Review: Belkin Netbook Power Adapter Kit for Travel
Belkin Power Adapter Kits for Netbooks and Laptops
| Product | Netbook Power Adapter Kit for Travel, F5L065uk |
|---|---|
| Company | Belkin |
| Web | www.belkin.co.uk |
| Price | Around £49.99 |
| We like | Multi device support; USB charging port; car adapter |
| We don't like | Not a universal range of compatibility |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements |
The chances of your laptop or netbook's battery charger cum power supply unit lasting as long as the computer it serves are pretty good - it's generally the mobile PC itself that fails, most often at the fragile power input point. However, there are other reasons you might want a separate unit, and these multi-purpose kits from Belkin can do the job, provided they are aimed at your particular brand of computer.
We looked at the netbook kit, F5L065uk, and this catered for netbooks from Toshiba, ACER, Samsung, HP Mini, and ASUS. It did this by supplying changeable tips to suit the power input design of your computer, but it could do other things besides this.
The graphic shows the unit with all its sundry outputs connected. At the top is the mains cable input. At the bottom is the permanently attached cable that accepts the five types of adapter tip - which are shown in the case to the left in the graphic. To the right there's the removable car cigarette lighter adapter for when you're away from a mains supply. In typical use the device is not usually such a hedgehog of attachments of course.
At the left you see the type of USB cable that should have been supplied with any appropriate MP3 player, mobile phone, or PDA that can be charged via a USB port. This worked well with our Samsung YP-Z5 MP3 player, which we generally charge via a USB port on the PC. The player responded as usual to the power input by lighting up the display, and in due course the battery charge to capacity, all without having to switch on the PC.
Power input tips have different dimensions, and each delivers a different voltage and current to suit the computer. However, a detailed compatibility list is included in the user manual, and the machines specified in that list include the following.
- ACER: Tip 207, Aspire One series.
- Archos: Tip 206, Archos 10.
- ASUS: Tip 401, Eee PC 900 series.
- Averatec: Tip 206, Buddy.
- Compaq: Tip 212, Mini 700 series.
- Computer Technology Link: Tip 206, 2go PC.
- Dell: Tip 207, Inspiron Mini 9, Mini 10, Mini 12.
- Everex: Tip 206, Cloudbook.
- Gateway: Tip 206, LT1000 Series.
- HP: Tip 212, Mini 1000 Series, Vivienne Tam Series.
- Levono: Tip 206, IdealPad S10 Series.
- LG: Tip 206, X100 Series, X110 Series.
- MSI: Tip 206, Wind U90 Series, U100 Series, U120 Series.
- One: Tip 206, Mini A400.
- Samsung: Tip 211, NC10 Series, NC20 Series.
- Toshiba: Tip 206, NB100 Series.
Input voltages can range from 100-240V AC, 50 or 60Hz, to 11.5-16V DC. Output voltage is 19V DC, the output current is 3A max, and the maximum power for this Netbook unit is 40W.
For any other machines it would be best to check compatibility with Belkin before purchase.
In conclusion
This useful device worked well. You have to live with the fact that it's rather more of a hotch-potch of attachments than the manufacturer's own powers supply unit, but that's the price of adaptability.
