MacBook adapter vs. MacBook Pro adapter

Can you use the MacBook and MacBook Pro adapters interchangably? I've heard rumors that it hurts the MacBook if you use the MacBook Pro charger...is that true? If so, what does it do?

You can use the MacBook Pro adapter on a regular MacBook without any worries. It has more capacity than needed by the MacBook, but that's OK. The MacBook just won't draw on the additional capacity (watts).
You can also use a MacBook adapter on a MacBook Pro, however there is not enough juice to run the computer and charge the battery at the same time. The adapter can do one or the other just fine, however. So there's really nothing to worry about there beyond some inconvenience.
This has been the case with past generations of iBook/PowerBook adapters that were interchangeable but with reduced capability in certain scenarios. As long as you understand possible limitations when using a lesser powered adapter to run a laptop with higher requirements, you'll be OK. Now if there was a situation where the lesser powered adapter was not appropriate to run or charge a laptop, then that should be avoided. But so far that has not been the case.
It comes down to how many watts capacity the adapter has, and how many the computer needs to run, charge, or both.
White MacBook 1.83   Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

Similar Messages

  • Using MacBook adapter w/ MacBook Pro & visa versa

    Hi, is there any risk in using a 60W adapter with a Pro? I have been told it will work but not charge the battery as fast. Howbout the other way- with an 85W on a MacBook? I don't like to do this sort of thing but then there is Ohm's Law.. And, for example, at schools and at the Apple Store they have leads hanging out to plug in at the One-to-One training area. thanks!

    Many of the current MBPs actually come with a 60 W adaptor these days, jon.
    You can use an 85W adaptor on a 45 W or 60W equipped MacBook (or 60W Pro) til the cows come home. It is only the LOW powered adaptors on a computer with higher power demands that is any sort of issue, and even that is pretty insignificant (we have three 85 W adaptors and three 60 W ones scattered around the place here for two MBs and one MBP 13" (all 60W) and an older MBP 15(85 W). I'd have to say that although I try to generally run the old MBP15 on one of the 85W adaptors I quite often forget to check. Nothing untoward has occurred as a result.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2346 carries the "official view".
    Cheers
    Rod

  • Using Macbook Pro adapter on Macbook

    Hello,
    last night I tried to connect my macbook to its power supply, but the power supply showed no life whatsoever - no gree or amber light - is probably dead.
    I have a spare macbook pro power supply which if i remember well is 85w instead of 60w.
    Does anyone know if I could run into problems by using at lenght the Macbook Pro adapter?
    And has a replacement I was considering a third party one, but I'm really weary of the quality of the power supplied. I work with audio and I have seen too many times ground noises caused by bad power supplies.
    thanks and all the best!
    val

    Using the MBP's power supply with your MacBook won't cause any issues. If you tried using a MacBook's adapter with a MBP, you'd have some issues as the MacBook's adapter isn't powerful enough to run a MBP AND charge the battery at the same time.
    ~Lyssa

  • Common power adapter for Macbook Air and Macbook Pro?

    I have both a Macbook Air and a Macbook Pro at home, and it would be really nice to have one magsafe adapter by the couch rather than two...
    I have actually tried the Air 45w adapter on my Pro and it works fine as long as the Pro is not fully discharged. If the Pro is unable to start up on battery, it's also unable to start up on the 45w AC. But otherwise it seems fine.
    In the reverse direction, normally I use the 85w Pro adapter for both the Pro and the Air. That also works fine; the drawback there is that, since the Air receptacle is mounted at an angle, and the magsafe connector on the Pro adapter is straight-ahead, I have to put the Air on a pillow and even so the connector comes out frequently.
    The obvious solution would be an 85W adapter with an Air-style right-angle connector. I find the angled connector is not a problem at all on the Pro.
    A few questions therefore:
    1) Am I doing any damage, in either direction, using the 45W adapter on Pro or using 85W on Air? My guess is that the adapter and the system are smart enough that it's not a problem. Put another way, I suspect the designers accounted for the possibility that idiots like me would plug one computer's adapter into a different model, and they made sure it was not harmful. But that's speculation on my part. Anyone got any real information?
    2) I have done the obvious web search and can't find an 85w with a right-angle magsafe connector. Am I missing something obvious?
    3) My next step is to snip both cords and splice an Air connector onto a Pro adapter. I'm not super handy so it will probably be kind of an ugly job. Anyone got any suggestions on the cleanest way to do this?

    Hi Ottosmo!
    Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    1) While it's certainly recommended to use the appropriate wattage on the charger, I too have often found myself using a MacBook Pro (85w) and MacBook (60w) with my MacBook Air. I've yet to encounter an issue in the almost 10 months I've been using my Air. The wattage on the power adapter, to my knowledge, is an indication to the amount of potential power that the charger can deliver to the unit. I know I've read various "blogs and forums" indicating that the power adapter is smart enough to 'scale' back power appropriately.
    Now with that being said... should something happen, for whatever the reason, with you using the non-supplied adapter then you'd be taking matters into your own hands. (take that as my own little disclaimer)
    2) Correct, the 85w adapter does not come with the right angle adapter. The adapter on the 24" LED Cinema Display does have a right angle adapter that supports up to 85w. But I realize that's not what you asked.
    3) Regarding "modifying" the cabling. I'd strongly recommend against it, especially if you don't feel comfortable with splicing and then insulating. Too much room for chance and potential problem/failure. If someone else wants to instruct you on how to do this, that'll be their prerogative.
    I ended up purchasing an iLap 13" for using my MacBook Air. It's been fantastic and I have it set off to the side just enough to allow plenty of room for a MacBook or MacBook Pro adapter. Not to mention it allows me to easily use the Air in my lap without any ventilation issues.

  • Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter for MacBook and MacBook Pro

    Does the Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter for MacBook and MacBook Pro work in cars to in the cigerete lighter and how does it work on a airoplane cause in airoplanes there is only a mike connection thats about it ?

    This is an alternative solution that works great for me. I always carry a small and lightweight DC to AC converter with me in my case when I'm on the road. It's a Wagan Tech Smart AC 100 USB that I picked up at Costco for under 20 bucks. 100 watt capability and allows me to use all my electronics and chargers on the road. I can use it to charge the cellphone, laptop, ipod, etc.
    Even includes a USB port on the side for charging USB based products and also includes the aircraft adaptor (and of course a cigarette lighter adaptor) and everything fits into a small cloth bag (included).
    http://www.wagan.com/htmls/detail-2382.html
    The link is for the newer 120 watt version but it looks identical otherwise. If you don't have access to Costco then check the link provided for either direct purchase or the availability of other resellers. There's a "where to buy" tab at the top of the screen. Cheers!
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    Message was edited by: joudbren

  • Macbook and the Macbook Pro Adapter

    Recently my Macbook power supply failed. So i sent it off to Apple for a replacement. While waiting for the replacement to arrive I have been using a Macbook Pro power supply, which im sure some of you are aware is a higher voltage. Now my Macbook is randomly turning off. Ive been advised to backup and wipe the machine and do a long overdue reinstall.
    My 1 year warranty runs out in three weeks so i have to be quick if I want to send it back for repair. Could the Macbook Pro Adapter cause these issues ? Im expecting the replacement Macbook power adapter back in the next couple of days should i try it with this or send it straight to Apple ?

    No, the MacBook Pro adapter is perfectly safe on a MacBook.
    If you look at the box on the larger power adapter in the Apple Store, it even says it's fine for MacBook and MacBook Pro. The small power adapter box says MacBook only.
    The difference between the adapters isn't voltage, it's maximum current capability.

  • What's the power Adapter for Macbook pro 13inch Mid 2012

    What's the power Adapter for Macbook pro 13inch Mid 2012 with core i-7, 2.9ghz, 8Gb ram?
    AFAIK it should be a 60wat Megasafe power adapter.
    But mine shipped with a 45Watt Megasafe. I got it as a Gift from my friend.
    Thanks in Advance.

    mmaumio wrote:
    60W MagSafe power adapter with "L" style connector
    This should be my Adapter right?
    Yes.
    There is a drawback in addition to taking a longer time to charge up your MBP.  In unusual instances when using your MBP with power adapter attached, and running a very heavy load on the CPU/GPU, the MBP will require additional electrical resources in addition to what the power adapter can provide.  It will then draw upon the battery.  What this means is that using a 45 watt adapter, these conditions are more likely to occur.
    Using a 45 watt adapter should not harm your MBP as such.
    Ciao.

  • Power/AC Adapter for MacBook Pro

    I have both a MacBook and a Macbook Pro computer. My Pro AC adapter is broken. Can I use my MacBook adapter on my MacBook Pro?
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    Although it will work you do run a certain risk of overloading the adapter because it cannot both run the computer and charge the battery. You should get a replacement for the MBP. You can use the MB adapter while waiting for the replacement, but be sure to monitor how hot it gets. Obviously it was not designed for the MBP.

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    mini graphics to vga adapter for macbook how to install in windows 7.
    i have macbook with windows 7 operating system.

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  • No video with mini dvi - vga adapter (2007 Macbook)

    Connecting an external TFT display (Nokia 500 Xa) to my MacBook's mini dvi port with a mini dvi to vga adapter, there's no video.
    Any ideas about what might cause this? the monitor is a bit old, but VGA should still be the same, eh?
    I thought maybe it's the adapter's pin configuration... What exactly does the adapter let through?
    Grateful for any ideas.

    MacBook top-level
    MacBook Display

  • MacBook Air Thunderbolt-to-FireWire adapter and daisy-chaining external FW drives

    Here is my problem—I have a MacBook Air 13" running Mavericks to which I want to attach external FW drive(s). This is easily achievable by using the Thunderbolt-to-FW 800 adapter. And the adapter works great until I try to daisy-chain two external drives. If I attach a second drive to the first one, it immediately unmounts the first drive and I get the 'improperly disconnected drive' warning.
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    I have 4 FW devices chained together and use the TB->FW dongle. They all have power bricks. I have several bus powered devices. Some are quirky, some just don't function, two work reliably. There's no question it is all about how much power they need and TB doesn’t supply enough. Bottom line for me: my bus powered FW drives are soley relegated to use with my last FW equipped computer and when it does they will too.

  • Can i get an adapter for macbook to make hdmi port?

    can i get an adapter for macbook to make hdmi port?

    Yes, but the one you need depends on the specific MacBook you have.
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    For MacBook5,1 and later choose a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter
    Either one is commonly available for less than $10.

  • Using a MacBook with ONLY a Power Adapter

    HI!
    is it possible to use my MacBook with just the power adapter? The current batter and adapter are both dead, and I'm pretty low on cash. So I was thinking I would purchase a new adapter in Amazon. Thoughts? Thanks.

    Yes, you can use it on just the power adapter, without a battery installed.
    There is a significant performance decrease when a functional battery is not installed, but it will still work without a battery, just not as fast.
    Here is one of many links on the subject:
    http://techcrunch.com/2008/11/22/macbook-performance-drops-37-percent-without-ba ttery-installed/

  • MacBook and 17" MacBook Pro Power Cords Interchangable?

    Can I use the adaptor/charger (both are MagSafe) from my MacBook on my 17" MacBook Pro? Is it safe? Will it harm the the battery?

    You cannot. The MacBook Pro uses an 85W power adapter, while the MacBook comes with a 65W adapter. You can safely use the MBP's adapter with the MacBook, though.
    MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

  • I am looking at buying a MacBook Air over the Pro mainly for the 12 hour battery. Just wondering if battery is compromised by upgrading to 8mb and upgrading to I7 Intel dual core. I am not very tech savvy so apologies if dumb question

    I am looking at buying a MacBook Air over the Pro mainly for the 12 hour battery. Just wondering if battery is compromised by upgrading to 8mb and upgrading to I7 Intel dual core. I am not very tech savvy so apologies if dumb question

    If both computers were configured identically, then they would both lose the same amount of battery life with respect to the same starting configuration - comparing apple to apples. I don't know how much the added RAM, etc. would reduce battery life, but it would be less for both models.
    Battery life is a tricky subject because most mfgr.s like to suggest as long a life as possible, but often do so under a set of conditions that are not common to most users. Apple is no different. Their computers do have good battery life, however. But not likely as long as what is in the ads for the typical user.

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