Volume Number: 19 (2003)
Issue Number: 9
Column Tag: Reviews

Reviews: Juice70

Portable power for most mobile needs

by Michael R. Harvey

Today we talk about juice. There's all kinds. Orange juice, grape juice, cranberry juice, and my sons favorite, the ubiquitous juice box. But that's not important right now. The Juice we have before us today is a highly adaptable and expandable power supply. The Juice70, from iGo Mobility Products, is an adapter that can be used with most laptops, Apple, and PC. The basic package comes with the main power brick, an interchangeable power cord for 110 outlets, as well as one that plugs into both auto power outlets and power outlets found in airline seats. On the other end of the power brick is the cord that plugs into your computer. For this side, several tips are provided that fit to most laptop computers, as well as a chart to help you determine which goes into which. Be careful not to lose the card, as some adapters can fit into the wrong laptop, potentially causing damage. A carrying case (of fair quality) is included to hold all this stuff. That is not all, though.

Part of what makes the Juice70 different form other third party adapters is what iGo terms the "Peripheral Powering System." On the cord from the power brick to the computer is a small port. Into this port, you can plug any of a number of adapters (all of which are sold separately) for cell phones, Nokia, Kyocera, and others, and PDAs from the likes of Sony, Compaq, and others. The compatibility chart for these can be found on the iGo web site.

This is really one great product. The only knock is against it is the cords. They can get unwieldy at times. If they had some better way to be controlled, better than the included Velcro straps anyway, or were retractable, that would make this product near perfect. The Juice70 is $119.95 directly from iGo. Add on charging cables for PDAs and cell phones cost $19.99 each. This is good way to give yourself that extra charger you always seem to need.

www.igo.com

Michael R. Harvey