A few weeks back, I saw James O’Neill demonstrating Windows Server 2008 R2, using multiple notebook computers for his demo.

Anyone who regularly travels with several laptops will know that they soon become heavy and one way to save weight is to reduce the number of power supplies used. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little standardisation in notebook computer power supplies, so this is not always possible (even with two models from the same OEM).

James has found a workaround though – he has a switchable universal laptop power adapter and a global travel cable set, which meant he could get away with a single power supply (and some judicious juggling between PCs) to reduce the overall amount of equipment to be transported.

On a related note, I recently had to buy a second power adapter for the Dell Inspiron 1525 that we gave to my parents-in-law late last year. I couldn’t find the part on the Dell website but I an “online chat” led me to a parts department, who would charge me £34.50 for one. By shopping around, I was able to get a genuine Dell power supply (PA12) from a marketplace seller on Amazon (also available on eBay – Essex Laptops), delivered next day for around £16 including shipping and a power cable (which, admittedly was not a Dell part). Definitely worth shopping around!