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A EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY organisation aims to have most laptops and notebook computers adapting a universal charger in a bid to reduce e-waste.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has announced the publication of the first “globally relevant Technical Specifications for a single external charger for a wide range of notebook computers and laptops.”
The report covers the major factors behind laptop chargers such as their connector and plug, safety, performance and environmental issues. The specifications for this universal charger is expected to be published in early 2014.
The group says that billions of external chargers are shipped globally, and are usually designed for one type of laptop or notebook computer. It estimates that the total e-waste created by this exceeds half a million tons each year.
Back in 2011, the IEC published the first globally relevant standard for a universal mobile phone charger to reduce e-waste, and the organisation’s General Secretary and CEO Frans Vreeswijk hopes that a universal laptop charger would do the same.
The IEC International Standards for the universal charger for mobile phones has been widely adopted by the mobile phone industry and is already starting to help reduce e-waste. A single power supply covering a wide range of notebook computers is the next step in lowering e-waste and its impact on our planet.
However, it says that due to technical realities, creating a universal charger that can be used for any device is “likely still a long way from being achievable,” but believes that companies adapting a universal laptop standard is realistic.
While it’s likely that Apple will keep using its MagSafe power adapters, the standard could be adopted by major laptop manufacturers like Dell, Acer, and HP.
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Couldn’t agree more. With a family of 4, and between laptop chargers and phone chargers, our house has become a graveyard of adapters. If they decide to rise up then we’re in trouble.
As long as the Macbook charger is the one they use… It is the best one, held in place by a magnet and disconnects if pulled…
ssh…the fandroids will never vote for that..
It is the best charger….a brilliant innovation. But they changed it recently so you can’t use older magnetic adaptors!
I’d love if they could, but I don’t think they can’t force companies to licence Apples tech, and Apple aren’t going to give it up for nothing, so its a no go.
I’m on my THIRD Mac charger for the same laptop!
Must be rolling it around the block too tightly
Don’t roll around the block at all and I had one charger replaced under warranty already. The magsafe is good but the ac adapters themselves are the poorest quality pieces of hardware from Apple.
Well no since Apple patented the idea of using magnets which is a totally original idea which has never been used before.
So it won’t be based on that then.
The magnetic bit is the only good thing about it, they are very badly made and either the magnetic end goes or the wire at the box goes, i am on my 4th one in 4 years and at €79 a pop they are not cheap…thankfully i got a replica one this time for under €40! I’m all for a universal charger!
Will nobody think of the poor shareholders?
After all if we hade a univeral charger how will they become rich if they cant charge 10 times the price for a special charger.
Friend of mine plugged his acer charger into a sony laptop and it blew up in his face. He spent the rest of the day picking lumps of metal out of his face
You sure it wasn’t your mate’s cousin?
A guy who works with my mate’s brother overheard someone in the pub saying a taxi driver told him it almost never happens. But I think one or two of them were lying.
If it was a Sony vaio – he deserved it.
A universal phone charger would be even better
Micro USB is pretty much standard in the majority of all new smartphones.
With the exception of iPhones, of course.
Well they’ve to try and justify their prices don’t they?
I have two brand new phones. My personal Galaxy S4 and my Iphone 5 for work….. No universal charger here…. Also looking at the phones in work finding different phones with the same charger is about as rare hens teeth…. What world do these muppets live in….
Hens teeth? There are only two types of phone charger now. If apple weren’t so stubborn there would just be one.
Charlie
Proving once again users of iPhones are not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.
Only two chargers?
You are overlooking the multitudes who still use basic mobiles eg Inda with his Nokia.
It wasn’t a lifetime ago that the big players sat around the table and agreed on uniformity where computer parts were concerned.
But I can’t see the financial gain in doing the same with chargers. They’ll have to be forced in to doing it by directive. Then you can potentially lose any technological advancements as a result if competition in that field too.
@Carcu
While the lack of a truly universal charger is unfortunate, the Lightening connection used by iPhone 5 upwards is reversible and due to the number of iPhones everywhere, fairly ubiquitous. Maybe take it easy with the “My phone means I’m smarter than you” malarkey.
Kinda implied we were talking about recently manufactured phones.
One thing they need to do as well is put the headphone jack on the left side of the laptop, really annoying having the wire crossing from the right hand side.
that my friend is called a first world problem ;-)
Makes so much sense…
Chargers generally aren’t covered by warranty for as long as the respective device is. This is great for both the customer and the environment, but expect an increase on price of laptops etc if this goes ahead!
Price decrease you mean?
The standard already exists. #USB. I feel this is an area of #EU regulation we could badly need
USB is 5 volts at about 0.5 amps. The output on my laptop charger is 20v at 4.5A. In McCoy terms, that’s like trying to run a food processor of an electric toothbrush.
USB 3.0 power version can deliver 7.5 W and the new USB PD can deliver over a 100W. That is plenty for 20V at 5A.
The problem with this is that it destroys any interest the hardware manufacturer might have in innovating in this area. If there was a standard charger for laptops, apple’s magsafe charger would not exist today. And why would an individual company spend millions innovating in an area that they have to share and give for free to other companies?
Yeah because when I’m buying a laptop, the first thing I look at is what kind of power supply it has…
You may have a point about innovation, how would the industry as a whole decide to move to something better?? Laptops are getting so small now that we could end up with the transformers back inside the unit and go back to the old two pin mains lead that has been around for donkeys. Had one on a desktop cassette player circa 35 years ago, and the same type plugs into my laptop charger bought 4 months ago!
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