Mac Forum / General / Hardware / October 2007

Just go to either the Apple store or perhaps Radio Shack and purchase a set
of international plug adapters. For quite some time now Apple computers come
with power supplies that adapt automatically to the voltage they are plugged
into.

And I was going to facetiously suggest that you get a bag of dry ice to place
your iBook in so that it wouldn't "fry"!

You can get an adapter at Radio Shack.  Not much $$.  Get one with a
high power rating since the power supplies can draw a lot for small
adapter.  I've been to Germany, Italy, and India and they have worked
well on my Mac Book Pro.  

The Apple Power Supplies do automatically switch to the European
standard 220 V, 50 Hz, but the plugs are not standard.  The European
ones are two pronged, round in shape and spaced wider than the US flat
prongs.  Go with the adapter.

I returned last night from a week in Tuscany and the Italian Riviera.  
Woo-hoo!  My iBook performed like a champ with the use of the "Europe"
electrical adapter plug purchased from Target for about $8.   It also
worked while plugged into a Airbus A330 during the flight home.  

The plane connection was not without a hitch.  I was plugged in but
wasn't getting any juice.  Didn't pay a lot of attention to it, though,
because I could do what I wanted to do.  When I got to 20% of battery
strength I asked a flight attendant about it.  Long story short:  
there's a note in the NWA in-flight magazine thing that says the plug
may have to be removed and simply plugged in again if there's a problem.  
Worked like a charm and I continued to do what I needed to do. :-)
(Italy was beautiful, btw, and the food and wine were so fine.)

Thank you again for your advise.