110V and 220V on laptops question

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"alfonso gayoso" <alfomail@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a0c9b6be.0405231553.639d9ca@posting.google.com...
> Hi,
>
> my mother plans to buy a laptop (new one most likely), but she is
> somewhat concerned because she will be travelling between two
> countries where one uses 110 volts and the other uses 220 volts.
>
> I hope I am right but I told her that it boils down to the power
> supply.
>
> She is eyeing HP laptops due the support in those 2 countries. Do
> these laptop power supplies have a 110/220 selector or does she have
> to buy a power supply for each country?

All modern laptops that I know work on either 110 or 220, with the same
power supply. You might need to buy a set of adapter plugs since the wall
sockets are different , but the power supply that comes with the laptop will
work inall countries.

> is there an aftermarket power
> supply where you can select the input voltage? I also thought in using
> a 110 power supply (like the ones in USA) along a travel converter,
> those tranformer that convert 220 into 110 volts so you can use
> american devices, but i am not too sure as the current requirements of
> laptops can be sometimes be high.
>
> Any advice is greatly appreciated.
> al
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

alfonso gayoso wrote:
> Hi,
>
> my mother plans to buy a laptop (new one most likely), but she is
> somewhat concerned because she will be travelling between two
> countries where one uses 110 volts and the other uses 220 volts.
>
> I hope I am right but I told her that it boils down to the power
> supply.
>
> She is eyeing HP laptops due the support in those 2 countries. Do
> these laptop power supplies have a 110/220 selector or does she have
> to buy a power supply for each country? is there an aftermarket power
> supply where you can select the input voltage? I also thought in using
> a 110 power supply (like the ones in USA) along a travel converter,
> those tranformer that convert 220 into 110 volts so you can use
> american devices, but i am not too sure as the current requirements of
> laptops can be sometimes be high.
>
> Any advice is greatly appreciated.
> al
Hi,
Most AC adaptor is unversal voltage which covers 110 - 220V.
No selector, just wide range input voltage.
Tony

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

This is a serious question and it wants a serious response. *Before*
travelling.

Mine is, the little box in the line cord converts line power to what
the laptop machine needs to run. *On this box* you will see some
specifications describing what input voltages it can accept. Do not
listen to philosophizing about what it is or ought to be: *read the
specs*.

Which usually will say the input voltage may be anything in a range of
(from one of my laptops) 100 to 240 volts, 50 to 60 Hz. In a quick
check, two other laptops power supplies take same input range. *Do
Not* conclude seeing same numbers on three tells you what they all
are!

But it indicates a range. Now look at your specific model and see
what it says there.

To find what's available in the country to be visited, try phoning
their embassy nearby; or post the question here; or if you're using a
travel agent then ask the agent.

In any event, you'll probably need an adaptor to connect the
(American) standard plug into the other-country outlet. An adaptor
with a fuse in it is always good luck. You can find an adaptor when
you're travelling, probably priced top dollar. You can shop around
before you travel and find regular kits of adaptors, from which you
choose the one or (maybe) two you want and leave the rest home.

While I'm thinking about travelling. Don't advertise you're carrying
anything valuable! You want to look mundane and uninteresting. Carry
your laptop in a bag that's half worn out -- years ago I knew a man
who carried valuable medical equipment around in a beatup gym bag and
it seemed a novel idea at the time. Now I know better.

Cheers -- Martha Adams

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Virtually all laptop power supplies are "universal" and will work with
any power standard commonly found anywhere in the world, without even
needing to change a switch setting. Of course, you do need a different
cord or plug for practically every country.

Since there is always an exception to every rule, do check the label on
the power adapter, but it's been more than a decade since I've seen one
that wasn't universal.


alfonso gayoso wrote:

> Hi,
>
> my mother plans to buy a laptop (new one most likely), but she is
> somewhat concerned because she will be travelling between two
> countries where one uses 110 volts and the other uses 220 volts.
>
> I hope I am right but I told her that it boils down to the power
> supply.
>
> She is eyeing HP laptops due the support in those 2 countries. Do
> these laptop power supplies have a 110/220 selector or does she have
> to buy a power supply for each country? is there an aftermarket power
> supply where you can select the input voltage? I also thought in using
> a 110 power supply (like the ones in USA) along a travel converter,
> those tranformer that convert 220 into 110 volts so you can use
> american devices, but i am not too sure as the current requirements of
> laptops can be sometimes be high.
>
> Any advice is greatly appreciated.
> al

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

mha@TheWorld.com (Martha H Adams) wrote in news:c8rmpv$tt0$1@pcls4.std.com:

> This is a serious question and it wants a serious response. *Before*
> travelling.
>
> Mine is, the little box in the line cord converts line power to what
> the laptop machine needs to run. *On this box* you will see some
> specifications describing what input voltages it can accept. Do not
> listen to philosophizing about what it is or ought to be: *read the
> specs*.
>
> Which usually will say the input voltage may be anything in a range of
> (from one of my laptops) 100 to 240 volts, 50 to 60 Hz. In a quick
> check, two other laptops power supplies take same input range. *Do
> Not* conclude seeing same numbers on three tells you what they all
> are!
>
> But it indicates a range. Now look at your specific model and see
> what it says there.
>
> To find what's available in the country to be visited, try phoning
> their embassy nearby; or post the question here; or if you're using a
> travel agent then ask the agent.
>
> In any event, you'll probably need an adaptor to connect the
> (American) standard plug into the other-country outlet. An adaptor
> with a fuse in it is always good luck. You can find an adaptor when
> you're travelling, probably priced top dollar. You can shop around
> before you travel and find regular kits of adaptors, from which you
> choose the one or (maybe) two you want and leave the rest home.
>
> While I'm thinking about travelling. Don't advertise you're carrying
> anything valuable! You want to look mundane and uninteresting. Carry
> your laptop in a bag that's half worn out -- years ago I knew a man
> who carried valuable medical equipment around in a beatup gym bag and
> it seemed a novel idea at the time. Now I know better.
>
> Cheers -- Martha Adams
>

There are international standards for power, which should be either
115V/60Hz or 230V/50Hz, with a tolerance of + or - 10% on the voltage. The
standard in the US is 120V/60Hz (no matter what anyone else tells you) but
that is still within 10% of 115V. Europe is now all on 230V/50Hz (used to
be 220V on the mainland and 240V in UK and Eire, but that's all changed).
Unless you are going somewhere really obscure, the voltage should at least
be intended to fall within 110-120V or 220-240V, which should be within the
range of any universal power supply.

There are a huge variety of plugs, though, and you can't rely on standards
much, e.g. there is theoretically a European standard plug, but I'm not
sure who uses it (?). Most European countries use the German plug, and the
plug in the UK and Eire is entirely different from anywhere else. I'm not
sure which two countries you are interested in (?).

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

alfonso gayoso <alfomail@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> my mother plans to buy a laptop (new one most likely), but she is
> somewhat concerned because she will be travelling between two
> countries where one uses 110 volts and the other uses 220 volts.
>
> I hope I am right but I told her that it boils down to the power
> supply.

Yep.
99.99% of laptops sold have 100-240V power supplies (japan, UK (australia?))
that auto-switch.
I'd be very, very surprised to come across one that diddn't.
Downlaod the user manuals from the makers website of the one you pick
to make absolutely sure.