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1525 Shipped w/ 2-Prong Power Cord... why, and where to find a replacement?
I just bought an Inspiron 1525, which I received about a week ago. It arrived with a 2-prong 65W power adapter (PA-12). I previously had a Dell Inspiron 6000, which also uses a 65W PA-12 power adapter, but with a 3-prong plug. A few days after I got the new computer (the 1525) a friend's dog chewed all the way through the power adapter cord!
I've been looking for an identical replacement, but the only thing I can find online are 3-prong power adapters, with the exception of the one on Dell's site, which is about $70. (When my Inspiron 6000 power cord went out, I simply ordered the identical OEM adapter on the internet for about $30, as I didn't want to pay $70+ for an adapter that already gave out once.)
So, two questions-
ONE, why are the new computers shipping with 2-prong plugs? Aren't these less stable/safe than the 3-prong plugs?
and
TWO, where (other than the Dell site) can I purchase a two-prong plug adapter like the one that arrived with my computer?
(By the way, I am currently using the 3-prong 65W PA-12 that I used with my Inspiron 6000 and it works just fine- no problems whatsoever, although I did like the convenience of having the 2-prong plug since a lot of the rooms in my house only have 2-prong outlets.)
Thanks for any help on this matter.
Maranthis
178 Posts
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September 22nd, 2008 03:00
The two-prong adapters do not have a connection to ground, the three-prong ones do. The adapters shipped are the same worldwide, only the termination cables are different (the cable that goes from the brick to the wall). Some countries, such as Japan, do not have three-prong outlets so that is why we have two-prong adapters.
I've found that Dell randomly supplies either a two or three-prong adapter depending on the order. The two-prong adapter cord is common among many electrical appliances, for example the cable for my Canon printer and my Motorola cable modem both work in a Dell 2-prong adapter, so you might want to have a look at your local electronics shop.
skgray
2 Posts
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September 22nd, 2008 12:00
I should have added-
The 2-prong cord (the piece that plugs into the wall and can be removed from the adapter) DOES NOT work with my original 3-prong adapter. My 3-prong adapter has three little "pins" or "wires" and the 3-prong cord has these same three pins/wires (one plugs into the other- they are male and female pieces). The 2-prong cord (which was not destroyed by the dog) only has two of these pins/wires on the adapter and on the cord that plugs into the wall. I already tried to simply swap the cord piece, but it's like trying to put a square peg in a round hole...
Pics of the 3-prong power adapter and the cord that fits into it (sorry for the links, I couldn't get the image to show up within the post!):
Pic 1
Pic 2
I don't have the 2-prong cord with me so can't take a picture, but where you see three circles on the above 3-prong cord, there are only two on the 2-prong cord and the two pieces aren't compatible.
I live in the US so am unsure as to why Dell would send me a 2-prong cord in the first place, but when I search for Inspiron 1525 adapters on Dell's website, the only power adapter that comes up is the 2-prong one- Dell Inspiron 1525 Power Adapter.
<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>
There isn't even mention of the 3-prong one... Why are they phasing out the 3-prong cord?
Robin24k
617 Posts
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September 23rd, 2008 02:00
Have you checked Ebay? Here's one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-3-foot-2-Prong-Power-AC-Cord-Laptop-DELL-HP-ACER_W0QQitemZ220283336937QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item220283336937&_trkparms=72%3A570%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
If I were you, I would just use the 3-prong one. The grounding will keep your laptop from shocking you, especially in the wintertime. This problem is more serious in the Latitudes though as they have more metal in them...I've gotten shocked by the fingerprint reader and LCD latch...