People ask me this question all the time and I never have an answer. Now it's MadridMan who is asking....

Taking a laptop to Spain from the USA: Is it safe to use a power converter/transformer to use a USA/North American-origin laptop (and to charge the batteries)? While I've done this successfully to charge camcorder batteries I'm somewhat hesitant to do so with a sensitve laptop.

I don't OWN a laptop (yet), but was thinking that if I ever move to Madrid (crossing fingers) and already own one if I would be able to take to Spain. Maybe it would be more hassle than it's worth. But imagine if I bought one in Spain and then, if things didn't work out, had to return to the USA and use it here.

Saludos, MadridMan
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[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 06-14-2000).]

I do not have experience with this, but I think there are laptops able to work with different voltages, they adapt automatically to the different currents. Maybe this would be more interesting than carrying a transformer.

Florencio

Hi MM. My (Spanish) sister-in-law works in the US and she takes her lap top with her when she goes home to Spain. She never has a problem, so I guess it works fine with the transformer.

Saludos.

I had my laptop in Madrid and at home it worked fine with a converter/adapter. I rarely used it outside of the home, but I did notice the battery didn't fully charge. It may have been the computer- Surly they have to have fixed the problem by now. Let me know what you find out. Have you thought about just taking your PC? I just carried it on the plane with me and bought a new monitor there.

Nevado, you took your PC on the plane to Spain with you?? And you successfully used a converter/transformer for it?? I would never have considered this, but why not?!

Did you have to buy a ticket for it to sit in the seat next to you? Did it, by chance, order a vegetarian meal? And did it have tea or coffee after lunch? I suppose it didn't complain about the lack of legroom.

Saludos, MadridMan
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[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 06-16-2000).]

Funny- no, I just had it packed in a double box (no popcorn though) and had a handle made and put it in the overhead compartment. I just bought a new monitor when I got there.