[LiveBrianD]

Any ideas why a lot of things use a power brick when they don't need to? ex. PC speakers, routers, network switches, some LED monitors, though at least they help make laptops light.

[coastie65]

LiveBrianD, on 11 December 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

Any ideas why a lot of things use a power brick when they don't need to? ex. PC speakers, routers, network switches, some LED monitors, though at least they help make laptops light.

My PC speakers plug into a USB port for power. I do have what looks like a small power brick for my HP Printer though.

[waldojim]

LiveBrianD, on 11 December 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

Any ideas why a lot of things use a power brick when they don't need to? ex. PC speakers, routers, network switches, some LED monitors, though at least they help make laptops light.

I don't use PC speakers, so no idea there. Other devices though make it easier to recover it a power supply dies. I have 3 or 4 12V power supplies that can VERY quickly replace my Linksys adapter should it croak.

[LiveBrianD]

coastie65, on 11 December 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 11 December 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

Any ideas why a lot of things use a power brick when they don't need to? ex. PC speakers, routers, network switches, some LED monitors, though at least they help make laptops light.

My PC speakers plug into a USB port for power. I do have what looks like a small power brick for my HP Printer though.

My subwoofer plugs into the wall, and the volume control pod and satellite speakers connect to it. One thing I hate about some of those bricks is how they block other outlets (why can't they design it like apple's usb charger, which covers ONE outlet and sticks out a little?).

Once though, the dlink router power supply died, so I connected it to my power supply thing (it has options for 3V, 4.5V, 6V, 9V, and 12V, 2A) and used that temporarily until my dad bought a new one.

[myloginname]

I've always thought that was interesting...how a $10 table lamp I use for work requires a power brick. It is a cheap piece of junk that uses piece of concrete that is covered with a piece of plastic to make it look half decent, and it requires a power brick.

Its also interesting how some things dont require a power brick. Our TV, the big, old, fat 42" CRT has no power brick.

[mjd420nova]

They call them vipers. Unless you have them on a power strip they never get turned off and use power, even then your printer, scanner, speakers or what ever. Like a battery charger for a police scanner, it sits idle, plugged in but not drawing any considerable amount of current. Plug in the jack and it begins to charge the nicad pack. The current draw when idle adds up when you look at all those things plugged in throughout the house. The main power strip has twelve lumps plugged in, not a single cord. When I'm busy, that stack puts out some heat. Size of the needed supply and design of the device has led many mfgrs to go with an external supply. I guess this makes for the quickest fix of the highest failure parts.