Heads-up,
iPad owners (or to-be owners, as it were) -- the same devices you currently use to juice up your iPod touch or iPhone may not work on your fancy new tablet.
Consumer Reports,
TUAW and our own
Chris Ziegler have confirmed that their powered USB hubs wouldn't charge the iPad, and we're even seeing reports that some Wintel rigs won't either. The only sure bets right now are Apple computers and your nearby AC outlet, leaving iPad owners with fewer options when it comes to topping off that battery when away from your abode. We're pretty certain this all boils down to the iPad requiring more power than most powered USB ports are designed to give, but it's still something to keep in mind. So, any of you early adopters finding that your own powered USB hub or non-Mac
does rejuvenate the iPad? Let us know in comments below.
Update:
Macworld has
a nice explaination of the whole situation. Looks like tablets just require more power to charge than smartphones -- who woulda thunk it?
Update 2: And now Apple has come right out with a support article --
head on over to see what it recommends.
posted April 3rd 2010 3:14PM
@eyerot
That's what I came here to discuss. Rejuvenating, maybe?
Maybe it's a play on words I don't get?
@eyerot
That's what I was wondering, that word confused the hell out of me.
@assb10yr
I guess we should shutdown the whole world so we can switch over the Macs with Apple servers, Apple software, oh wait... can't do it, the cost would be more than the U.S. debt.
/sarcasm
-Reps for stupidity. If it weren't for PCs you'd have nothing.
And it begins...
no more ipad! *hits exclude, feels vaguely empty*
@Level 5
Don't freak out everybody. Powering via methods other than through a Mac or wall charger will be a new feature coming in v2.
@bjsguess so, where's the source for that? or are we just assuming this, as seems to be standard fare here?
@Level 5 More like the fails continue.
@Jables237 Yeah...if you think the iPad has failed I wouldn't want to ever be in business with you or work for you - because you clearly don't recognize success - which has been known to come with a few hiccups along the way.
My YouTube is broken anyone else?
@bjsguess I have my iPad right in front of me. It is NOT YET charging but WILL charge as soon as some of it's 10 hour battery life has left the device. I don't think it has anything to do with my Mac Pro USB pots not having the juice. I think it has everything to do with a NEW 10 hour battery life, and people not used to seeing how the charging cycle works.
@bjsguess
+1 for sarcasm
This is a tablet. Not a full fledged touchscreen computer, but as close as you can get. It -is- going to need a lot of power- no way around that. I'm all for making a logical point against the usefulness of a product, but it comes with a working charger, and it still syncs with any computer.
The speaker is pretty awful for the size, it should really have a camera, there should be at -least- one usb port, the bezel should be smaller, icons and skins should be customizable, and for God's sake: if you're going to point out a product's weak points, choose ones that can actually be fixed.
@Level 5 ....the fanboy's coming up with reasons the Ipad of not having this feature?
@Level 5 ...So people begin to notice that other computer manufacturers have a very bad quality control and their ports don't really deliver 5v. It's all about the standards.
@John Stathakis
What else happened today aside iPad?
and I guess no one remembers the macbook air superdrive and it's inability to be used with anything else than the usb port of a mac?
@42
LOL
ipads haven't been sold out anywhere. Not even at best buy. There were no lines at bestbuy.
The people looking for fame/reporters/cops to actual customers was about 50:1.
AppleTV anyone?
@Level 5 I've been wondering how long it takes, on average, for the comments on an Apple post on Engadget to reduce to pointless arguments.. I'd bet the record is less than 5 minutes.
@Drago
It's not just the voltage, USB is 5V 500mA max. A lot of ports, particularly laptops and front panel connectors have trouble providing the 500mA. If you've had issues running an external USB HDD you will most likely have iPAD charging issues too.
I wonder how empty it is for all those /exclude/apple souls =/
@Level 5 You all got a supposed "all-in-one" device and now you need a separate charger.
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Seriously, just keep your iPhone and get yourself a tablet computer.
@Level 5 So I need to buy iMac to charge my iPad?
@bjsguess
Steve Jobs: USB hubs, windows USB, travel USB devices are SO obsolete when you have a MacBook and power cube.
Also, iTunes runs best on a Mac.
@Ren021 Bingo.
@Level 5
Duh, it's a magical device.
You don't see wizard plugging their wands into USB do you?
@Drago
Do you know for a fact that the iPad falls within those standards and doesn't require more power than the standard specifies, like the MacBook Air DVD drive? If not, then please hold off criticizing everybody for bad quality control until you are.
@Level 5 And over and over again.. Hopefully Apple has a fix for that.. On the contrary, I think right now, what we should be looking for are, those new apps that the iPad promises to the users: http://bit.ly/top-apps-for-ipad
This was the first thing I noticed today. The built in hub on my tower didn't charge it nor did my iTrip car adapter...I am disappoint...this keyboard was a very pleasant surprise though!
@Mmmm Donuts Honestly, after using it for a few hours, I'd have to say the bezel is just right. I've got big fingers, so i trip the touch screen every once and awhile, but it seems like its just right for normal folk.
@Level 5
Didn't Steve Jobs say USB was a sloppy syncing/charging method?
@bjsguess: It'll be a paid upgrade ;)
@Drago
Close... but not quite.
The issue is current, not voltage. As such the USB standard states that no more than 500ma per hub can be consumed (5 unit loads). A is defined as 100ma, devices requiring more power can start at this level and then request more if available. It may be that the iPad needs the full 500ma. USB 3.0 allocates up to 900ma or 6 unit loads where the unit load is defined as 150ma.
So for you iPad users out there with non macs, try using a USB 2.0 port, or a hub with nothing plugged into it. If this doesn't work then the iPad is using more power than the standard voltages available to USB. One of those old school dual plug hard drive cables might do the trick.
Unfortunately, since the iPad is not really a USB device, there is no recourse with the consortium.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Power
wow, so many comments down-ranked into oblivion! i'm too lazy to click on links to show them all...
@Sogeking lmao +1
@chrisrottan There were lines at the Best Buy here.
@Drago When i last measured it, my lappy gives out 5v just fine
@lgreenlee: +1 for actually being right.
@Level 5
"Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system"
Something goof there Apple?
@SmokemeaKipper Exactly. It's like cheap eBay iPhone chargers that claim 500ma. I measured one and it was only putting out about 200ma. I then bought a reputable 1A (1000ma) one. The cheapies aren't enough to charge it whilst using GPS, but a good one will.
Check out the Incase website; they have a 2AMP car charger suit iPad and also a 2AMP combo one that will plug into the wall, or a car socket. Awesome! :)
If anything, y'all are too early on the complaints for the first day of existence. In one month, third party developers save the day with power accessories for the ipad to save us the cost of apple's expensive accessories.
Plus iPhone HD will no doubt be 10 watts too. So you will no doubt have it's pre parts ready and newer 10 watt capable USB computers.
@Drago
oh, you mean like flash?
@Drago The problem is not voltage, the problem is amperage. USB is rated to provide 500mA. It could well be that the iPad requires more than 500mA to charge, and some ports do provide up to 1A. In fact, your iPod (and presumeably iPad) chargers do just that.
But if that's the case, then the iPad's requirements are simply outside the USB specs, and Apple should have said so. But if this is not the issue, than there is something weird going on.
@chrisrottan
You couldn't be more wrong. I work at an apple store, and the ipad sections of the store remained crowded from the time we opened until the doors closed at night. Did you even consider the fact that Best Buy doesn't let you play with it, their employees have zero knowledge of the product, and lastly that Best Buy made little effort to make the public aware of the launch of this event at their own stores? Did you stop to read *any* of engadget's articles about the stores around the country?
Before you make up stuff, because nobody believes you're omnipotent (ipads haven't been sold out anywhere?), take a dose of reality or just go back to the hole from where you crawled.
@darwiniandude Hmm, so that must be why my iPod won't be charged by the $15 Nintendo DS USB carcharger and my old iPod dock took much longer to charge than my recently bought official Apple USB adapter.
@Drago - No, that's not it at all. Most older USB ports put out 500mA max, but Apple's, and some other new ones go as high 1.5A. Almost no one is violating the spec (except maybe the ones that are putting out HIGHER current). Apple is making the best use of the current that is available to them. They didn't screw up and neither did PC and USB Port makers.
@Level 5: Apple early adopter = Beta Tester
@lgreenlee You have just gone WAY over the head of the average engadget/gizmodo/dvice readers' head. Only pointless, fanboy arguments have a place at sites like these - they are the weekly world news of tech sites! Technical arguments belong on a non tech-trash site.
@Mmmm Donuts
"as close as you can get [to a full-fledged touchscreen computer]"
Are you serious? It's still just a giant iPhone until it can actually multitask. Until then (probably a few hardware versions later, if at all), that's no excuse for power consumption.
And I imagine most people wouldn't mind slower charging if it means it can charge at all. Leave it to Apple to defy standards at their users' expense.
@petepete
Downranked for working at an Apple store.