Targus NEW APA10US Mobile 70 Universal AC Power Adapter (Retail Packaged item) Reviews

• Make sure it works with your notebook before you buy

  
  By A1C8GC9JWFTGSN on 2004-11-22
  This adapter uses interchangable "smart" tips to configure itself for various notebooks. When one of the 5 supplied tips is attached, it will fix the adapter's voltage to a pre-set level. Using a meter, I found the voltages range from 15 to 19.9 depending on the tip used. Here's my point. Just because a tip may "fit" your notebook's DC jack, doesn't mean it's putting out the correct voltage required by your notebook. Make SURE your notebook is on the list this thing directly supports, or DON'T BUY IT. You could damage the adapter, or worse, possibly your notebook. A list of of compatible notebooks is available from the Targus website.
  
  It is much lighter and smaller than my stock AC adapter and gets quite warm after an extended use. This worries me a little, but so far it's still working fine after several months of intermittant use. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I don't have to report a failure problem like others here have.
  
  

• STAY AWAY -- Disappointing product, worse service

  
  By A1ETK1TBQE9ZV5 on 2005-09-04
  I bought this with the expectation I could carry one power supply for my laptop, phone and PDA. Well, "fuggedahbatit" as they say in NY. I've never been able to buy the tips for the phone or PDA even though they are very common models. And when my company upgraded my laptop to a very common (and current) model of Dell, Targus told me that they had discontinued the tip for that Dell! Targus' proposed solution? Buy a brand new power supply. To add insult to injury, the tip compatible with the new power supplies won't charge the laptop, only power it when plugged in.
  
  Other flaws with this product:
  1) The power cord is too short. The power supply is left dangling from the wall, and the weight easily pulls the plug out of the socket.
  2) I've yet to find an aircraft with a compatible socket. I paid a premium for this supply because it claimed to support both car and plane power sockets.
  
  So thanks to Targus' poor product and worse service, I now have a one-hundred-dollar-plus paperweight. You won't find me buying any Targus product again.
  
  

• Don't ever buy it!!!

  
  By A18I9CT6V622PD on 2005-02-11
  I bought this item for my hp pavilion laptop. On the original package it's writen that it's compatible. However after using it only a couple of months, it suddenly stopped working. I called the company and they told me that it was written wrong on the package. They accepted their mistake but they would not do anything about it! They are still selling this product in the market although the information on the package is wrong! The customer support of this company is useless...Do not trust and buy this item! it's just waste of money!
  
  

• Stay away!!

  
  By A1YY6KM2NEXA19 on 2005-07-17
  Specs looked soooo good. The ultimate answer, 120W, AC/DC, and lightweight and slim, too. Can you spell "too good to be true".
  
  I got one, it died after a couple of months. Before dying, it managed to cause my IBM T41 to abrubptly shut off(!!!!) a few times, which was extremely alarming (I didn't even know laptops do that). It died in the worst moment, midst of a business trip. Targus support replaced it. The one that was shipped blew off immediately as I connected it to the mains outlet! Back into the box, ship back as DOA. Third one is still alive, although it managed to cause my laptop to die abruptly one more time. Ugh.
  
  Build quality is rock bottom, *all* connectors have flimsy contact, and worst, you never know when it's gonna die on you - when in fact a power supply should be one of your more reliable pieces of gear.
  
  Avoid like the plague. (17 Jul 2005)
  
  EDIT 29 Sep 2006: The unit has just made a series of loud pop sounds and died. Again. This is unit number three. Did I say "stay away" yet?
  
  
  

• Happy So Far

  
  By A3AEUU9FIGRGAR on 2006-02-23
  After waiting over 10 days for Toshiba to replace the OEM AC adapter, we got impatient and bought the Targus APM10US Universal AC/DC Adapter, which has been powering our Toshiba Tablet PC (model R15-S822) successfully from the time we plugged it in using the #6 tip. The adapter also recharges the battery fully too. So far so good, and we are able to use our computer while we await the OEM adapter from Toshiba. Yes, we did read the reviews here, before we bought it. However, Toshiba does advertise Targus adapters on its website and sells them too. So that's why we went ahead and bought it.
  
  
• Excellent for Transcontinental Flights
  By on 2004-06-23
  I was taking a flight one day from Los Angeles to D.C. when I noticed that a person in front of me seemed to have 'plugged in' his laptop while on the plane. I asked him how he did that and he pointed out to me that most planes have a power adapter under most seats (usually the first half of the plane only though) and that he had purchased a Targus Auto/Air Power Adapter.

  As soon as I landed I went to my local computer store and indeed found this product. I purchased it immediately (I admit I paid more than what Amazon is selling for, though) and used it on my flight back from DC. It was so nice to be able to watch two full length DVDs versus getting through only 90% of one DVD before the battery went dead. Best of all, I don't have to hunt around the airport anymore for an AC plug because as I watch my DVDs on the plane the Targus Auto/Air power adapter charges my laptop for me.

  I have a son that was born in July of 2003 (around a year old at the time of this writing) and so the only DVDs I watch anymore are when I go on business trips. It is actually pretty relaxing to fly now that I have this power adapter. I just plug in my laptop, put on my headphones and I am in my own little world (until the flight attendant finally comes by to 'put my seat in the full and upright position').

  Thanks Targus for such a simple but useful product.
  
  

• looks too good to be true
  By A1QGWVZIONGAT9 on 2005-02-16
  I was drawn in by the slim design, the 120W rating, and the convenience. I bought two of them, one for my old Sony VAIO and one for my new Asus M6Ne. They worked for about 8 months. Like some others here, I broke 2 tips in that time, just by lightly bumping into the plug while it was plugged into the laptop. The build quality of the tips is ridiculously bad. Also their connections are so loose, they were always disconnecting from the adapter cable unexpectedly.
  
  A couple weeks ago, one of the adapters burned out while I was away on a trip. I had two hours of life on the battery and then I was stuck. A couple days later the other adapter died while running my other laptop. As others have said, Targus customer support is totally miserable. I tried to get RMA#s for both of the units, but after rounds of pointless emails back and forth ("what's the nature of the problem? what kind of laptop? blah blah blah") I'm just tossing them in the trash.
  
  I found the Fellowes model 98448. It's only rated for 70W, which is just about enough (my laptops each need about 65W) and so again I bought two of them. The build quality is much better, the tips are rock solid on the cables and won't pop out accidentally.
  I've only been using them for a few days, but so far so good.
  
  
• Does what it says, and at a good price
  By A1TWPXRIZA8A81 on 2007-05-15
  There are a lot of reviews about this product that I think give the wrong idea about this product, particularly ones about compatibility issues. I own an Averatec C3500 tablet PC, and the Averatec website led me to this product as being the only one compatible with my laptop, and this was verified on the Targus website, and I knew well ahead of time that this would be the appropriate AC/DC adapter I would need for my laptop. (of the many tips included, mine uses tip #3)
  
  The thing I like about this device is that it powers my laptop from either an AC outlet (internationally, and by the way--I brought it with me to Thailand, where the voltage was much higher than the US, and it saves you from buying a power converter if your existing power adapter isn't able to accept varying input voltages). It also will let you power your laptop using a car/cigarette DC power source (which comes with it), and with a quick removal of the cigarette lighter extension is the power plug that inserts into the EmPower outlets used by several airlines, especially US carriers. Those adapters usually cost $70 or more, and this has the adapter plus the AC/DC options too. So it's good for travel because of its versatility. While many of the modern aircraft, particularly on international routes (e.g. Singapore Airlines and Thai Air both featured this on their new planes) are upgrading their in-flight power supplies so that you can plug a standard AC plug into the seat instead of the EmPower, at least with this Targus device, you'll be equipped to handle both types of power sources. Plus, on the Targus website, they publish a list of airlines and their aircraft that use the airline power plug that's included with the device, so you can get a rough idea of if you would find this useful.
  
  Yes, this product has its quirks, and mine in fact shorted out on vacation, which I'll admit was disappointing. But as soon as I got home, I contacted Targus, got through to someone very quickly and explained the problem, they gave me an RMA number, I sent it back, and they immediately replaced it for no charge with a brand new, in box, model that works just fine, and there was no hassle or long waits involved. No replacement with a refurbished item or anything--a brand new replacement is what I got, which is more than I can say for some other companies when you need your product replaced.
  
  I would give it five stars but it loses one star for the same reason that a fellow reviewer mentioned...the power cord that goes into the outlet is indeed too short. While it's simply a design flaw, it's an annoying flaw, as the weight of the main power supply (with the blue light--a feature i actually like) is heavy enough that it will yank the plug right out of the wall if you try to extend it, so if you're looking for length in addition to your power supply, you ought to buy an extension cord to go along with this model, as the unit won't give you much range to move it around, as I learned the hard way in some hotel rooms where the nearest plugs were a few feet too far from where I wanted to work on my laptop.
  
  As for the option to power multiple devices (e.g. PDA, cell phone, etc) in addition to your laptop, you CAN with this device, but you need to purchase additional hardware that is not included with this device. I knew this before I bought this because the description of this item on the Targus website makes this pretty clear....there's an outlet where you can plug in another Targus device which will allow you to charge additional electronic items, so look for it online and buy it if this is important for you.
  
  Bottom line: I've seen this being sold at Staples and other stores for over $100, and you can get it here and elsewhere on the internet for around $30, which is a bargain. It's great for travel, it's portable and comes with its own little bag, and if you want a second backup device for whatever reason, this is a great option. If you want to avoid any disappointments, just look on the Targus website and make sure your device is compatible--it's pretty clear what is and what isn't--otherwise, you'll have no one to blame but yourself if you've purchased this item and find that you can't use it. If it's listed as compatible but still doesn't work, contact Targus and they'll send you a replacement, as your item probably doesn't work for some reason. Give it a shot...I did, and I don't regret it.
  
  
• Save your money!!!!
  By A10VX3HA3B0WOY on 2005-02-08
  I have only owned one product(APD10US)from Targus and I will not buy another adapter product from them. I had this unit approximately 6 months and rarely used it when it quit working. At the time, my battery was shot (the reason I needed an Auto/Air adapter in the first place) and I lost my complete spreadsheet that I had been working on while flying back from Las Vegas. After this happened, I was so frustrated that I decided not to go through the hassle of getting a replacement. No more cheap adapters for me. After doing extensive research the second time around, I bought a LIND(3 year warranty)instead back in March of last year and it has worked just fine (with lots of usage). Mainly accessing the internet through WiFi hotspots using my wireless card on my notebook. Compare the warranties on each company before you buy. I hope this information will help you make the right decision the first time.
  
  
• Waste of money
  By A1PZK5FRR2GLVH on 2005-12-23
  I bought this cahrger and I was never able to use it!!!
  I even bought the correct tip for my laptop but I can't get it to work.
  I have no one to talk to at targus!!!
  
  Save Your money - STAY AWAY.
  
  
• Be very careful
  By A2GB7YFNMY2FUE on 2006-01-26
  I was (wrongly) advised by tech support to buy this instead of waiting for a new supply of power supplies from Voodoo. Be sure your computer is supported, because Targus tech won't give you any info about voltage , amperage or wattage on this thing, so you can't safely maake it work with an unsupported computer. So Amazon, As usual, graciously took it back. Love Amazon. I just now read the other reviews and now consider myself lucky I didn't keep it and try to make it work.
  
  
• 2 major design flaws - Buy Kensington version instead
  By A26XBZ4DUWMPZC on 2006-11-02
  I purchased this product, but after 3 months of frustrating use wound up throwing it away.
  
  The first problem is that the structural support of the power tips between the laptop plug and the cord plug is the electrical solder! The effect of this is that if you use the adapter on the road where it's subject to a lot of plug and unplug and varying mechanical stress, the solder breaks. You then at best have a tip with an intermittent connection. I replaced the tip twice before giving up and getting another better designed adapter.
  
  The second problem is that when I unplugged the power adapter from the wall, it would cause my laptop (IBM T20) to emergency power off. Unplugged at the laptop plug was fine. I understand this to be an issue between the T20 power system and a surge issue in the adapter.
  
  I replaced this with a Kensington 33197 120W adapter. It looks almost like the same product (same OEM?) except they have stronger power tips. It also didn't have the power-off issue.
  
  I loved the form factor, but the product just didn't work.
  
  
• loud and defective
  By A3UKBF104Y5I2F on 2005-04-13
  i have a toshiba satellite 2405, and the adapter that came with my notebook died yesterday after serving me well for almost 3 years. so this morning i went to best buy and got the targus APA10US adapter. after i set it up, i discovered it makes a shrill, static-y sound that i could hear from the next room! so i returned it and got another one, hoping that it was a flaw with the specific adapter i got. turns out i was wrong -- the new one has the exact same problem! it's going back tomorrow, as well. oh, and the tip fits very badly. move the notebook or adapter even slightly, and the connection is lost... terrible, terrible product.
  
  
• Doesn't charge my laptop and no tip for my cellphone
  By A2X1HGCN553M1I on 2005-12-14
  I purchased the Target adapter a while back and it worked fine with my old laptop and old cellphone. But not anymore.
  
  Targus does not have a tip for the Sony/Ericsson T610 phone and can't say if or when they plan to make one. Hello! That phone has been on the market for several years and use the same power connector as T68.
  
  To make matters worse, I also got a new laptop (Dell D610). The Targus tip only powers the laptop and does not charge the battery. Tell me now.. How am I supposed to go travel with this if I can't recharge the battery? Not all flights have a DC outlet, so I will need to bring both Targus (for the plane) and my regular Dell power supply (to recharge the battery). Not very smart...
  
  
• Not reliable
  By A2OC0NM6X75I5D on 2004-10-09
  I own a Sony Vaio laptop. I bought this adapter to replace the heavy Sony power adapter supplied with this computer and to be able to power my laptop from airplane and auto power sources.
  
  A power adapter, no matter how versatile, has to be 100% reliable. When your power adapter fails, it's all over for your laptop in about two hours.
  
  I have owned this power adapter for ten months. During this time, I have had to replace two power tip adapters. In addition, I have noticed that when my laptop has some heavy processing to do--such as producing a large PDF document--this adapter cannot keep up with my laptop's power demands. Operating voltage drops and the laptop becomes slower and slower.
  
  In the future, I will be relying on the heavier, more powerful Sony power adapter.
  
  
• It's not Targus at fault here
  By A32W13JMHG843P on 2006-03-29
  Laptop manufacturers want you to buy their products at their markup. Dell is no exception. Dell itself, on the motherboard, checks adapters. Whether it's this model, or the iGO, the 610 won't work. Thank Dell -- I have, by buying another company's laptop.
  
  
• Great - when it works. 2 failed units in 3 months
  By on 2004-04-06
  I am writing to warn potential buyers of this unit.

  I purchased the targus PAPWR300U for a 3 week business trip overseas. Half way through the trip the AC portion of the adapter failed leaving me without power for my notebook for the remainder of my trip. Upon returning home I exchanged the unit.

  Three months later, while on another business trip, I plugged in the replacement unit to find that it too had failed. Only the AC portion of the units fail. The DC section continues to work.

  I sure do love it when it works but I'd never waste my company's money on it again.
  
  

• Defective
  By on 2004-05-29
  I bought one worked for 5 hours. Returned it for another. That worked for a day or so. Crappy, crappy, crappy.
  
  
• Tried twice....failed twice
  By A1XFAMYWO3ZDG6 on 2004-11-18
  I ordered this product because I often fly overseas and try to work inflight. I am also traveling for weeks at a time, and the thought of consolidating my OEM AC adaptor and my other DC only adpator was a dream. I used the product for about two weeks, then it failed. Targus was good about sending me a replacement, although it took nearly three weeks. I left for another trip across Asia the next day, and the replacement product (same model) failed after one week of use. Unforutnately, the only other AC/DC adaptor available in the Singapore airport was the same product. I had no choice but to buy another one, because I had puposely left my OEM adaptor at home. But the one in Singapore cost me 60% more than what I paid in the US. I also had to lug around the failed adaptor for another week, so I could return it to Targus for replacement. Targus has promised to send me a different model, the 70W AC/DC Universal Adaptor, as a replacement. We'll see.... Recommendation...try Kensington or another alternative...
  
  
• Disappointing
  By A1II6WZQCB36PF on 2005-08-28
  Bought a Targus power adapter for which I was told I could get additional tips in the future for other types of notebooks. When I bought a very common Dell Latitude notebook and wanted to purchase a fitting tip, I couldn't get one for this model. So now I might as well throw the adapter away. Very disappointing. Don't buy it. Targus' customer service is very poor.
  
  
• Great idea but...
  By AK45UMNB68ZJ0 on 2006-11-20
  I was disappointed with the APM12US for 2 reasons. 1) Targus don't make a tip for for my cell phone or my mp3 player. 2) This thing is a lot bigger and heavier than my OEM laptop power adapter. I like the idea that you only have to carry one adapter for all of your electronics but the APM12US didn't really give me what I need. I now carry the Xpower pocket inverter 175, OEM adapter for my laptop, the usb cable for my mp3 player and oem charger for my phone instead. A lot more items to carry but it is a better solution IMO and much cheaper instead.
  
  
• stick with oem products
  By on 2004-05-24
  failed after a few months use with my toshiba centrino laptop. targus would not honor warranty because they claimed that the power adapter was not meant to be used with my particular model. can't think of a a more bogus explanation for poor quality.

  do yourself a favor and avoid this pricey paperweight. stick with oem equipment
  
  

• Look can be decieving, I owned it for only 5 min
  By A30CC3NQJWQGG6 on 2005-02-03
  This is what happened when you don't believe the review.
  
  I'm intrigued by the look that appear on the web of this product and found a great deal at compusua. They sold it for $49.99, I rushed order and picked it up, afraid that it's special price won't last long.
  
  The minute I saw it, yuck !, you can see the bad quality built even in the package. The plastic, the connector, the labels, all of it... yuck. It looks so good on the web.
  
  Then well, it's such a good price, I'll try. I haven't left Compusa and tried several time in my car with Sony T150, wait and wait. Read the manual and find out what've I done wrong. It's still not providing any electricity to my notebook.
  
  The adapter is such and ugly and awkward design. I don't know why it has to go so wide sideway. This is not a door key that you need a wing span to torque open something. It's hitting my protruding battery of T150 and it's just so so so ugly.
  
  So, I went right back and exchange it for Kensington 33501 which look much better, better plastic quality, a bit pricey (in store $79.99) but the most important. It works right away - oop, haven't read the manual yet.
  
  BTW. This is the 2nd Targus brand that I found common features (the other one is Bluetooh minimouse) - bad quality built, expensive, not working (or partially working). I guess no more Targus brand for me.
  
  
  
  
  
• Good overall charger - bit bulky and needs a case
  By A1JDCXLSJ1LU0H on 2007-07-03
  Had this for quite a while now. Somewhat difficult to really rate. First I got it on sale for an extremely good price - and for that it was well worth it. I travel a great deal so this is extremely useful. It includes vehicle charging capability (including the adapter for european airlines that is under the US cigarette lighter adapter - very compact dual capability common with Targus vehicle adapters). It also has tips for various laptops. Unfortunately I have an IBM (now Lenovo) laptop and therein lies a small problem. The adapter tip from Targus for this laptop is a straight pin type tip. So it juts out the back at just about the ideal place to have it hit by people passing in the airport lounge and to get knocked fairly seriously on the airplane tray. The result is that it can rather easily break the connector on the motherboard - which is both expensive and a serious problem at 30,000 feet. So I called Targus and they sent me the 90 degree angle version (claiming that it wasn't rated for the same current - but so far no flames) and it works just fine. Solved the problem.
  
  The other significant problem is that it is very bulky. Not the actual charging brick but the coil of wire that goes from the brick to the laptop. Not competely sure what can be done about this but I would sure like a thinner wire (that - of course - doesn't melt) serving the computer.
  
  The minor problem is there is no carrying case. So you have to buy (or at least find) something that can contain the brick, the wire to the computer, and both the AC and 12 volt adapter tails.
  
  Never the less, the flexibility of AC or the two major 12 volt traveler power sources is very useful and functional.
  
  
• Tip guide wrong. Watch out for Targus and Toshiba.
  By A1AT8M9KGOMZX5 on 2005-07-09
  Suggested tip was the wrong physical size to work.
  
  
• Great alternative to captive accessories; more flexible
  By A2ISIZ5CZE930H on 2006-08-26
  I'll never buy a branded power adapter from the laptop original manufacturer anymore. I like having an extra plug - one to keep at home and one to keep in my laptop bag so I don't have to constantly grab the cord.
  
  Since the price is less than buying a real Sony, HP, or whatever AC adapter, and with the multiple plugs it's more flexible, this is a great choice.
  
  When you outgrow your laptop, you can still use it.
  
  Note: don't buy a car/airplane adapter only. Their a little bit cheaper, but most of the time you'll still want to carry an AC adapter so you'd end up stuffing BOTH the regular power adapter and the car/airline adapter into your bag.
  
  Better to just buy one "all-in-one" like this and keep your original power cord at home as an extra.
  
  I haven't used the in-line splitter that can charge cellphone or pda. I'm not sure I find that useful since I have to carry my actual cellphone charger cable anyway - I wouldn't trust not having it.
  
  
• satisfied
  By A2CE5NGYFP9ZFR on 2007-03-15
  OK, I had a problem with my power adapter also. It just stopped working. But I have only good things to say about Targus' customer service. I wrote an e-mail and had a response within 24 hours. I called the phone number included in their response, and within 10 minutes was given an RMA for the brand new adapter model. It doesn't get any better than that. If you're not willing to take the time to give Targus enough information about the problem in order to make a decision, don't complain. I'll definitely buy Targus again.
  Also, some manufacturers are unwilling to allow other companies (Targus, Kensington, etc.) to make fully compatible tips for laptops. No license, no tip(or limited use only, i.e. no charging capability). Then you can only buy their own factory parts. I know Dell is guilty of this problem.
  
  
• Works with Dell 600M and I think Avertech....
  By A3CQGUOCYEC75P on 2007-10-25
  I originally bought this item for an Avertech laptop I was trying to fix. Laptop is fully dead but it did power a Dell 600M. Good product.
  
  
• Does exactly what is says it does!
  By AS8EHXH7NSLPK on 2006-08-29
  I am delighted with the Universal Power Supply that I bought from Amazon.com. It arrived when Amazon said it would and it works perfectly.
  
  
• Great buy!
  By A3TLS0VUOSDTWG on 2007-01-18
  Went to a local electronics retailer and this same item was twice the price, even with shipping! It was received in only days, I was quite pleased!
  
  

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