Universal Laptop Standard for Europe Pushed by IEC

[boby1]

@agnickolov: Gaming laptop? You're kidding me right?

 

[WeaponZero]

Wattage is just a measure of how much potential is available. If your laptop only uses 50 watts, you could plug at 5000 watt PS in, the laptop will still only draw 50 watts, and the remaining 4950 watts of potential is just that, remaining potential sitting idle in the PS. So you simply build the universal PS to output whatever the highest wattage requirement is. Won't hurt anything.

The problem is, in their attempt to cut down in e-waste, they are overlooking that they will create electrical waste. Most cellphones operate at the same basic voltage and wattage. Laptops don't. Yes, one universal PS with a maximum wattage will work, but for all the people using laptops with lower wattage requirements, there is extra energy being used by the PS for wasted potential that will never be used by them. Which is more damaging in the long term, wasting energy or e-waste?

There is a pretty big difference actually. Phones can range from 300mah @ 5v (1.5W) for a feature phone, to 2000mah @ 5v (10W) for a galaxy note. Again your not standardizing the power brick, your standardizing the connector only. That is why when same was done with cellphones, your feature phones still come with a 300mah brick and your galaxy note comes with a 2000mah brick.

 

[tului]

It seems like none of you idiots realize government intervention ALWAYS results in unintended consequences that present a bigger problem than the one they solve.

As another poster gave a couple of examples I'll give another. The breakup of AT&T. The innovation and savings that brought about were monumental. Sure we need to be careful where we let the government tread, but with careful oversight it can be quite beneficial.

Oh yes, another example. DARPA and the Internet. 'Nuff said.

 

[Grandmastersexsay]

Please educate us on the bigger negative consequences of ROHS and UL compliance. Also the banning of lead paint. Or more close relation the microusb standard for cellphones.

Government interventions have all kinds of consequences, but to say that they ALWAYS lead to bigger problems is false and ridiculous. Even a broken watch is right 2 times a day.

HA!

Wait a couple years and see how that lead free solder is working out for you in your $5,000 TV that ROHS mandates be used. That's just a quick example though. Generally, and more importantly, any kind of enforced standard leads to increased prices.

Consumers used to have to be educated. Now they rely on government to protect them. I don't know if anyone notices, but government can screw anything up. Government is about the only entity that can make a website slower than the actual mail.

I don't know about your ridiculous mandatory micro USB cell phone charger standard, but I do know over in the US almost all phone companies have gone that way on their own accord. You know what your negative effect of all Europe's absurd interventionism is? Almost all your electronics cost some 20% more than it does anywhere else in world. If it is a good idea, the free market will drive innovation in that direction. Government can only get in the way.

 

[WeaponZero]

HA!

Wait a couple years and see how that lead free solder is working out for you in your $5,000 TV that ROHS mandates be used. That's just a quick example though. Generally, and more importantly, any kind of enforced standard leads to increased prices.

My TV is RoHS compliant, 5 years later it still works like the day it was bought. And I am well aware of advantages of lead solider, but your example is a poor one, there is no reason for solder to not work in a TV 5 years later. Recently I had a laptop where the solder to the power connector broke off, that is more realistic example. But even then the issue is more of poor engineering. RoHS is a good thing and you know it. And an enforced standard does not mean increased prices, unless that standard is proprietary in nature. Though usually those are the result of lobbying.

Sometimes, enforced standards even lower costs. The micro-usb is a perfect example. Before you had to spend 20$ to get an official charger. Now any 1$ micro-usb can charge your device.

Consumers used to have to be educated. Now they rely on government to protect them. I don't know if anyone notices, but government can screw anything up. Government is about the only entity that can make a website slower than the actual mail.

One does not detract from the other. The government has responsibilities and the individual has responsibilities. The government is a tool, tools can be used one way or the other. People love blaming the government for everything but the reality is the government is a representation of it's people. Because end of the day, the government is made out of people.

I don't know about your ridiculous mandatory micro USB cell phone charger standard, but I do know over in the US almost all phone companies have gone that way on their own accord. You know what your negative effect of all Europe's absurd interventionism is? Almost all your electronics cost some 20% more than it does anywhere else in world. If it is a good idea, the free market will drive innovation in that direction. Government can only get in the way.

First of all, don't make assumptions. I live in the US.

Second of all, the IEC is an international organization that is non-governmental and non-profit that sets standards and members include all the major countries including the US. They are the ones that set the micro-usb as the universal standard. The EU just enforced the standard through laws.

So the cellphone makers did not magically all decide to go that way on their own accord. The IEC set a standard and they followed it. The EU law just solidified it.