetrable plastic bubbles, so you can't try it out or inspect it to see if it's any good. All consumers have to go on is "Genuine Apple Charger" (which is a lie) and the price. The only rational decision is to buy the cheapest one, so everyone ends up with a charger that breaks after a week or catches fire or takes twice as long to charge their iPad.It would be great if it were possible to choose from a range of products of varying price & quality, but all too often Icannotfind a reasonably-priced product that actually works. This "race to the bottom" is caused by the lack of decision-making information other than price, so any mid-range products just get killed in the market.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 02:33:28 pm
content: QuoteReally?If true, the only rational outcome is that such consumers be ripped off so badly that they will, hopefully, learn a lesson next time.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 02:48:14 pm
content: QuoteSounds like we should ban online commerce,

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 09:39:53 pm
content: QuoteIs there any evidence that this is, in fact, the case?