Power Cord Confusion eMac or iMac

Question

Power Cord Confusion eMac or iMac

A friend gave me a few slot loading iMacs a few months ago but he only had one power cord (his work upgraded and no one knows where the other cords are).

A week ago he gave me an eMac 1.42 but no new power cord. I tried the one that works for the iMacs and it worked on the eMac. Now I don't know which cord this is really for. My understanding is that they are not supposed to take the same power cords.

The cord is branded Volex. The male end is part PS204 (E624405SP) and the female is APC13S (10A 125V).

Here's a link to the manufacturer:
http://www.volex.com/index.php?option=com_ecatalog&task=plugdetails&classid=1&co untryid=1&plugid=121&Itemid=31

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

eMac 1.42, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Oct 1, 2008 12:42 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

roam

Level 6

13,631 points

Oct 1, 2008 1:05 AM in response to Marty Mcdermott

Why do you think that they are not supposed to take the same power cords?
If it connects, and it fits snugly and it delivers power then that will be alright.
They do not regulate the flow of electricity, ( apart from the fact all wires induce a resistance), so I don't think you have any reason for concern.

Reply

Answer 2

Oct 1, 2008 1:16 AM in response to Marty Mcdermott

Synaptech states that iMac slot loading and Power Mac G4 Towers use the same power cord. I just noticed that my G4 Digital Audio power cord (the one it came with when new) has the exact same Volex brand and part numbers, but a different translucent look. So, assuming the "mystery" cord is for the iMac, my question now is can the cord be safely used with the eMac? Synaptech says they are not compatible, but it has been working fine for a couple of days.

http://www.synaptech.com/catalog/index.php?mainpage=product_info&cPath=15_64&productsid=69

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 1, 2008 1:21 AM in response to roam

Thanks for the reply Roam, I typed my second post before I got to read yours! So, is synaptech incorrect about the iMac/G4 cable not being compatible with the eMac?

Reply

Answer 4

roam

Level 6

13,631 points

Oct 1, 2008 1:29 AM in response to Marty Mcdermott

So, is synaptech incorrect about the iMac/G4 cable not being compatible with the eMac?

I don't know, drop them an email and ask their reason. I can't see one myself.

Reply

Answer 5

Oct 1, 2008 1:36 AM in response to roam

Weird, the board shows my 2nd post below my 3rd? I will do as you suggest, Roam. Thanks for your help.

Reply

Answer 6

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Oct 2, 2008 7:36 AM in response to Marty Mcdermott

Hey Marty,

I tried the one that works for the iMacs and it worked on the eMac. Now I don't know which cord this is really for. My understanding is that they are not supposed to take the same power cords.

Well this is the correct one for the eMac:
http://www.synaptech.com/catalog/index.php?mainpage=product_info&cPath=15_64&productsid=66
If you look at it the socket end it's identical to the iMac and every ATX power supply I've run into. That's the standard power supply in PCs that I see but these are older.
The difference is that the eMac cord has that cool circular collar that seals the AC opening and it's white. Electrically they're the same
I think the confusion that SynapTech has is this line:
"Not intended for use with G4 or G5 flat-panel display iMacs, AC power adapters for iBooks or PowerBooks, eMac models, or Airport Extreme base stations."

So, is synaptech incorrect about the iMac/G4 cable not being compatible with the eMac?

Well actually the slot loading iMacs you have are G3s.
Here's the cord for the G4 iMac Flat Panel:
http://www.synaptech.com/catalog/index.php?mainpage=product_info&cPath=15_64&productsid=65
It's the one I call "Mickey Mouse Ears" and it's very different.
So if those slot loaders don't have cords there are tons of cords out there that will fit them.
BTW what are you going to do with the slots? and how many are there?
I've been gathering them as companies cycle them out, repairing them, installing new software and donating them to schools in the inner city.
Richard

Message was edited by: spudnuty

null

Reply

Answer 7

Oct 3, 2008 1:40 AM in response to spudnuty

Thanks for your help! It seems my question has been answered, I knew I was in the right place. Only one of the slot loading iMacs was working and I pieced together a super slot loader. Donating it to a school in need is a great idea and I have a few contacts to follow up with. The eMac is a couple of steps up from my tower so I'll finally get to play around with Garageband!

Here's the prompt response I got from Synaptech, in case anyone was wondering. It got sent to my spam folder so I missed it at first:

The power cord originally supplied with slot loading iMacs is a universal model that works with virtually all machines. The eMac power cord is supplied with a plastic collar that fits the cord in such a manner that it sits flush in the case. That disk-like collar generally limits its use to the eMac, and no other machine, as it is designed specifically to fit the eMac case.

You can use a standard power cord with an eMac, as neither the collar nor the color affect performance. If you are ordering a replacement, however, we simply defer to Apple's design team, who made the decision to match specific cables and features to specific models.

Michael Lafferty
Director of Research & Development
SynapTECH

(541) 342 7865 voice
(541) 342 7867 FAX

http://www.synaptech.com

Reply