Q•Where can I purchase third-party power supplies for the Macintosh?
A. I know of only two companies that currently manufacture replacement Macintosh power supplies: Quadmation and Power Plus Systems (PPS). Recently I had an opportunity to evaluate and benchmark power supplies from both companies. Being an expert in electrical engineering and design, I really put these units through their paces. The results were mixed. The Quadmation flex power supply I evaluated performed worse than Apple's. My Mac would not come on and stay on. Their technical support was unfriendly and not very helpful. When I inquired how to return this power supply for a refund, I was given a hard time. I would be surprised if the unit they shipped me would pass either UL or FCC certification. The second company I evaluated was Power Plus Systems in Salt Lake City, Utah. I evaluated their Ilcx/IIci/Quadra 700 power supply in the same manner as I did the Quadmation unit. The Power Plus unit was superior in every way to both the Quadmation and the Apple unit. I got at least twice the power of the Apple model at one half the price. When I had questions, they answered them promptly and intelligently. The president, Craig Rosenthal, even got on the line to see how I liked the unit. (He didn't even know me!) They also have a very generous two-year warranty. Double thumbs up to Power Plus Systems. You can contact PPS at 1-800-722-0602.
