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| Review: Innergie mCube Pro Universal Adapter |
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| Posted by Winston | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 29 September 2010 23:57 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Introduction Power supplies (or chargers) for laptops, notebooks and netbooks are one of those things that rarely get mentioned. They're usually large, bulky and unattractive to look at. Yet, these power supplies are one of the essential peripherals for notebook users ... vital for charging your notebook's Li-ion batteries. They're also extremely important when you take your notebook abroad or while you're travelling. So imagine this scenario ... you and your colleague need to attend an important conference or meeting, which could last at least upto 6 hours. You remember to take your notebooks power supply (which I always take with me), however your colleague forgets to take his. Half-way through the conference/meeting the battery on your colleague's notebook is completely drained and needs charging. But unfortunately, your power supply is specifically designed for your notebook, and the power connectors are totally different ... arrggghh, disaster! There is absolutely nothing you could do about it. So what would prevent this scenario from happening again? Well, Innergie have released a "universal adaptor" that is compatible for all major brands of notebooks. It's extremely portable and it's designed for users who travel a lot. Replacement power adaptors are nothing new, as there are many manufacturers who have similar products on the market. But what makes the Innergie mCube Pro different, is that it comes with a detachable module that can be used in your car or on an airplane. What's more, the actually unit is light-weight, has good looks, and features a separate USB port for charging USB devices, such as digital cameras and mobile phones.
With all these great features, the Innergie mCube Pro can be used to charge your notebook's Li-ion battery while you travel ... in your car or while you're on an airplane. The package comes with a carry bag, which is perfect for travel. It can charge most popular brands of notebooks between 15-21 volts, including Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, and more. Just to let you know, the guys behind the brand Innergie is no newbie. In fact, they probably make 80% of the world's power supplies/adaptors for notebooks, netbooks and portable devices ... have you managed to guess who they are? Well, it's no other than Delta Electronics. Basically, Innergie is the consumer brand name for Delta Electronics. This is probably why they are able to cater for so many different notebook brands. OK, let's get on with it. In our tests, we will be using our recently reviewed Samsung X130 Ultramobile notebook ... on an airplane! Yes, that's right ... it's the first test of its kind to be conducted on an airplane.
Features and Specifications 
For more information please visit Innergie's website
Real-Life LIVE Testing During a recent business trip to Taiwan, I thought it would be good to whip out the Innergie mCube Pro and put it through the test. Are all the cables and connectors compatible for my Samsung X130 Ultramobile notebook? And am I able to connect it to the power sockets on the airplane? The airplane I was travelling on was surprisingly new and advanced. I mean, they must have upgraded their seats for something, as most of the older airplanes don't have domestic power sockets ... this one does. I was able to DIRECTLY plug the power cable into the seat! This means, there was no need for me to break out the detachable Auto/Air module.
Well, you be glad to know ... I was able to use the Innergie mCube Pro with no problems at all. Furthermore, I was even able to charge my iPhone at the same time. Just make sure you use the correct notebook tips for your notebook and to select the correct voltage of your notebook.
Verdict and Conclusion I think Innergie has done a good job in producing a great product, that otherwise would have been boring, dull and uninteresting. The Innergie mCube Pro is compact and light-weight making it extremely appealing to users who travel a lot. What's more it has great aesthetics and is compatible with a majority of brands including Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, and more. What I also like about the unit, is the fact that it has a USB port for charging USB devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones.
Just look at the photos I've taken ... the Innergie mCube Pro is a match made in heaven for my white Samsung X130 notebook, and my white iPhone 3GS. What more can I want? ... LOL! Any negatives? Well, the none that I can think of ... except for the separate bag of loose notebook tips and maybe the loose power cables. It just seems there's too much excess bits that you have to carry, but you really need to take ALL of the bits with you just in case ... you'll never know, you might be in car one minute and in an airplane the next. The good thing is ... you can store of these bits in a carry bag. Pricewise the Innergie mCube Pro will cost you around USD $140.00 (GBP 90.00), which I think is a little pricey. But I reckon if Innergie was able to reduce the price by another $20-30.00, then it would be attractive enough to pull-in a bigger crowd.
Final words. I have to say well done to Innergie for producing such an innovative and great looking product. The Innergie mCube Pro is compact, light-weight and most definitely portable, which is great for users who travel a lot. It has certainly made me consider replacing my boring, dull and bulky notebook adaptor for the mCube Pro. I would have gave a higher score but only if the price was a little lower.
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