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To me four our years seems like very good life for laptop adaptors. That point where the power cord connects to the power brick seems to be the Achilles' heel for many brand/models of laptops. Every time the user wraps/unwraps the power cord around the brick they stress the base of the cord and eventually it fails. The fact that your users had docks probably extended the life of the supplies quit a bit. This was one less coiling and uncoiling every day at the office and probably the users were leaving their power supplies at home most days. Brian At 1:26 PM -0400 6/22/09, Al Puzzuoli wrote: >Just wondering what others have experienced in terms of the robustness >of Laptop AC Adaptors? > >Our department has 15 Toshiba Tecra M5 machines, which were purchased >almost four years ago. At the time, we got two identical adaptors per >computer, one with each unit, and another with the dock. >I'm still in the process of figuring out the numbers, but we seem to be >experiencing a serious failure rate. Over the past few weeks, several >users have shown me their adaptors and in each instance, there is a >break right at the root of the fixed portion of the cord coming out of >the power brick. Until now, users hadn't taken the time to report the >issue- they had either swapped the adaptor with the one on their dock, >or just put tape on the break to hold it together. I think now, I'm >dealing with a case of the "me toos". People are talking, realizing >they have the same problem, and bringing it to my attention. I wouldn't >be surprised if 50% of these are broken. > >I spoke with Jeff Mikosz from Toshiba. Although we have a full onsite >warranty for these machines ending in 2010, the power supplies are not >part of that and are only covered for 1 year. Okay, fine. I wouldn't >have a problem with that, I think it's fairly standard in the industry; >However, at what point does a typical failure rate end, and concern >about a flawed product begin? > >Thanks, > > >Al Puzzuoli > >Michigan State University > >Information Technologist >http://www.rcpd.msu.edu > >Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities > >120 Bessey Hall East Lansing, MI 48824-1033 > >517-884-1915 >