Where can I get a replacement Macbook Pro power cord fast?

October 20, 2007 9:47 AM

Where can I get a replacement Macbook Pro power cord fast?

My girlfriend's dog chewed up her Macbook Pro's power cord, and we are having a hard time locating a replacement. Several stores have told us that Apple is completely out because they have recently redesigned it, but won't start shipping the new ones for a few weeks and I can't seem to find one on Ebay or anywhere else online.

Will a normal Macbook cord work? Is anyone aware of some secret cache of Pro power cords? We would rather not have her computer be a paperweight for the next couple of weeks.

posted by bradbane to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

Normal Macbook cords are lower wattage, but still work fine. They just won't charge as fast, and if you use the computer for really processor-intensive stuff, it might not keep up. But I've used my Macbook Pro with a normal Macbook cable for days with no problems.
posted by raf at 9:52 AM on October 20, 2007

Where are you?
posted by chrismear at 9:59 AM on October 20, 2007

i had placed an order for a second MBP power adapter about 3 weeks ago, but due to the redesign i didn't receive it until last week... so it seems like the new adapters are shipping.

its much smaller. i keep this new tiny one in my laptop bag now and leave the other massive cinderblock sized charger next to my bed for when i need juice @ home.

and it seems shipping estimate on the new power adapters is down to 1-2 weeks... from the 3-4 weeks it was at when i placed my order.

and like raf said, the Macbook adapters will work fine as a temporary replacement.
posted by hummercash at 10:13 AM on October 20, 2007

Wow, is there delicious nougat or something in the middle of these cords? My dog went through my girlfriend's macbook cord in 3 or 4 different places...

This was a regular macbook's cable, so slightly lower wattage, and easier to replace, we just got it off of the apple online store.

Try getting one from Small Dog Electronics, although they show sold out as well...

Also, seconding raf. The two powercables are interchangeable, and work great going both directions (pro's -> regular and regular's -> pro).
posted by cschneid at 12:37 PM on October 20, 2007

Your search terms may be failing you. You dont want just the 'cord', you want the whole 'power supply' or 'power adapter'. Try that!
posted by dino terror at 4:15 PM on October 20, 2007

Ask at the Apple store to see if they know of any other places that carry them. I had the exact same problem: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lhall/964535641/
posted by lhall at 8:28 PM on October 20, 2007

Which part of the cord got chewed? If the part that broke is the part between the box and the wall outlet, you can replace that with any old two-pin appliance cable. (There's a name for the kind of plug on the end that goes into the adapter, I looked it up once for a previous MeFi question, but can't remember it now.) They sell them at Radioshack.

If it's the cord between the converter brick and the computer, then you're more screwed (unless you want to break out the soldering iron), but I think you can use a regular MacBook cord, at least to charge it (then run it off the battery). Just keep an eye on it and stop if it gets too hot to handle.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:52 PM on October 20, 2007

Also, I had a problem with fatigue cracking the wire on my adapter. If you wind yours as tight as show on the Apple product page, you might have the same problem eventually.

One of the geniuses suggested a better technique for wrapping your MacBook Pro power adapter cord.
posted by cephalopodcast at 7:29 AM on October 21, 2007

I've borrowed my GF's Macbook adapter to use on my Macbook Pro before, and it worked, but it didn't put out enough power to both use and charge the MBP at the same time. If you can get by without that, you might be okay.

Also, on another note, be sure to try Best Buy -- same GF lost her power adapter a month or so ago, when you couldn't find Macbook adapters at the Apple store for love nor money (maybe they were going through the same redesign?), and it turned out that the local Best Buy had literally tons of adapters, for both Macbooks and Macbook Pros.
posted by nonliteral at 12:21 PM on October 22, 2007