I'm baffled by these inverter/laptop tales.  I bought a cheapie $20(or less)
very small low power inverter at Walmart one day.  I'm not looking at it, so
I can't tell you its wattage, but I'm thinking maybe 70?  It's perhaps 5
inches by 3 inches - though not rectangular.  Very modest.

I use it for my laptop or occasionally my coffee grinder (yeah, I finally
gave up on the very slow manual grinder) or once in a while a fan or a lamp
or my radio.  One thing at a time.  I've never had any trouble with having
enough power.

I'm baffled as to why folks need these huge inverters for laptops!

Joy

****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy

****************************************************************:::-----Orig
inal Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Christopher Gronski
:::Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 6:54 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: Inverter at Radio Shack
:::
:::While I tend to agree that bigger is better, my 300 watt Radio Shack
:::inverter (12Vdc 30A MAX, output 115Vac) has no problem powering my
:::laptop (16V Input: 100V-240V~ 1.1A 50-60Hz, Output: 16V 2.7A). I
:::recently used it on a 20 hour round trip drive to Rhode Island.
:::
:::Chris
:::
:::On 12/1/05, Robert Rountree <syncro87@hotmail.com> wrote:
:::> I second or 3rd this... I have a 175 watt and a 300 watt inverter...
:::the 300
:::> can NOT run my laptop... it will charge it (takes a good while) But it
:::will
:::> NOT run and charge it at the same time..... 3 mins into running the
:::fans
:::> kicks in ..less than 5 mins the alarm goes off and it shuts down. The
:::175
:::> watt one, with no fan would run my old laptop for hours. The New one...
:::will
:::> NOT run my new bigger laptop .. The power brick says ... 120 watts ...
:::go
:::> figure?.. my .02 worth... get a min 750watt inverter... if you're doing
:::> anything more than charging your cell phone or small camera batterys.
:::>
:::> >>Date:    Thu, 1 Dec 2005 15:43:33 +0000
:::> >From:    Dave Vickery <davevickery@HOTMAIL.COM>
:::> >Subject: Re: Inverter at Radio Shack
:::>
:::> >>WalMart Sells Black & Decker 750 Watt (peak 1500) for 49.99.  300
:::Watts is
:::> not enough.
:::>