Why do laptops always have problems with power...

[AznAnarchy99]

I have a Toshiba U200 that I recently had to replace the DC jack because it cracked. It was working for a while then the battery died and could not hold a charge anymore. Then the laptop wouldnt take power even with just the AC adapter plugged in. Now I bought a new battery and yesterday it was charging just fine, now with the AC adapter in, the battery isnt charging anymore.

BLAH

My girlfriend's HP dv6000 also has similar problems. I hate laptops..

 

[TheStu]

Not all laptops have this problem. You may have bad luck, or are doing something wrong(no idea what) that is causing the problem.

Bad DC jacks are common, I had to replace one on an old PowerBook that I used. And batteries will go bad either over time, or if the power management system is damaged (in the case of the PowerBook, there was a short in the DC jack which caused the battery to die over time). However, my old MacBook is 3.5 years old, and aside from getting the battery replaced (bad batch from Apple), it has had no problems with the DC jack (magnetic connection, unlikely to go traditionally bad) or the new battery.

I have a 5-6 year old PowerBook sitting next to me. The DC jack is still working just fine, and the original battery now has 691 recharge cycles on it, and yields approximately 2 hours of browsing, 1 hour of video watching.

So, maybe you need to either buy better laptops (I know, $500 is a great price, and why spend another $400 on a <insert maker name here> for roughly the same performance), but you really generally do get what you pay for.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Not all laptops have this problem. You may have bad luck, or are doing something wrong(no idea what) that is causing the problem.

Bad DC jacks are common, I had to replace one on an old PowerBook that I used. And batteries will go bad either over time, or if the power management system is damaged (in the case of the PowerBook, there was a short in the DC jack which caused the battery to die over time). However, my old MacBook is 3.5 years old, and aside from getting the battery replaced (bad batch from Apple), it has had no problems with the DC jack (magnetic connection, unlikely to go traditionally bad) or the new battery.

I have a 5-6 year old PowerBook sitting next to me. The DC jack is still working just fine, and the original battery now has 691 recharge cycles on it, and yields approximately 2 hours of browsing, 1 hour of video watching.

So, maybe you need to either buy better laptops (I know, $500 is a great price, and why spend another $400 on a <insert maker name here> for roughly the same performance), but you really generally do get what you pay for.

When it comes to batteries I have found that if you leave them in the machine and the machine is always using AC power the batteries die faster.

So far out of the 5 or 6 laptops I've had none of them have had a broken DC jack.
As far as spending more money on a laptop, my $300 toshiba from 3.5 years ago is still chugging along like the day I brought it home.
Laptops fail more because people treat them like shit than bad parts.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I got this laptop as a hand me down from my dad and he just used it pretty much like a desktop, not ever moving it.

What would keep my laptop from charging the battery when it is plugged in?

 

[TheStu]

When it comes to batteries I have found that if you leave them in the machine and the machine is always using AC power the batteries die faster.[/q]

I have anecdotal and first hand evidence that both supports and refutes this idea... so I have no idea which to believe

[q]So far out of the 5 or 6 laptops I've had none of them have had a broken DC jack.[/q]

I have seen plenty, from all different makers. A couple Macs, a Dell or two, a Toshiba, an HP, and an Acer, not saying you are wrong or lying, just that either you are very careful, they are not very careful, or you got lucky

[q]As far as spending more money on a laptop, my $300 toshiba from 3.5 years ago is still chugging along like the day I brought it home.
Laptops fail more because people treat them like shit than bad parts.

I treated my laptop like a student. At times I was careful and at times I was rough on it, it last me a year in school and then 2 out of it. I gave it to my sister and it is still going strong for her. Conversely, I had someone bring me their laptop that spent all its time on her desk and the mainboard was dead from an electrical problem. I have seen people abuse their laptops (my roommate) and have them keep going like nobody's business, and have other baby their machines (my other sister) and have them die in fluke accidents. However, I definitely believe that you get what you pay for, and though your $300 Toshiba is still going much like my $1200 MacBook is, my $1800 PowerBook from 6 years ago is also still going strong. I do not know of that many people that have laptops from 6 years ago that are still usable.

 

[C1]

If one had to guess, then the hand-me-down had the jack already stressed by the previous user.

Besides owning a couple notebooks, I have used various models & brands which were company owned. None of them encountered the broken jack issue. I think, though, right angle jacks are preferred as they are lower profile & thus reduce the torque moment arm during cord tug.

Batteries wear out. They are good for only a certain number of cycles, have a shelf life and capacity reduces both with age & use (eg, after two years of use they may be operable at only half original capacity). If you must store one, then store it at about 50&#37; charge level (versus fully charged) & inspect & cycle it from time to time

 

[corkyg]

Am on my 5th notrebook since 1996, and have never really had one with a power problem. Batteries wear out - but the current Li-Ion ones are much better and more reliable than the old nicads or NiMh types. I figure the average life of a laptop battery is about 3-4 years. 3rd party batteries can provide less than OEMs. I usually get two with my laptop - 6 cell and 9 cell. I use the 6 cell at home and the 9 cell travelling.

 

[ArchAngel777]

I am on my 6th laptop and never had a problem with any of them. I travel frequently, but am always very careful with my laptops. I currently use my Asus UL30VT and it works great. No complaints.

My guess from watching other people use their laptops is that they are much harder on them, more careless with them, etc... They seem to abuse them from my perspective. The DC jack failing screams to me of someone yanking the cord a good few times. I can't say I have ever done that, or dropped mine... ever.

 

[videobruce]

'Coaxial' type plugs that are used for power connections suck! They are prone to fail. 1. 1. It's not a 'tight' connection.
2. The attached cable is usually heavy putting additional strain on the jack.
3. You cant get at the center pin to 'clean' it when it gets 'dirty' (oxidation, etc.).

Like all cheap, mass produced consumer crap, they use what they can get away with.