spencerd

I am travelling to Shanghai from the UK shortly. Will my MaciBook be compatible with Shanghai hotels, will I need a transformer?

rkkwan

Look at the power supply of your iBook. It should say 100-240V, which means you don't need a transformer.

However, also look at the prongs of the plug. If one blade is longer than the other, then it will not fit in Chinese sockets. The best thing to do is to have two types of plugs with you - one with two flat blades (both same length), the other is two round legs. With both types, you can definitely find a outlet in your hotel room that fit.

PeterN_H

Presumably if you are from the UK your iBook has the three chunky pins used there. Sockets in this style are occasionally found in more expensive hotels, but are not common overall. Adapters between any of the other three kinds of plug used in China are readily and cheaply available in China itself, but those between the UK-style plugs and others not seen quite so often.

So you're best to buy an adapter before departure, converting the UK-style to US-style two flat pins of equal width--this is (by a short head) the most commonly seen socket, closely followed by the two round pin style common in much of continental Europe, so conversion to that will do, too.

Since UK and Chinese voltages are the same, any device you bring from the UK will be fine without a transformer.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html

rkkwan

Oh, I missed the fact that you're from the UK. You may want to visit an Apple dealer, or use the Apple's online UK store to get a "World Travel Kit" for £29. It comes with all kinds of adapters, and will work with iBooks, most Powerbooks and the iPod. You'll continue to use the white transformer that comes with your iBook, but it replaces the actual plug going into the socket.

Not cheap, but very elegant.