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How to Fix the Biggest PC Annoyances

Computing hassles driving you bonkers? We feel your pain. And we have solutions--for hardware, software, and the Web.

Steve Bass

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AC Adapters on Steroids

The Annoyance: The engineers who design AC adapters that are way, way too big should be sentenced to 20 whacks with a geometry textbook. Heck, the power transformers that come with some notebooks and handhelds seem to weigh more than the device they're powering. This is one of my A-list kvetches.

The Fix: I bought APC's $45 Professional SurgeArrest surge protector; it has eight outlets, three of which are spaced far enough apart to accept most AC adapters. Belkin's 10-Outlet SurgeMaster has four outlets capable of accommodating hefty adapters. Since I have more than four large adapters, I bought a vertical rack-mount power strip designed for a workbench. It has eight outlets spaced over its 4-foot length, each about 6 inches apart. But take note: I plug the strip into the surge protector, not directly into the wall outlet, and I use it only for AC adapters, not power strips or extension cords.

Bonus tip: If you don't like lugging around that brick-size, 6-pound transformer to power your paper-thin notebook, try the $119 Targus Universal AC Adapter. This pricey (but well worth it) gizmo is 2 inches thick and weighs 4.5 ounces; linked with the right connector (and many of them are included), it allows you to power most notebooks as well as to recharge many cell phones and PDAs.

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