Guys... How is it possible for a Gateway laptop to use an HP power cord? On a whim, I put my old HP power cord into my Gateway laptop (the plug seems to be a little funny) and now the laptop is working with the power cord. How is that possible?
A Laptop-Cord-related question...
- Thread starter Peach Wookiee
- Start date
Whatever it's doing, it's bought me some time.
As long as the output voltage & amperage are the same, you're good.
Cords aren't magic. Connectors are only agreed-upon standards.
Two wires, one for plus and one for minus. The shape of the connector doesn't matter as long as the plus and the minus go to the right places.
.... time for you to read up on basic electricity before you burn the house down...
Two wires, one for plus and one for minus. The shape of the connector doesn't matter as long as the plus and the minus go to the right places.
.... time for you to read up on basic electricity before you burn the house down...
Okay, that's really not necessary.
Peach, as Al-Pharazon said, check the voltage and amperage ratings on the Gateway power supply and the HP one. If they're the same then you should be fine. You don't necessarily have to use a Gateway-brand power supply but you do need to be sure the power output matches the original, or you risk damaging your battery.
This reminds me of how excited I was to discover I could use my Nook's USB cable with my Droid, obviating the need to buy a backup cable for either.
This was specifically exciting because I wanted to tether my laptop at work (no WiFi availability) and had forgotten my Droid's cable (I'd bought it 2 days earlier). VZW did have extra cables...for $20.
This was specifically exciting because I wanted to tether my laptop at work (no WiFi availability) and had forgotten my Droid's cable (I'd bought it 2 days earlier). VZW did have extra cables...for $20.
The USB standard includes power for the peripheral, up to a maximum total load for all USB devices connected to the host. Unfortunately laptop/notebook/netbook power connections aren't standardized. A lot of them have external "bricks" that convert the AC from the wall to various DC voltages. Some have the positive terminal on the inside, but a few have it on the outside. Some external supplies are capable of supplying wattages that would cause other "bricks" to overheat or permanently shut down to avoid getting hot enough to start a fire.
For some (unknown) reason the original (HP) power supply (brick on the cord), a friend had, stopped working, she didn't need an original HP power supply to get her PC up again as every computer store (apart from those "Apple; Gadgets and Toys"-stores of course) Were able to supply her with a no name power supply and instruct her on how to use it for her particular model and make -for less than half the price of a replacement of the original. 
Apparently, though, the "DC-jack" used by HP isn't the usual international standard "DC-Jack", but off by a millimeter or two so it wasn't the perfect fix
Just for the fun of it:
When I went out and bought my N900 -which is connected and charged by a 'micro-USB' connector- Nokia had also enclosed a short strand of cord that allowed me to use any old Nokia phone-charger to charge the N900!
Apparently, though, the "DC-jack" used by HP isn't the usual international standard "DC-Jack", but off by a millimeter or two so it wasn't the perfect fix
I don't know if there is some underlying 'issue', but that comment was, surely!-?, a lighthearted joke... I could have said the very same thing (being the go-to electricity/electronics-guy to everyone than knows me).
Just for the fun of it:
When I went out and bought my N900 -which is connected and charged by a 'micro-USB' connector- Nokia had also enclosed a short strand of cord that allowed me to use any old Nokia phone-charger to charge the N900!
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