Use MacBook power adaptor with a MacBook Air?

July 4, 2009 1:00 AM

Can I use the power adaptor from a MacBook (the last white plastic one) with a MacBook air? The MacBook adaptor is rated at 15A, while the Air's adaptor is 10A. Will the Air just draw the power it needs, or will it endanger it or the power adaptor to use the higher-rated one?
posted by alaaarm to computers & internet (5 comments total)

The Air will only draw the current it needs. The 15A rating on the adapter is just its rated maximum current.
posted by fatllama at 1:09 AM on July 4

Apple power adapters communicate with the laptop and always do something reasonable. For example, if you use a lower wattage MacBook adapter with a MacBook Pro, you will find that you can either power the laptop or charge the battery, but not both at the same time. They're pretty clever about that stuff.
posted by ryanrs at 1:33 AM on July 4

You will be annoyed by the fact that you have to position the laptop on top of a book or something that'll allow the MacBook adapter to hang down -- the Air adapter is specially designed with a different footprint. Other than that, you're golden.
posted by thejoshu at 2:09 AM on July 4 [1 favorite]

No AC-DC adapter will provide a constant current power source. It's just what it's rated for.
posted by floam at 2:25 AM on July 4

Works fine. Most (maybe all) of the Apple power adapters that physically fit (i.e. all the magsafe ones) work interchangeable, just maybe not ideally -- charging slower than the 'right' one would is the usual drawback. I flip MB and MBP adapters all the time.
posted by rokusan at 7:34 AM on July 4