# iPad charging problems???



## Casse (Oct 16, 2009)

Is what seems like very slow charging from the USB cable to a computer (Macbook Pro) in my case normal


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

As far as I know (and I've had an iPad since early May), the only way you can charge it properly is by using the AC adapter. I think my iPad actually says "not charging" when I have it hooked up to my computer when I'm syncing it. There is probably a trickle charge, but definitely isn't the way it's supposed to be done.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

The iPad prefers a high rate of charge, and the wall plug adapter provides this.  Unless your computer is very new, and maybe not then, USB ports that aren't of the latest standards don't provide this fast charge.  So yes, this is probably normal.  I assume your iPad charges fairly quickly from the wall.


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## kwajkat (Nov 6, 2008)

When plugged into my laptop, I also get the not charging notice. It isn't your ipad, you really just need to plug it into the outlet to charge effectively.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

The USB standard charging rate is 5V at 500mA, or 2.5W.  The iPad wall charger puts out 5V at 2A, or 10W.  So with the device asleep, the wall wart will recharge the device 4x as fast as a standard USB ports (some newer computers have special "charging" USB ports that can put out more current).

The reason you get the "not charging" message is because when on (screen lit), the iPad uses 2.48W--literally all the power that your USB port is putting out.  It doesn't charge while the screen is on in that case.  But as soon as it goes back to sleep, that 2.5W is no longer needed to run the display, and is used to charge the battery.  You just can't see the charging icon because the screen is off.   Obviously this also means that, when plugged into the wall, the iPad charges 25% slower when the screen is on.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

geko29 said:



> The USB standard charging rate is 5V at 500mA, or 2.5W. The iPad wall charger puts out 5V at 2A, or 10W. So with the device asleep, the wall wart will recharge the device 4x as fast as a standard USB ports (some newer computers have special "charging" USB ports that can put out more current).
> 
> The reason you get the "not charging" message is because when on (screen lit), the iPad uses 2.48W--literally all the power that your USB port is putting out. It doesn't charge while the screen is on in that case. But as soon as it goes back to sleep, that 2.5W is no longer needed to run the display, and is used to charge the battery. You just can't see the charging icon because the screen is off.  Obviously this also means that, when plugged into the wall, the iPad charges 25% slower when the screen is on.


You're certainly right about the charging rates (as I'm sure you already know).  I use the wall charger because that's they way the iPad directions say to charge it, and I can't see not following the directions on something as expensive as my 64 GB wi-fi/3G iPad.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Wall charger for iPad and wall charger for iPods are _not_ the same. You _have to_ use 10W iPad charger when charging iPad.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> Wall charger for iPad and wall charger for iPods are _not_ the same. You _have to_ use 10W iPad charger when charging iPad.


Good point. I don't know if the iPad would eventually charge via the iPhone charger, but I know that it's only a 5W charger. I suppose there's a chance that the iPad would eventually charge, but I don't want to wait that long. (Seems as if I read that the iPhone charger could be used, but it isn't recommended because of the required charge time. Am I mistaken about this?)


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

While I was standing in line at Apple Store to buy iPad, one of the guys from the store said not to use iPod charger to charge iPad -- not enough power.  I accidentally did once.  IIRC, iPad didn't charge overnight and iPod charger got quite warm.  Also said not to charge iPad via Mac / computer.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> While I was standing in line at Apple Store to buy iPad, one of the guys from the store said not to use iPod charger to charge iPad -- not enough power. I accidentally did once. IIRC, iPad didn't charge overnight and iPod charger got quite warm. Also said not to charge iPad via Mac / computer.


Thanks for the info. I'm not at all surprised that the charger got very warm. I'll stick with my iPad charger.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I have charged my iPad via USB from a computer (PC) and it did work, but was incredibly slow.  I left it on overnight, and while I was at work the following day.  It does work, but is very slow, and I agree not a good choice.

According to internet discussions back when the iPad first was released, there is a new USB standard (USB 3.0, maybe?) that does give more power, and it allows charging an iPad fairly normally via USB.  But at least at the time, about the only "stock" computers that had USB ports meeting this new standard were certain Macs (surprise, surprise).  And I suspect that is still true.  I am just charging with the iPad charger that came with my unit, and will continue to do so, but USB via computer is available in a dire emergency.


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

Is it the wall plug in or the usb cord that is 10W? And how do you tell them apart from the 5W?  I can't seem to find anything on them and am wondering if I somehow mixed them up with my recent traveling.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

corkyb said:


> Is it the wall plug in or the usb cord that is 10W? And how do you tell them apart from the 5W? I can't seem to find anything on them and am wondering if I somehow mixed them up with my recent traveling.


It's the wall plug, and if you look very carefully on the underneath side, you'll see where it says 10W. The iPhone charger says 5W on it. The print is light gray, and very hard to see, but it's there on all of my chargers. I have several i-device chargers that look exactly the same, but one is 10W.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

corkyb said:


> I can't seem to find anything on them and am wondering if I somehow mixed them up with my recent traveling.


I have so many chargers for cordless items, and it is hard to tell them apart. I use my label maker and label either the transformer and/or the cord so I can easily find the right charger.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> Wall charger for iPad and wall charger for iPods are _not_ the same. You _have to_ use 10W iPad charger when charging iPad.


No, you _don't_. You can use the iPad charger, iPhone charger, iPod charger, or any computer to charge the iPad. I do it with a half-dozen of them on an extremely regular basis. The 10W wall chargers almost never get used (because we have so many of the others floating around). In fact, I charged one yesterday from about 30% using an iPhone charger (5W), all the way up to 100% in a few hours.

But if you don't believe me, see what Apple has to say:



> Charging Tips
> The quickest way to charge your iPad is with the included 10W USB Power Adapter. *iPad will also charge, although more slowly, when attached to a computer with a high-power USB port (many recent Mac computers) or with an iPhone Power Adapter*. When attached to a computer via a standard USB port (most PCs or older Mac computers) iPad will charge, but only when it's in sleep mode. Make sure your computer is on while charging iPad via USB. If iPad is connected to a computer that's turned off or is in sleep or standby mode, the iPad battery will continue to drain.


I have one of the REALLY old iPod chargers at home (the ones that are 4" square, with the removable plug adapter like the iPad charger has), I'll try it tonight and report back. My test iPad is only at 89% currently, but I'll try to drain it a bit on the way home so it'll be a true test.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

geko29 said:


> No, you _don't_. You can use the iPad charger, iPhone charger, iPod charger, or any computer to charge the iPad. I do it with a half-dozen of them on an extremely regular basis. The 10W wall chargers almost never get used (because we have so many of the others floating around). In fact, I charged one yesterday from about 30% using an iPhone charger (5W), all the way up to 100% in a few hours.
> 
> But if you don't believe me, see what Apple has to say:
> 
> I have one of the REALLY old iPod chargers at home (the ones that are 4" square, with the removable plug adapter like the iPad charger has), I'll try it tonight and report back. My test iPad is only at 89% currently, but I'll try to drain it a bit on the way home so it'll be a true test.


That's interesting. I was going by something that I read when I got my first iPad back in April. Glad to know that I can use my iPhone charger or a fast USB port. I use my iPad charger to charge my Zaggmate case w/keyboard, so now I can charge both things at once. Thanks for the clarification. I went to the Apple support site to see if I could get some more tips about my battery, but there wasn't anything there with which I was unfamiliar.

Thanks again!


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

geko29 said:


> I have one of the REALLY old iPod chargers at home (the ones that are 4" square, with the removable plug adapter like the iPad charger has), I'll try it tonight and report back. My test iPad is only at 89% currently, but I'll try to drain it a bit on the way home so it'll be a true test.


As promised, tested with "iPod USB Power Adapter", Apple Model number A1102. This is a 5W USB brick from 2005 (2 years before iPhone and iPod Touch, 5 before iPad), designed for the 4th gen iPod photo/color. Results: charges iPad while screen is on, as expected. With iPad asleep, charges at a rate of 15% per hour, brick gets just barely above room temperature--about as warm as it gets charging a 1st Gen Nano or 5th Gen iPod Video.

It would take 6 hours to fully recharge an iPad from 10% using this iPod charger, vs. 3 hours with the included charger. This is exactly what you would expect, given it can supply precisely half the current. A standard USB port on a 1+ year old computer would take approximately 12 hours, as current is halved yet again.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

geko29 said:


> No, you _don't_. You can use the iPad charger, iPhone charger, iPod charger, or any computer to charge the iPad. I do it with a half-dozen of them on an extremely regular basis. The 10W wall chargers almost never get used (because we have so many of the others floating around). In fact, I charged one yesterday from about 30% using an iPhone charger (5W), all the way up to 100% in a few hours.
> 
> But if you don't believe me, see what Apple has to say


So no, I guess you do _have to_ according to Apple web site, but my experience was the iPod / 5W charger got quite warm when I accidentally charged (partially) iPad with it. Again, was told by the guys in the Apple Store here (Oakbrook, IL) to use iPad / 10W charger to charge iPad.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> So no, I guess you do _have to_ according to Apple web site, but my experience was the iPod / 5W charger got quite warm when I accidentally charged (partially) iPad with it. Again, was told by the guys in the Apple Store here (Oakbrook, IL) to use iPad / 10W charger to charge iPad.


I'm sticking with my 10W charger unless I get desperate. I don't want my iPad to overheat, and I like to charge it as quickly as possible. It's good to know that we have options in the event that we need them.


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## jaimee83 (Sep 2, 2009)

Google; iPad charging, basicly it says to use the ac adapter.  I've always used the battery doctor app while charging  however with that running it prolongs the charging time.  Plug it in the AC adapter, let it go into the sleep mode and it'll fully charge in 3 - 4 hours.


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