One of the biggest design drawback of the Apple MacBook Pro has just been fixed
Who knew that one day, one of the MacBook Pro’s most annoying design flaws would be quite literally “turned on its head”?
The internals and body of the MacBook have evolved in formidable ways. In recent years, Apple has prided itself for the ability to shrink the logic board, flattening the body, and augmenting the quality of the Retina display, exponentially every year, while adding new technologies, like the Force Touch trackpad, and the Butterfly mechanism for the keyboard, to one of the most advanced, and best laptops in the world.
In spite of the fact that all of the above is undeniably true, one glaring mark has remained untended: the battery charger. On the inside, the MacBook charger is a feat of engineering that goes beyond simple voltage management. The circuitry inside, is capable of actively recognizing and communicating with a MacBook, to best manage the flow of electricity, and provide the most stable current to properly power the laptop. With that being said, Apple has yet to provide a solution for the wearing out of the tiny wire that connects the charger to the MacBook. The continuous mechanical stress caused by the weight of the charger itself, forces the wire to bend, often in ways that cause it to wear out faster.
Engineers at gadget maker Ten1Design have found a clever way to solve this problem, by simply creating a replacement accessory to the connector that tethers the charger to the wall outlet. BlockHead is a simple, yet bafflingly clever gadget that adds a two-prong electrical connector, which allows for the MacBook charger to be affixed to a wall outlet at a 90 degree angle, instead of being straight, or hanging loose on a floor or other surface. The latter methods cause the wire to bend and wear out faster, while BlockHead’s sideways design lets the cable hang down straight.
BlockHead’s design is not only clever, it also adds a stylish blue accent to the white brick charger of the MacBook. However, those who are particularly picky about consistency with Apple’s own design, may find themselves put off by the fact that, when the MacBook’s charger is plugged into a wall outlet via BlockHead, the Apple logo appears turned 90 degrees anticlockwise, while the BlockHead logotype appears straight horizontal.
A graph on the official product’s page, includes information about how BlockHead has the thinnest profile, among both the standard cord, and third parties’. BlockHead reduces the profile of the MacBook’s charger/cord, down to 1.2 inches, versus the 2.6 inches supplied power cord, and the standard 60w power adapter plug, which is quite impressive.
BlockHead Everything
One of the greatest things about BlockHead, is its universal compatibility with chargers for other Apple products as well, including the iPad, as long as the charger uses the standard outlet connector.
BlockHead won’t be available until June 3rd, the date Ten1Design is planning to start shipping the accessory. However, it’s hard to determine whether BlockHead will be available outside of the United States, as its design seems to fit only the standard two-prong power plugs size, which could mean that other countries using bigger form factors, such as the ones in use in Europe or South East Asia, might require a rethinking of this design.