To ground, or not to ground...

My MacBook has one of the best designed power adapters out there: the MagSafe. Until we get wireless power, this is the next best thing to prevent your laptop from hitting the ground as you inevitably trip over the power cord on your rush to the bathroom between hands in a PokerStars tournament. Oh wait, that's me.

At any rate, MagSafe is a great innovation. As are some other features, such as the narrow design for fitting neatly into a power strip, and the folding prongs for travel. But the extension cord attachment, not so much. It's almost like there's some "conservation of design quality" law keeping the universe in balance.

You see, the brick by itself is not grounded. The plug has only 2 pins, and both of them are the same width, so it can be plugged into any outlet in either orientation.

But the extension cord is grounded. It has 3 prongs, meaning that -- aside from any hacksaw modifications -- it must be plugged into a grounded outlet.

And the question is simply, why? Why does extending the  length of a wire place an additional constraint on an otherwise hippie-in-the-Haight-in-1967-like constraint-free power adapter? All the electronics for handling ungrounded power are clearly in the brick itself. Otherwise, the non-extended version would be unsafe, right? So why not simply have a 2 prong plug on the extension that is the same as the one on the unextended adapter?

Look, I know that any modern building is going to have 3 prong outlets, and for most use cases this is a moot point. But my house is not modern. Nor are many of the cheap office spaces in SF I've tended to visit as of late. And traveling with a 3-to-2 prong adapter is both a hassle and not in line with Apple design standards.

Screw it. I'm getting the hack saw.

Comments

[D Philip Haine]

THANK YOU. This has driven me crazy since the early Powerbook years, and yet I haven't seen anyone call it out until now.

A 3-to-2 prong adapter is part of my road warrior setup. But it's not the perfect solution. It makes the plug heavier, and in loose sockets can come undone. Plus it looks dorky. So much for svelte Apple design.

[Joe]

A little off-topic, but in your experience is this result indicitive of the testing process at Microsoft?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10130186-75.html

[Dave Cortright]

No. Microsoft testers have been the best in the business compared to other places. The difference is they are so big, they have a spotlight and microscope on them. You don't hear about all the little issues (or even bigger one) like this that plague other companies because they aren't Microsoft.

[RPTV Lamps]

Thanks for the information!