Lenovo Thinkpad and IdeaPad 90W Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter Review

by Kevin O’Brien

Trying to pack light for traveling can always be a pain if you are dealing with multiple electronic devices. One power adapter for your notebook, another for a cellphone, one for a PDA, or any of a number of other choices can really add up in weight and volume in your luggage. This is where the new Lenovo Slim AC/DC Combo adapter comes in, supporting most Lenovo notebooks (new and old), as well as a wide range of accessories. This adapter lets you power all of these devices in your car, on a plane, or from your wall in the US, or any international region. Now instead of carrying a multitude of adapters, you pack one portable travel case containing the Lenovo Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter.

Thinkpad and IdeaPad 90W Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter Specifications:

• To recharge your ThinkPad, IdeaPad or Lenovo 3000 battery while you are in the office, at home, on the road, or in the air, plug the adapter into:

• An AC wall outlet
• A vehicle DC power outlet
• An available airline power outlet

• Through the use of interchangeable notebooks tips (included), you can use this adapter with new and older models of Lenovo notebooks that operate on 90W or below. Note that the adapter does not support Lenovo Y710 notebooks, which require 135W power. For additional compatibility information, please visit: www.lenovo.com/support/slimadapter.

• Ships with AC and DC cables, three interchangeable tips for powering ThinkPad, IdeaPad and Lenovo notebooks, and a handy carrying pouch (Note that tips to power peripheral devices must be purchased separately).

• Backed by Lenovo’s one-year limited warranty with renowned Service and Support available from IBM.

• Retail Price: $119.95

Dual Charging Cable Specifications:

• Delivers power from the 90W Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter to both a notebook and peripheral device (e.g., cell phone or PDA) simultaneously.
• Compatible with ThinkPad and Lenovo 90W Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter (41N8460) and associated notebook and peripheral tips (available separately).
• Backed by a 90-day limited warranty.
• Retail Price: $19.95

Charging Tips for Accessories:

• L1 Tip for Motorola a, e, i, v Series Phones
• L2 Tip for Nokia Phones
• L3 Tip for Audiovox, Kyocera, Motorola, Nextel, Samsung Phones
• L4 Tip for Sony Ericcson Phones
• L5 Tip for Samsung Phones
• L6 Tip for Motorola i Series Phones
• L7 Tip for Palm Pilot
• L8 Tip for RIM Blackberry and Select Motorola Phones
• L9 Tip for Generic USB
• L10 Tip for Apple iPod and iPhone
• Retail Price for Each: $9.95

Setup and Design

The design of the Lenovo Slim Combo Adapter is such that it requires no adjustment besides swapping tips to work for a wide range of devices. You don’t need to worry about changing any voltage setting for each tip to work properly. This means very easy field use no matter what person is using it, and no manual required.

Use

I went a bit above and beyond for this test, since it came into the shop right as I was leaving for Spain. I was planning on carrying adapters for my notebook, iPod, and cell phone, but this ended up saving a ton of room in my bag. I also found it quite handy having a travel case to hold all of the cables together, since it let me cram it into one tight container, to then squeeze into a tight spot inside my backpack as one single piece.

On the 767-400 flying out, as well as the 767-200 coming back we had a power plug on the front of our seats in coach. Having unlimited power for 9 hours of flight to kill time is one of the most splendid experiences you could imagine. I was able to play around doing something (even solitaire) on my notebook, instead of watching the TV shows playing in a massive loop on the flight’s TV. I also used the dual charging cable and the iPod tip to keep my iPod charged up, as I was using it to play movies during the flight.

Once I was back on solid ground, the adapter came in handy at the hotel, keeping my notebook and other devices charged up with a single plug going into the wall. I did have to use a separate pin adapter to convert the Euro plug to my US adapter, but all of the voltage conversion was handled by the Lenovo power adapter.

Complaints

The only part of this adapter that I did not really enjoy was the lack of “easy” travel storage. Besides the Velcro straps, it’s just too awkward to find a way of compacting the wire assembly to easily fit it back inside the travel case. While it wasn’t impossible, I would have preferred a more convenient method.

Conclusion

The Lenovo and IdeaPad 90W Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter is a great little travel charger for your Lenovo notebook and other mobile devices if you are a road warrior. You trade your old clunky adapter for an extra charging tip and save quite a bit of space. Personally, I wish more companies offered this type of charging adapter.

Pros:

• Saves space when replacing other extra power adapters
• Works in a wide range of situations

Cons:

• With all the tips being extra, price can add up if you have many devices that use different plugs
• No convenient way to wrap up the cords for easy storage.