The Gadgeteer: Gomadic Charger Cables with Tip Exchange Technology

The Gadgeteer - Gomadic Charger Cables with Tip Exchange Technology

Right around the corner from my office is a closet which acts as the receptacle for all of the gadgets' boxes and accessories currently being used in our household - well, the ones that will fit, anyway. Inside this closet sits a large cardboard box which holds nothing but power cords, adapters, odd cables and vehicle chargers for PDAs, digital music players, mobile phones, and other devices that we may or may not still own and which we may or may not still be using. I have to clean the box out at least every two years, otherwise the cables will begin to spill over and chaos will rule.

You know what? It really strikes me as a complete waste of money that almost every time I change PDA's I have to also get new travel or vehicle cables to go along with the device. I mean, these cables are all essentially the same. Well, with the exception of their tips, of course.

That's why I was so interested when I was given the opportunity to review Gomadic's Charger Cables with Tip Exchange Technology. I was intrigued by the idea that the same power cable which charges my PPC-6700 could also charge my iPAQ 4700 as well as my iPod. I was especially impressed by the idea that the same cable could also power almost every current or future portable device. Suddenly, I can see an end to the need for the box in my closet. This is a good thing!

Gomadic sells what they call their Essential Power Kit, which includes both their Rapid Car Charger and Rapid Wall Charger as well as two tips for the same device. I was sent a kit that included two mini USB tips to use with my PPC-6700, and I was also sent tips which would fit my iPod and iPAQ 4700. Additional tips for many devices may be ordered at the same time as the initial order, or later on as the owner acquires new devices. All it takes is the swapping out of a simple plug-in tip...

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