…and the award for Most Improbable-Looking Power Supply Unit goes to Dell UK!

Most laptops come with a power supply unit with is essentially a cuboid. Typically the mains end is detachable and the laptop end isn’t. Dell however have decided to do something altogether more random. I don’t believe there is even a defined geometric term for this shape. But try to imagine taking a cardboard drink carton and sucking the contents out of it. As the internal pressure is reduced, the carton collapses under the external air pressure. The power supply is approximately that shape.

Usually the transformer is mid-way along the cable. But the thing Dell have supplied puts the transformer about 30 cm from the mains plug. In addition, the plug that connects the mains to the transformer is bent through a full 180° angle. I’ve seen 90° connectors before, but 180°??

The purpose of all this bizzare design is, apparently, that it should be possible to wind the cables around the transformer while not in use. But they wind round in the opposite direction to that which you would expect — round the long axis, not the short one. And this is the origin of the weird transformer shape (it’s meant to keep the coils from sliding off) and the odd connector angle. (Note that the other cable is not detachable, and exits at a 0° angle like normal.) The (minimal) user manual illustrates the correct winding direction, and notes that failure to observe this will invalidate your warranty. (!!!)

Also, usually a laptop comes with a manual explaining what all the various knobs and buttons do. This one doesn’t. For example, the CD drive has the usual electronic eject button. And also a rather larger mechanical button, which appears to do nothing. Weird…