Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

apple.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 59 posts

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#31

Post by sobbybutter »

m_mueller wrote: post #19
rangibaby wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that the fragile cables on Apple chargers suck, but I've had chargers replaced at the Genius bar for that reason (free), so you could try too if it's worth your time.

Just another anecdotal datapoint: I've tried to do that both in Switzerland and Japan, and they wouldn't replace adapters I brought with broken down cable shielding.

tip: call apple and tell them you have a cord that looks like it's a serious fire hazard. Each time I've said "fire hazard," they've replaced it without question.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#32

Post by orbitur »

This is interesting. I bought the World Adapter Kit for our trip through Germany/France, and nearly every hotel/B&B we stopped at, I could literally feel a gentle vibration/shock coming from MBP's case whenever it was plugged in to the two-prong outlets. I don't know if that's poor grounding or something else, but it was definitely unnerving and I didn't feel comfortable using my laptop when it was plugged in.

But it seems the adapters are being recalled for a different issue.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#33

Post by userbinator »

blackguardx wrote: post #12

It looks like it is only the international adapter part. Everyone complains about Apple's strain relief, but a lot of engineering went into making that as good as it is (which is less than average). It is hard to make robust stuff look sleek and well designed. Some companies err on the side of robust. Apple goes the other way.

I don't know about you, but I think the strain reliefs that just about every other cable has are "sleek and well designed" enough to stop them from failing there. Apple's strain relief, which doesn't relieve strain particularly well, reminds me of those on very old equipment (pre-1940s): nothing more than a featureless tube surrounding the cable. The reinforced design with a flexible, radius-limiting boot that's popular today evolved over many decades and works very well. Apple's design provides only a minimal amount of reinforcement and doesn't offer much radius-limiting. You can see this when you bend it - the "boot" creases and wrinkles, separating from the cable, instead of smoothly controlling and limiting its bend radius as a good strain relief should.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#34

Post by aikah »

garrettheaver wrote: post #24
aikah wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

lol, Dont get me started on the magsafe and its easily breakable pins. it can also destroy the plug on the macbook itself. And there is the heat ... It ruined 2 computers I had and Apple refused to fix them for free ...

Easily breakable pins? I honestly can't imagine what I'd have to transport an adapted beside to break those pins. Any hints?

the pins on the magsafe plug side.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#35

Post by derefr »

I long ago stopped using the two-prong adapters; they're just a bad idea when you plug in at places that don't have particularly clean power. Where I used to live, my unibody Macbook would literally give me a little static shock whenever I touched it as long as it was plugged in with the adapter (or possibly it was a continuous current; running your palm along the metal felt a bit like rubbing a balloon.)

Switching to the long 3-prong "cable" connector solved that, and I've never dared go back.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#37

Post by cynix »

overcast wrote: post #26
jacknews wrote: post #4

How about a recall of the entire adapter. I have 4 or 5 of them, all which have disintegrated cables. Either the famous problem where the cable/sleeve detaches at the adapter or the plug end, or on a couple of them, the entire plastic cable housing has disintegrated and sloughed off, leaving bare shield wire. This after just a year or so in every case. Absolute disgrace, Apple.

The Apple ones are trash, I gave up and went with the Monoprice flat ribbon lightning cables. Last forever, flexible, cheap, and work. http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=12859

If only their international shipping rates were more reasonable, like Amazon.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#38

Post by caf »

johnthedebs wrote: post #21

This failed on me recently (a couple weeks ago) and I was very surprised when it happened. It was a US 10-watt(?) adapter that came with a 3rd-gen iPad I bought a while back. The adapter is two pieces that fit together (like Apple's macbook adapters), and the piece that inserts into the outlet broke into two pieces when I tried pulling it out one day. The way it split, half was stuck in the wall and half was still co…

I've never understood why it seems to be popular for US wall sockets not to have switches.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#39

Post by rangibaby »

m_mueller wrote: post #19
rangibaby wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that the fragile cables on Apple chargers suck, but I've had chargers replaced at the Genius bar for that reason (free), so you could try too if it's worth your time.

Just another anecdotal datapoint: I've tried to do that both in Switzerland and Japan, and they wouldn't replace adapters I brought with broken down cable shielding.

JP here too. This was in ~2011, the staff then Really Liked Macs. Now it's the "my iPhone screen broke" bar, and they have way more staff.

The service for my Mac last time was actually pretty hideous. I can't remember what he said, but he used some amazing jargon to explain the difficult act of booting off an OS on a USB hard disk. Then tried to say that the broken hinge (the hinge part of the stand on 2014 skinny iMacs is prone to fail without warning, tipping the screen forward) and bad RAM on my iMac might not be covered under Applecare (it was).

The genius bar has never been a fun experience (our sensors indicate you used your laptop! Sorry, but Applecare doesn't cover oxygen damage), but that was super unpleasant.

Re: Mass recall of Apple AC Wall Plug Adapters 2003-2015 due to shock hazard

#40

Post by snowwrestler »

tedmiston wrote: post #13
jacknews wrote: post #4

How about a recall of the entire adapter. I have 4 or 5 of them, all which have disintegrated cables. Either the famous problem where the cable/sleeve detaches at the adapter or the plug end, or on a couple of them, the entire plastic cable housing has disintegrated and sloughed off, leaving bare shield wire. This after just a year or so in every case. Absolute disgrace, Apple.

Maybe I'm the exception here, but in a decade of using MacBooks, I've never experienced the power adapter falling apart. I remember this a lot back in the PowerBook days, especially those clearish gray translucent adapters.

I just replaced an Apple power brick from 2008, because the MagSafe plug wore out. The cable and attachment point at the brick were as good as new.
Post reply on HN