New Industry Products

APC Expands Solutions with Travel Power and LPA Line

November 06, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

American Power Conversion (APC, West Kingston, RI) announced that it is expanding its mobile product offering to include the new APC Travel Power, a compact 75W ac/dc power inverter, and a new line of laptop power adapters (LPAs). The APC Travel Power aims to offer traveling professionals the convenience of remaining productive during transit, whether in a car or airplane, while helping to eliminate the need to carry bulky additional back-up batteries. The new line of LPAs, which offer a full two-year warranty, are intended to allow users to do away with the hassle of packing up their power adapters in order to travel or work remotely.

APC's new Travel Power offers 75W of continuous power and is both auto- and airplane-compatible. In a vehicle, the unit plugs directly into the car's cigarette lighter and uses the vehicle's battery to power a notebook. During flight, the unit uses the in-flight seat connector as a power source. Additionally, Travel Power is equipped with safety features such as a dual-color status indicator that, in the event the car's battery drops below 10.8V, will illuminate the Travel Power's red status indicator and shut down the unit in order to prevent the vehicle's battery from being drained. The Travel Power inverter has received already RCTA approval. Additional safety certifications include CSA; FCC Part 15, Class B; and CE approvals. APC claims that Travel Power is compatible with any notebook computer.

APC's new LPAs provide a reliable power source for notebook computers by converting ac power from a wall outlet into dc power to run the notebook and charge the battery pack inside. These new LPAs will be available for most brands of notebook computers and are claimed to be ideal for ac adapter replacement or for additional adapters for travel.

"The increasing number of business travelers worldwide coupled with the need for high availability makes APC's new travel accessories must-have power solutions for today's business professional," said Aaron Davis, vice president of marketing. "The expansion of our mobile product line to include Travel Power and LPAs adds convenience to help ensure global end-to-end, nonstop networking solutions for the professional on the go."

APC's Travel Power ac/dc power inverter will have an estimated resale price of $79.99. It will begin shipping in North America during fourth quarter 2000. APC LPAs have an estimated resale price of $91.00 and are available in North America immediately.