@marcsiry:
Presumably. Close examination reveals a *much* more reinforced plug, a design we'll hopefully be seeing on other MacBook chargers soon.

queenofswords

The interesting thing for me is the Magsafe connector on the MBA charger. Look how reinforced it is! And it's on a right angle to the socket, so its out of your way.

As an owner of a fraying MBP charger (yeah, I really need to take it in) is this plug redesign going to be available in future power adapters for other Macbooks?

queenofswords

We already knew it wouldn't fit when sitting on a desktop via commentary from MacWorld. What about if you hang the MBA slightly off the edge of the desk. Will it mate up then (i.e. angle issue, or is it really a different magsafe fitting).

errhead

Haha, I laughed, thinking this was some sort of state-the-obvious joke.

azntzouie

@slapBOXmaster: I've been noticing that, too. Apple was a good brand back when they had less money.

Victor V.

Why is this such a big deal? Am i the only one that travels with the charger that came with my computer--you know, the same one that was DESIGNED for my specific computer!

chonnes

@AmishJohn:
Bill gates has 36% market share of the company who makes the magsafe plug. Read it on wiki :P

Anyway I don't care I have 2 iBooks and I already knew I won't be able to use their charger with my MBA.

IVPPITER

@archercc: Actually Dell has multiple power connectors, not just a universal one. Apple has two different power connectors, not including the MacBook Air's slimmer cord: the G4 laptop connector and the MagSafe Intel connector. But there are different wattage ratings between them.

quiksilver180

of course it's not going to fit -- the old plugs are huge in comparison. Apple has never been afraid to move forward, unlike most other PC manufacturers. But I'm sure the haters will complain -- they always do. Of course, they don't intend to buy an MacBook Air regardless, so just how much should their opinion really count?

What I do wish Apple would do is create a modular power supply that could swap the heads to find the appropriate books. They already do this for one end already (plug vs. cable to socket) -- would be nice to see them do it for the other as well.

mmeister

MacBook Air, featuring Apple's new iPower connection!

[not universal or backwards compatible for 'security' reasons]

digitalpoet

I want one of these so badly, it's killing me.

Benzido

@rexplex: Yeah, it does fit. You can also stack it on a book or something to lift it up too.

Jason Chen

Try putting the MBA near the edge of the desk/table and then try. Engadget claims its compatible.

phungy

@EQC: Does anyone know if the Macbook/Macbook Pro bricks can throttle back to the specs of the Air's? I know one can use an MBP's brick to power a macbook regularly, but I'm sure the Macbook's, and the MBP's are not designed to go that much lower.

Kaiser-Machead

@slingblade:
It looks like that would work. Jason, can you try that out & report back to us?
Thanks

rexplex

Just leave the MBA's left side slightly off the edge of a table and then the magsafe plug will be able to fit on it right?

slingblade

Ummm...if the MacBook Air is a low-power machine, wouldn't you prefer it have a nice, small, low-power power brick too? In that case, just to make sure stupids don't go plugging their underpowered Air brick into a power-hungry MacBookPro, they sortof have to make it a different plug, don't they?

I can see slight disappointment that your higher-power bricks for your other mac laptops don't fit into the Air...but it'd be pretty ridiculous to expect the brick for the Air to supply enough power for a more power-hungry machine.

That's about as silly as complaining that your laptop power brick can't be used to power up your full-sized desktop if its power supply was to fail.

EQC

so what's another $50 on top of $1800?

Weihovah

@Erzengel: Incompatible.

Kaiser-Machead

It's a Microsoft conspiracy I tell you!

Xenocide

I fail to see the Pantsing pictures... can you explain why?

Erzengel

So not only do they make their own shit incompatible, they also ban others from making magsafe compatible connectors.

[www.igo.com]

scoobydoo

@Johnny Chimpo: LOL. apple would never ever do something like that.

J4SK868

Quick, somebody blame Microsoft!

AmishJohn

An Apple product has proprietary issues?

NO F-ING WAY!!!

Johnny Chimpo

Yai, more money for Steve!

georgi55

I figured that just by looking at the oddball plug that it has compared to the rest.

Kaiser-Machead

Definately a bummer. The nice thing about things like dells and Lenovos is you only really have one type of plug so I can use the big bricks or my tiny one.

archercc

That is indeed a bummer. Why can't we have one plug? One plug to rule them all.

novacthall

This whole air thing is exactly that.... air. I am a fan of apple in general but it seems to me that lately apple has been doing more to alienate users and force you to use their products in only the ways apple approves of.

C'mon you cant use the external air drive on anything other than the air you cant watch dvds or enjoy any media over the shared cd drive utility, you cant load up apps on your touch unless you go through itunes ( jailbrake of course the exception) Early touch buyers have to buy apps that are free ( at the same price) to new touch users. For the price you pay for all this "amazing" and "revolutionary" product you sure can't do much with it.

slapBOXmaster

Hurry Apple fanboys...put yourself into denial and defend the macbook air!

Luongo1

Does the MBA plug work with the MBP and MB? I have both of the latter and I swap plugs interchangeably (I don't even keep track of which is which anymore).

marcsiry

@chonnes: Yeah ... probably. I get on a plane Monday and Thursday, if I could have a charger in every location, then I wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of packing it up everytime I'm in a new location. Intro iGo ... now I can leave 1 at home, travel with the other (and use that to charge damn near everything else). I never have to take it out of the bag thus reducing the opportunity to forget/lose it.

BigSwirv

Haha ... super thin ... super useless

BigSwirv

@slingblade: yeah, this is a computer to dangle a bit off the edge of a desk. Oh no, and if it falls I think it would just shatter into a million pieces.

A million pieces that would float away throughout the air...

noasalira

how perfect...i thought they used the same charger too lol...what does the MBA's charger look like then?

Arsenal6

@chonnes: I travel with the adapter that it came with. But at home I have an adapter at my desk and one in the bedroom. So people like me would end up having to buy replacement adapters.

I agree it's not that big a deal, but Apple's success does bring some wild money-grabbing moves. iPhone's recessed headphone jack. iPod's incompatibility with Gen5 video output peripherals. And now Magsafe incompatibilty in the Air.

machole

@EQC:

You fanbois are so silly. You SHOULD be able to use the same power brick and not have to worry which mac laptop you are plugging into. There are things called resistors inside these power bricks. Care to explain why any current gen sony vaio can use the power adapter and cable from any other vaio, regardless of the power it consumes?

There is no excuse for what apple is doing, except that they are squeezing more money out of consumers. But jobs will give you some marketing mumbo-jumbo double-speak which you will undoubtedly spew over, and over, and over again.

marm0lade