07-04-2007, 04:00 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 18
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The iGo Everywhere Universal Power Adapter
Product Category: Universal portable power adapter
Manufacturer: Mobility Electronics
Where to Buy: iGo Store, tips are available from here
Price: $49.99 USD
System Requirements: Tips which are compatible with your particular portable electronic device.
Specifications: Up to 8 watt power output; Utilizes rapid charge technology for the fastest charge; Use only with A-series power tips; Output current - 1.5A max; Use with mobile electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartphones/PDAs, Bluetooth headsets, MP3 players and portable gaming units.
Pros:
Portable power solution for both AC and DC charging;Swappable tips allows for multiple device compatibility;Makes into a compact kit with the included travel organizer.
Cons:
No included starter tip - they are all sold separately.
Summary:
Today we'll take a look at the iGo Everywhere, an AC and DC power solution that uses iGo's patented intelligent tip technology. If it works as advertised, this may just be the last portable charging solution that you will ever need to purchase.
Read on for the full review!
I Need This...Why?
Every time I add another device to my gadget bag, I have to add yet another charger. After a while, these chargers and cables can get a bit out of control as they begin to take up too much room. Even worse is when a new device is purchased to replace an older one. In that situation, an all new set of portable cables is often purchased out of necessity. Enter the beauty of exchangeable tips, which can be swapped out so that the same power adapter can be used with virtually any portable electronic device. I've been a big fan of this type of system for some time, which is why I jumped at the chance to review this particular item.
Getting Started
In order to get set up with the proper equipment, an iGo Everywhere power adapter kit must be ordered along with the desired device tips. While I appreciate the wide variety of available tips, and I like how whichever different tips may be needed can be ordered at once to use with the same power adapter, I was a bit surprised that there wasn't at least one starter tip included in the purchase price. With that said, it's an easy enough matter to select the proper tips from the online shopping list; tips vary in price from $9.99 (i.e. a Treo 700 tip) to $12.99 (i.e. a "coming soon" Zune tip).
After the iGo Everywhere and the proper tips have been ordered, a kit will arrive that includes a wall charging unit, an auto charging unit, a five foot long retractable cable, a black nylon elastic and mesh travel organizer, and whatever specialized tips were purchased. Worth noting is that the kit arrives in what appears to be ordinarily impenetrable plastic display pack, but it is easily opened without a sharp knife or scissors. I point this out for other klutzes like me, who have an innate fear of slicing ourselves open while undoing this type of packaging.
Figure 1: Klutzes rejoice - no need for sharp objects!
After the package has been undone, the contents con be laid out for inspection; let's take a look at the various included components...
Figure 2: The iGo Everywhere kit.
The first item is the wall unit, a black and silver plastic AC wall charger with retractable prongs. It measures 3.3" long x 2.1" wide x 1.1" thick at its widest points, and it weighs 2.4 ounces.
Figure 3: The top of the AC charger.
The outlet prongs on the back can be flipped into the charger's plastic housing so that they can be stored without snagging. Although this and the other components are made of plastic, they all feel well made and in no way flimsy or cheap.
Figure 4: The underside of the AC charger.
The next piece is a black and silver DC car, boat, or plane charger. It measures 3.8" long x 1.1" wide x 1" thick at its widest points and weighs 1.2 ounces. There is an LED under the iGo logo to indicate when it is receiving power.
Figure 5: The DC charger.
You probably noticed that the ends of both the AC and DC chargers have ports built in to receive a plug; well, that plug is found on the end of this retractable cable spool - it's the one with the white tip. The spool is composed of heavy black plastic; it measures 2.9" wide x 0.8" thick, and it weighs 2.6 ounces. Up to five feet of 0.25" wide flat cable can be extracted by pulling the opposing cable ends from the spool at the same time; a silver button on its underside will instantly cause them to retract. I wanted to mention that of all the retractable cable spools I have reviewed in the past, this one is the best quality. Granted the other cables were mainly compact sync & charge retractables, but there is a noticeable upgrade in this one's quality. Too bad there is no way to turn this particular cable into a sync & charge model, but I digress.
Figure 6: The retractable cable spool.
The last vital piece of the kit is the exchangeable tip, which plugs into the spool's black tipped plug. This particular tip is specifically designed for the Treo 700, and it measures approximately 1.25" long x 0.7" wide x 0.4" thick at its widest points.
Figure 7: The Treo tip.
When all the components are put together, they create a custom charging solution for my Treo. That's the only tip I have at the moment, but I will be ordering extras for my Zune and HTC Advantage.
Figure 8: The Treo, Treo tip, retractable cable, and AC adapter.
When the entire iGo Everywhere kit is stored inside its black nylon travel organizer, it measures approximately 4" long x 3.4" wide x 2.4" thick and weighs 7.1 ounces. This is a great compact kit which can be thrown into almost any gear bag, laptop bag, man-bag, or purse. When carried, the user will never be without on-the-go charging capabilities.
Figure 9: The entire iGo Everywhere kit in its travel organizer.
But How Well Does It Work?
I've had the displeasure of testing retractable power chargers in the past that would not charge a device under certain conditions, namely when it was turned on, when Bluetooth was on, or when WiFi was working. Unfortunately the Treo doesn't include WiFi, so I couldn't test it while that non-existent feature was running, but I can definitely say that the both the AC and DC chargers will work properly when the Treo is turned on, in use as a phone, and with BT running. It may seem like this would be an obvious expectation, but sometimes even obvious expectations aren't met; fortunately that is not the case here.
Conclusions
The iGo Everywhere universal power adapter is a brilliant product that will make a useful addition to anyone's gear. Even if it only worked with a single chosen device, I would still like it very much; but the addition of iGo's intelligent tip technology makes this a must-have device that will always have a place in my bag.
Judie Lipsett Hughes spent six years earning a reputation as a respected reviewer at The Gadgeteer, has now added "member of the Pocket PC Thoughts review team" to her list of credits. As the editor of Gear Diary, she continues her exploration of the gadget world with blog entries and reviews of all things geeky.
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07-04-2007, 04:42 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 10
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Good idea but a bit expensive, especially in the UK. Can you change the wall socket prongs so it can be used all over the world? I find it funny that travel chargers advertised in the US only work in the US. Another disadvantage is that you can only charge one device at a time though there is a splitter adapter. I've made my own homemade system consisting of:
- 2A USB travel charger with interchangable plugs or a USB car charger
- Mini USB hub (so I can plug in multiple devices)
- Homemade USB cables for each of the devices (or use a sync n' charge cable)
I find if you use a 1A charger you can't charge something like a PDA and a camera.
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07-04-2007, 05:29 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 109
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While the iGo products are initally expensive they do pay off in expandability and reliability. Everything is well built and it's easy to buy new tips instead of reinventing the wheel. Also, no fiddling with voltage sliders, tip polarity is a bonus for those not as technically inclined.
It's worth noting that many of the cheaper power adapters don't work well some PocketPC's and phones (especially when they are turned on). HTC phones need two USB pins connected to signal to the device that the power source is a relibable one as opposed to the +5Volts you get from a USB port (and the current/voltage you get from a usb port depends on the load you are putting on the USB bus, if you are using hubs, etc). I've had no issues using iGo products with my HTC Tytn.
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07-07-2007, 10:23 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 4
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iGo is "iGood"
I have a couple of earlier (bulkier) models, e.g. EverywherePower, that I use with my Sony laptop and my HTC Wizard. I use one at home and I keep the other packed for "on the go"
Although I doubt that I will ever have to buy another one, I DID recently buy a cheaper competitor from Woot (that's why it was so much cheaper) to just keep at the office so I don't even have to carry anything but the laptop because the earlier model is quite a bit bulkier and the one that I just bought comes WITH a tip that works with my laptop.
Be advised that SOMETIMES, the blue (charging) light on my EverywherePower does NOT come on when I plug my laptop in. iGo tech support advised me that I just have to remove power from the charger and then plug it back in again and the blue light always comes back on so be sure to double-check that the light is on whenever you plug in your device (assuming that iGo hasn't "fixed" it in this current model) :?
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07-31-2007, 04:20 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 21
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by markh1
Good idea but a bit expensive, especially in the UK. Can you change the wall socket prongs so it can be used all over the world?
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When bought in the UK it came with two additional slide on adapters that enable it to be used both in the UK and on the Continent, though these adapters do not fit nicely into the case.
I have been happily using this product for the last two years and as I travel a fair bit it has kept my PDA, phone, Blackberry and PMP happily charged. Because its limited to 8 watts the Ipod and "B" series tips don't officially fit; however in desperation they can be forced onto the retractable cable :wink:
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09-05-2007, 03:23 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 17
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Great review. Sounds like a great product! I'm sold!
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