Here’s a quick review of the Kensington 120W notebook power adapter. The 120W AC/DC adapter comes with 8 different power tips that fit 100s of different notebooks. Also, you can buy additional tips for other notebook, as well as MP3 players (including iPods), and dozens of cell phones. As a Dell Latitude user, the first (and really nice) thing that I noticed was the size and weight of this adapter: it is wider and longer than my standard Dell ‘brick’ power adapter, but significantly thinner at less than 1 inch (0.66″ to be exact). This makes it a lot easier to fit into my laptop bag. Also, it’s so much lighter at 11.4oz. Again, really nice when I’m travelling.
Another useful feature of this power adapter is that it also has a special airline power connector for airlines that offer in-seat power. It also has a cigaretter lighter adapter for your vehicle. Aesthetically, the Kensington adapter looks sleeker than my plain Dell power adapter. I know this is not really that important as compared to its main function, but it’s somewhat cool if you’re spending that kind of money on a redundant power supply. When laid flat, the Kensington adapter has a shiny black top with a single bright blue LED when it’s plugged into the wall or other power source. Another nice feature is that Kensington has broken up the product into component parts (adapter itself, cables, tips). Unfortunately, the cable to go from adapter to wall power is extremely short. This means that if you plug this into the wall and the connector slips, you may need to tape the cable to the adapter. Luckily, there’s a 10′ cable to go from the adapter to your computer. As a final nicety, there is an included pouch for carrying additional tips and cables.
Overall, while a bit pricey ($139.99 list), if you’re in the market for a versatile power adapter than can be used with many different devices, then give the Kensington 120W power adapter a shot.
What’s Groovy: Broken down into its basic components; 120W; airline power adapter; powers *lots* of devices.
What’s Sucky: Price; short adapter to wall power cable.
| Features | Performance | Quality | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
 |
| Light; airline power adpater; sleek look. | More than enough power to power my 90W sucking laptop. | Solid product. Components appear sturdy and plug together firmly. | If you’re replacing a lot of power adapters, then the $100+ price is well worth it. On the other hand, power adapters are hardly the types of device to fail. |
| Overall | |||
|
|||
| Lightweight power adapter that is a good replacement for any of your notebook adapters. | |||