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just taken receipt of a brand new (yesterday model) 17" Powerbook (1.5ghz)
mmmmmm nice

It's for a very important job next week in Germany. However, as I've been transferring files across to the machine, after 30 minutes of operation, i notice the amber light on the power plug goes off and the on screen battery indicator is showing low !

i switched it off for a while then plugged it in again and the power supply plug once again lights green then amber for a while, but after about 10 minutes it goes off. Is this a faulty power supply, or am I doing something wrong.

It doesn't feel too warm, so i don't think it's over heating. In any case it's out in the open, so it should be OK.

Any suggestions would be welcome

Dragonfly.


PS. In addition, I can feel that electric shock / vibration thing on the casing when the power is plugged in and not when it's removed, suggesting there is power reaching the powerbook.

Dragonfly,

Two things: Check that the connector as it enters the PB is tight. If it's loose & goes off & on as you wiggle it, then very gently squeeze the collar of the connector to tighten its grip when inserted. Also, if you haven't already done it, go through the battery calibration procedure http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284

Dragonfly,

Sounds very much like a fault with the Powerbook and/or Power supply. Electric shocks from your Powerbook casing (even mild ones) are strictly "this should not be happening".
Send/take it straight back and get a replacement!

handy*,

It's a known weird thing with PowerBooks, has been for years. I had it on my TiBook. It's apparently something to do with the shell picking up something from the AC adaptor and you get something at 50/60hz induced in the shell. Absolutely harmless but if you've got sensitive fingers when you move them over the metal you can feel it buzzing, almost like a velvet-y feel.

Not everyone can feel it, but it happens.

JP.

Apple Certified System Administrator

J.P.,

I stand corrected, though more than a little surprised.....

Dragonfly,
As a thought try plugging the power supply into a Mains socket Residual/Earth leakage Circuit Breaker and see if it trips it. If OK then add the Powerbook. This should give you some idea of a power supply/power board fault.

handy*,

As JP mentions, it's a normal thing with powerbooks, it only becomes dangerous if you put your feet in a bucket of water . It feels a bit like velvet, I guess ...?, You sometimes get a similar buzzing sensation if you put your tongue in a wall socket (only joking, never do that !!!) If you lightly brush your knuckles over the top of your VCR (don't ask me how I found that out ).

The power supply was plugged into a circuit with an RCD, but there's no current leak from the transformer coil. The induction is only detectable if your hands are sensitive, and that's me, I use fairy soap

Anyway, Apple help-line had no idea what was wrong, Computerwarehouse, however, advised resetting the power management.

(Depress Control Alt & Shift then press and hold the restart button for at least 3 seconds. Release all keys then restart the machine as normal).

Guess what everything works fine now ! Well done CW for excellent support !

The only minor annoyance on my purchase is 1 dead pixel in the centre of the screen. The first one I've ever seen, even after using countless budget LCD screens and laptops over the years, but I didn't think it would be from an Apple product considering the cost and how much they go on about others using the screens they reject.

Oh well, can't be helped, although it'll probably knock £100 off the second hand value.

Note: I respect and recommend Computerwarehouse for always delivering on time, and always buy from them. However, if someone there tries to sell you extra memory at 'cost' price when buying a new machine from them, check with crutial.com first as CW's idea of 'cost' for 512mb (£80) is much higher than crucial's £48.99. Doh !

Dragonfly,

Try using a very soft cloth, such as a lens cleaning cloth, to very gently massage the dead pixel to see if it will come back to life.

Dragonfly,

Had the same problem with exactly the same model recently. The power kept shutting off after about 20 min, though older adaptor from 15" didn't cut out. Unplugging/replugging it (from a power strip) did get it to work again. Still, took the adaptor back to the supplier and they exchanged it.

The problem seems to be solved now. However, there are a few things that may be relevant:
1. At first I hadn't fully charged and calibrated the battery - so perhaps this had an impact?
2. Since calibration the machine is mostly plugged directly into a socket.
3. There is a definite issue with the present power adaptor's sensitivity to variations in the electric supply. See
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=32155

Quite a lot of concern about this on the 'Power - Battery' sections of both the 17" and 15" Powerbooks (http://discussions.info.apple.com/)
Discussion titles are "Battery won't charge -alternating green/amber" and "Problems with my power adapter!!!!"

The second thread (for 15") is very extensive.