Hands On: Targus Premium Laptop/Phone Charger

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UPDATE: Engadget is reporting a major recall of Targus adapters. Buyer beware.

Ever been short a power cord? Or an outlet? Targus has a solution. The Targus Premium Laptop Charger comes with one slim power adapter that splits in two for simultaneous charging of a laptop and mobile device. The product also bundles in a car adapter, and a wide selection of tips for different laptop/netbook models. Since I’m often on the go, I took Targus up on the offer of a review unit.

First of all, I tend to be skeptical of any product that includes adapter tips. It can be hard to find the right tip for your device, quality is often questionable, and tips are easy to lose. Initially it seemed Targus was an exception. I snapped up adapter tip L107 (as indicated by the manual for Asus laptops), popped it in to my computer, and it immediately appeared to start charging. Unfortunately, some time later my computer shut off unexpectedly. I didn’t have time then to investigate, but in attempting to charge my Asus again later in the day with the Targus adapter, the same thing happened. I plugged in my regular charger and discovered I’d dropped down to 1% power. There was no low-battery alert. Nothing except sudden shut-down.

As it turns out, I didn’t have the right adapter. Targus shipped me a new one immediately (the L124), and it does indeed charge as advertised.

Putting aside my experience for a moment, Targus does include a lot in its adapter package. The Premium Laptop Charger comes with tips for laptops/netbooks made by HP, Compaq, Dell, Acer, Toshiba, Gateway, IBM, Lenovo, Asus, Sony, Panasonic, and Fujitsu. Targus even includes a handy tip clip for keeping an extra tip close at hand – in case you want to switch up your machine. And if you register your product, Targus promises free tips for future laptops and cell phones. That means if the tip you need isn’t in the package, you too can have a new one sent out – free except for shipping.

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On the mobile side, the Targus package includes a mini USB tip, which will power most cell phones now, and a tip for Apple iPods and iPhones. I had no problems juicing up my phone.

The ability to power a laptop and cell phone off the same small charger is appealing. (You can’t charge two laptops at the same time.) But my experience with Targus reinforced the fact that it’s difficult to offer adapter tips for every possible device a consumer could have. The Targus approach of offering free extra tips is generous. Too bad the forethought didn’t extend to labeling the adapters more clearly.

The price on the Targus premium package is $149.99 ($132.07 right now on Amazon). That may sound like a lot, but if you’ve ever fried a power cord and tried to replace it in a pinch, you know the value of having a back-up. To see if your laptop and mobile devices are supported, check out the Targus website. It’s not wireless power, but it does offer added convenience. Just make sure you’ve got the right tip.

4 thoughts on “Hands On: Targus Premium Laptop/Phone Charger”

  1. Sorry- oversight on my part. Output of 10-24 Volts, 75 Watt max for the car charger, and 90 Watt max for the wall charger. The charger automatically adjusts for the laptop being used.

  2. Mari,

    I don’t really care about this sort of thing anymore. I just carry USB to device charging cables with me for every device I’ve got. I can then charge anything either by plugging it into my laptop, or by just using one of the little Apple iPod power bricks to do the job–I have two of these in my gadget bag. Sometimes this means I have to buy that little USB to device charging cable, but its much more flexible than any other solution I’ve found. All of my Radio Shack multi-tip power devices are now packed away. Even in the car I have cigarette lighter to 2 USB power dohickeys…

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