Replace your bulky charger with Dart, the world's smallest notebook adapter

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,240   +192
Staff member

Bulky chargers with lengthy cords have been a staple of notebooks for decades. Given recently technological advancements in virtually every other category, it’s a wonder that nobody has yet to tackle this common inconvenience. Well now, someone finally has.

A group of MIT graduate students have launched a Kickstarter campaign for Dart, a product they claim is the world’s smallest notebook adapter. The 65W adapter is small enough to fit inside a pocket or purse, features a single outlet profile and includes a USB port to charge a separate device like a smartphone or tablet.

The Dart claims to be compatible with all PC brands and is designed for use anywhere in the world. I know some notebooks only work with proprietary chargers so it’d be wise to check the compatibility list beforehand if you’re interested in picking one up.

The charger will ultimately be available in blue, magenta, silver, gun metal and orange and will arrive with a six foot cable.

As of writing, the campaign has already raised over $180,000 and is well on its way to achieving the $200,000 goal set in place with 29 days to go. A pledge of $89 is what it’ll take to get your name on the delivery list this November. It’s certainly not cheap but then again, it’s a bargain compared to the $120 MSRP it’ll carry once it hits retail.

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65w isnt compatible with ALL pc brands, is it? I mean I could be wrong but I thought 65w was mostly typical, i3 or i5 etc etc laptops. I could be way off though.

I mean id think gaming laptops or workstation laptops or even higher end laptops would do more than that.
 
When I buy a laptop, I always opt for the bigger extended battery & the 90 watt charger/adapter since I want the longer lasting battery. 65watt wouldn't be enough for my use, but for the typical "best buy" computer buyer it might be adequate.
 
Not compatible with Apple laptops? Those too have bulky chargers, only owners of Apple products spend more money on gadgets. That's a bad marketing move.
 
Chargers aren't that big or weight that much compared with the laptop+battery so I really don't see why anyone would pay $100 for a second charger to save a few grams and a bit of bag space. Kickstarter should have a new section - non-starter.
 
65w isnt compatible with ALL pc brands, is it? I mean I could be wrong but I thought 65w was mostly typical, i3 or i5 etc etc laptops. I could be way off though.

I mean id think gaming laptops or workstation laptops or even higher end laptops would do more than that.

My gaming laptop isn't listed.

Not that I mind the size of it, makes a great flail.
 
65w isnt compatible with ALL pc brands, is it? I mean I could be wrong but I thought 65w was mostly typical, i3 or i5 etc etc laptops. I could be way off though.

I mean id think gaming laptops or workstation laptops or even higher end laptops would do more than that.

My gaming laptop isn't listed.

Not that I mind the size of it, makes a great flail.

I'm pretty sure that these were not designed with 17inch 8 pounder gaming laptops in mind...
 
65w isnt compatible with ALL pc brands, is it? I mean I could be wrong but I thought 65w was mostly typical, i3 or i5 etc etc laptops. I could be way off though.

I mean id think gaming laptops or workstation laptops or even higher end laptops would do more than that.


I have an i7 laptop (Intel 4650 Sony vaio duo 13) and it's charger is only 45w. It's going to be more down to the efficiency of the components which dictates the battery as to what wattage is required to to charge. But still like you say some laptops will require more power I have seen 90w supplies but that is on older models.

Curious I wonder if there are plans to bring out a UK version. US 2 prog plugs are so flimsy and made worse when you plug then into a uk adapter. UK one might be bulkier but much more stable sturdy connection.
 
I can't even remember the last time I had a laptop that used a power supply as low as 65W. Of course, I tend towards power hungry systems that can run things like SolidWorks in the field (and games in the hotel rooms at night, of course)... But I don't think I'm unique in this, by any means.
 
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