There were 15 of us clustered around a not-large-enough table at CES, almost all plugged into identical power adapters. I put a rubber band around mine to keep from mixing it up with somebody else’s. Turns out, I’m a genius.
Almost a month later, the band is a permanent fixture on my brick – it’s proven to be equally MVP at home. No, there aren’t 15 scumbag tech writers packed around dining room table (right now, anyway), but the rubber band is still pulling its weight. More to the point, it keeps the power brick from pulling its weight. Right off the table, dragging the rest of the power cord with it, yanking the MagSafe connector clean out of my laptop. Sound familiar? Yeah, we must be related, because this used to happen to me all the time.
As beautifully designed as the MacBook power cord assembly is, it has two fundamental design flaws. One is that the plug-side cord is HEAVY. Combine this with the brick’s slippery shiny surface, and you have a recipe for a plastic block being dragged off a table by a cable that’s slung like a catenary between the outlet and the table’s edge. Unless you band that shit, in which case the brick doesn’t move at all.
You’re welcome, humanity.
Ha
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 11:48 AMI thought you wouldn’t have to have it plugged it because of its ZOMGRARWHRSADKFHAKSF awesome battery life?
Ron
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 12:22 PMNow next year when you go back to CES everyone will have a band around their adapters and you won’t know which one is your’s.
I guess that’s taking one for the team.
Des
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 12:48 PMIt isn’t beautifully designed if it has fundamental design flaws.
It’s form over function, which isn’t good design, it’s ego-driven design.
Tomas Medina
Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 3:36 PMCongratulations, you just summed up Apple from 1998-present :)
Steve
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 2:57 PMOne look at the tech on that table.
“Yep. Gizmodo.”
Double check the article, see “As beautifully designed as the MacBook power cord assembly is..”
Yep. A power cord assembly. Was just described as ‘beautifully designed.’
Keep it classy /s
Jon
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 8:43 PMBe interesting to see if Apple picks up on this non-slip addition and responds by adding some non-slip rubbery adhesive to their bricks.
You know you want to Steve! And you should.
Troy Thompson
Monday, January 24, 2011 at 1:39 PMIf this does happen, it will be sold separately, cost a lot, have a name prefixed with an ‘i’. Thousands will buy what will still be a rubber band (but white).
Tweak
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 9:00 PMJust be sure to mark your band with a sharpie for next CES.
Mr Mack
Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 2:06 AMThinking so differently that everyone ends up with the same damn device…
olearymo
Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 8:17 PMIt may be ‘beautiful’, but if it has a design flaw, it is NOT ‘beautifully designed’.
Samuel
Monday, January 24, 2011 at 8:58 AMCan’t be too long until we see the production of iPhone-like cases for power supplies…
Peter Mc
Monday, January 24, 2011 at 10:05 AMHarking back to Tomas Medina from earlier:
Congratulations, you just summed up Apple from 1998-present :)
So perfectly I feel like sending you an i-hug.