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Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

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Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#101

Post by JKCalhoun »

EastOfTruth wrote: post #32

I never heard that Apple invented switching power supplies... how common is that train of thought? I've been using them since way before this article was written

For its personal computer contemporaries, the TRS-80, the Commmodore PET, the Apple II's use of a switching power supply was unique. I had never heard that they invented the switching power supply.

Apple's price premium meant they often could introduce the next cutting edge technology that would soon become ubiquitous when the prices came down.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#102

Post by FpUser »

dylan604 wrote: post #71
FpUser wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No I did not buy iPod. Am I not "people"?

Did you want to buy the creative boat anchor?

At the time I bought that "boat anchor" (which was fine as I was only using it in my car) iPod was not there. So yes I bought it. And when iPod came into existence it was to be used with the most pathetic piece of software I've ever seen so I bought Zen instead which in my opinion was better for my use.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#103

Post by Dylan16807 »

perl4ever wrote: post #90
type0 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe he would still be alive if he didn't try to fake his cancer treatments https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alternative-medic...

You don't have to like Jobs, I never did when he was alive, but shitting on him (as is now a cliche) for his choices of treatment is an awful reason. The peanut gallery is not to be trusted on how curable his cancer was, and this article says nothing firm about anything. If someone chooses not to be tortured for their last weeks of life, in order to have those weeks, that doesn't make them unscientific or suicidal.

> If someone chooses not to be tortured for their last weeks of life, in order to have those weeks, that doesn't make them unscientific or suicidal.

Yes, if that's the motivation.

But if the reasoning is "I have a better treatment, [insert nonsense here]", it does.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#104

Post by kitsunesoba »

dehrmann wrote: post #83
tim333 wrote: post #44

And now power supplies are getting another step smaller and more efficient by switching from silicon transistors to GaN. ( https://www.cui.com/blog/how-gallium-nitride-gan-enables-sma... )

Any advice on buying these? A lot of the GaN bricks look impressive, but they're always made by a sketchy peripheral maker.

I don't know if they make the size you need, but Anker makes GaN chargers and their products are usually pretty solid.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#105

Post by kragen »

booi wrote: post #77
TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jobs made the claim in his biography. Read the article or the book.

To be fair, he (and many other people) consider significant quality and design improvements as “revolutionary”. I tend to agree especially when the entire industry makes garbage. For example the touchpad. It’s still one of the top reasons not to switch to anything else for me. Nothing else comes close to being as accurate and natural.

As the article explained, the Apple ][ SMPS didn't have significant quality or design improvements. It did have some novel design features, but they weren't good enough to be widely adopted by others, and Apple eventually dropped them too.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#106

Post by throwawaylinux »

briandear wrote: post #86
FPGAhacker wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article is neither making or debunking that claim. It is debunking the claim that apple revolutionized computer power supplies by borrowing the switching power supply design used in oscilloscopes. It’s the second sentence of the post.

So why didn’t any other computer maker do it?

What claim made in the article do you think is incorrect?

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#107

Post by throwawaylinux »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #11

Interesting deep dive on switching power supplies. I didn't see the need to frame it by attacking Apple.

Pushing false or unsubstantiated information is the attack. Investigating it and presenting facts and counter points is defense.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#108

Post by wtallis »

esturk wrote: post #87

Does anyone know of a hack or instructions that can convert a magsafe charger for old macbooks into a USB-C charger for new macbooks?

I doubt that the old MagSafe chargers are capable of outputting the variety of voltages necessary to be usefully compliant with USB-C charging. IIRC, the old MagSafe chargers put a fairly small voltage on their output pins, and when a load was detected they turned on the full voltage and power—but there was no real data communication between the computer and the brick (just between the computer and the connector at the end of the charging cable). USB-PD however is a complicated protocol.

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#109

Post by scottlamb »

dehrmann wrote: post #83
tim333 wrote: post #44

And now power supplies are getting another step smaller and more efficient by switching from silicon transistors to GaN. ( https://www.cui.com/blog/how-gallium-nitride-gan-enables-sma... )

Any advice on buying these? A lot of the GaN bricks look impressive, but they're always made by a sketchy peripheral maker.

* Make sure they are UL listed for safety, as Animats pointed out in an earlier discussion. [1] Some aren't, even from well-known brands like Anker.

* If they are multi-port, make sure you're happy with how they distribute power. Most likely you want the majority of the power going to port 1 where you stick a laptop, but some drop it down to 50W or lower if you just have a cable in one of the other spots, much less any device connected.

I love the monoprice ones. They're small, inexpensive, inconspicuous, and meet the standards I described above. They also charge all my devices reliably, unlike my (larger, I think non-GaN) Nekteck chargers that spend their time in a drawer now. Buy a 5A cable to get the full 100W out of them at 20V.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21679302

Re: Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did (2012)

#110

Post by vwoolf »

tim333 wrote: post #44

And now power supplies are getting another step smaller and more efficient by switching from silicon transistors to GaN. ( https://www.cui.com/blog/how-gallium-nitride-gan-enables-sma... )

At first glance I thought the article would discuss GaN. Agree with the overall point; Anker seems to be making well-thought-out GaN chargers.
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