I like my laptop, but it came with a big, clunky power adapter that took up a lot of space in my bag. Additionally, my laptop's "default" adapter only worked on AC power outlets.
iGo is a no-go
For that reason, one of the first "Travel Light" purchases I made was an Auto/Air/Wall combo power adapter. The first one I tried was an "iGo" brand adapter. It was very pretty, and had all the functionality I was looking for, but I was very disappointed in the iGo. It was too bulky, the connectors weren't tight and kept coming undone, it overheated and shut off when I used it on planes, etc. I couldn't get my money back so I sold it for 10 bucks at a garage sale and vowed never to buy another one of their products again.
Kensington makes me happy
Next, I purchased a Kensington travel adapter that includes adapaters so I can run my laptop on AC or DC power, at home, on planes, or in cars.
The Kensington adapter also has multiple, interchangeable power tips so you can use it with a variety of devices or continue to use it if you change laptops. As you see in the picture above, can get a "Y" adapter to charge multiple devices at once.
As I mentioned in my post earlier this week, I tend to charge most of my extra devices via USB so I only really use this charger to charge my laptop (I then charge my other devices from the laptop's USB ports).
However, for devices that can't charge via USB, this adapter supports a large variety of devices with optional tips (the only tips it comes with are for laptops - you have to buy additional tips for other devices for a nominal fee). Mine came with a complimentary adapter to charge iPods.
Bottom line, this adapter is much thinner and lighter than the default adapter for my laptop, and has lots of expandability. I have found it to be very portable and extremely durable in a variety of situations. If you want to travel light, this will help.
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