[Stan Giles]

I bought a rapid charger (not the dock) figuring it would charge faster than the standard charger but it still takes about 2-1/2 hours to fully charge a dead battery.

It also boasts "portable size" but is larger than the standard unit !!
And "quick boost". Really ???

What's the point of it ?!?!?

[Harborcoat]

In my experience I find the charge time reasonable. Don't understand the "portable" claims considering the size of the power block though. The best feature would that it saves on wear and tear from USB charging by using magnets. With a rapid charger and Wi-Fi file sharing I don't remember the last time I had to plug my PlayBook in through USB.

[rmpb]

I could be wrong, but if I remember correctly the rapid charger should get you from zero to some arbitrary amount (say 80%) much faster, but it slows down for the final part of the charging process.
Avoiding damage to the USB port is a big advantage, but you're right, it isn't what you'd call "compact"

[peter9477]

The rapid charger does charge ever so slightly faster during the 0-70% (or maybe it's 65%) portion of the curve, and after that they're completely identical.

The "2x faster" claim applies only when you're actually using the device at the same time. In that scenario, the regular charger can't provide enough power both for the battery charging and the screen, so the charging part slows down. The rapid charger, on the other hand, has lots of surplus power so it can do both without slowing down.

With screen off, rapid charger will take about 3.2h for a full charge, while regular charger is a shade over 3.5h.

[jpash549]

The rapid travel or dock charger can charge at a rate of 2400 milliamps while the wall USB charger provided with the Playbook is rated at 1800 milliamps. The Playbook battery is rated at 5400 milliamp-hours and 19.95 watts at a nominal 3.7 volts. The battery is considered full at about 4.2 volts and empty at about 3.4 volts charge.As stated in other threads when you continue to operate your Playbook while charging, the rapid chargers will still continue to charge at essentially the full rate while also supplying the power to operate the Playbook. With the standard wall charger the power required to operate the PB is taken from the 1800 milliamps leaving much less to go into charging the battery. Thus operating at a rate to deplete the battery in 6 hours is a 900 milliamp rate.Thus the maximum battery charging rate for the wall charger would be reduced to 900 milliamps. As stated in previous threads the allowable charging rate is reduced by the PB battery charging control circuitry as 100% charge is approached. At some point above 50 to 75% charge both chargers will be filling the battery at the same rate. From a nominal zero charge to 100% charge in standby the rapid charger will charge in 10 to 20% less time.

Apologies: Took me so long to write and edit this that the main man beat me to it. But even though mostly redundant I'm still putting it in. The Battery Guru App is essential for battery managemnt and tracking down battery hog apps on the PB. Haven't found its equal on the Nexus 7 yet.

[spencerdl]

I just started using the rapid charger (not the dock), because it fits nicely while charging in the fold between the OEM PlayBook Bluetooth Mini Keyboard and the PlayBook (holder). As stated earlier in this thread, from 0% to approx 75% it charges faster but after it reaches 75% the charging rate is approx the same as the normal charger that comes with the PlayBook (it appears that way). I still find the rapid charger and the magnetic connection very useful, its a perfect addition to my BlackBerry PlayBook accessories especially while using my OEM PlayBook Keyboard.

[blueberrymerry]

Does anyone know where I can get a rapid charger or dock from a supplier that will ship overseas? Staples, etc. have big discounts on these items but they won't ship outside of Canada or the US.

Any kind soul on Crackberry willing to sell a rapid charger or dock for a reasonable price?

[GV2012]

The magnetic connections Alone are worth the purchase of the not much more rapid charger. I hated the usb connection. Doesn't hurt that you can find them for $9ish now. I haven't used the usb since.

[antiRIM]

The magnetic connections Alone are worth the purchase of the not much more rapid charger. I hated the usb connection. Doesn't hurt that you can find them for $9ish now. I haven't used the usb since.

Where did you find it for that cheap lol, my original charger went bonkers and I can find a few down to $15 but that is it.

[GV2012]

Where did you find it for that cheap lol, my original charger went bonkers and I can find a few down to $15 but that is it.

I went into a Staples (Southern Ontario ) and asked if they had BB chargers on sale. She checked the computer and said they just had a price drop so I got the rapid for 9 and the chargers stand for 14. I asked what will it be at the regular price and she said that is the new reg price. Since the sales its hard to find any more BB products in stock down here

[retrofinn]

I can confirm that staples at oakville town centre has a quite a few bb rapid chargers on clearance at $9.95 as well as other accessories.

[spencerdl]

I got mine for $12 at Radio Shack. There on sale everywhere and makes a great addition to my PlayBook accessories

[Michael Andrew Martin]

Echoing blueberrymerry. Anyone in the crackberry community willing to lend a hand for those folks outside North America? I've scoured all berry dealers here without luck in landing a rapid charger. Alas I live in a Mac crazy country.

[chaosdivine]

Though I own a magnetic rapid charger for the PB, you can use an HP TouchPad barrel charger (I have two of these, one at work and one as a spare) and charge capable microUSB cable and it will effectively charge your PlayBook at rapid charge rates. I posted a thread on here once before with actual charge specs taken from the device (Frankencharger: VERY cheap PlayBook Charging solution - TouchPad Frankencharger ). It's obviously not magnetic, which is the strong point of the actual rapid charger so it could cause you port grief if its abused. But, it is MUCH more portable than the actual BB rapid Charger and for those overseas you can still find replaceable charge tips for your location that will make this a much more effective (and cheap) rapid charger. Not only that, your BB cellphones will charge at a much faster rate too. I use mine connected to my Torch 9810 cradle and it blows the lame tiny charger away. I don't even use the original one anymore because of this.

Anyhow check out ebay. I have seen some for $7.88 CAD and $1.97 CAD shipping New HP TouchPad 10W Power 110V to 240V AC Adapter Charger Original FB341AA#ABA | eBay

Here's a USA one for $5.31 CAD and $1.97 shipping: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Brand-New-10W...item4d0391ca21

There are all kinds on there, some more expensive than others but it's the same part.

If you want proof that this works, I will take some photos. I've been doing this for quite some time now without issue. It has not affected anything negatively. Not the BB cell batteries nor my PlayBook's battery.

[deejayburnout]

I just bought one and not for the rapid charging but the fact that it will save my UBS port from getting worn.

Might try wifi sharing and not have to use it at all.

Anyway, an overnight charge does me more than enough for a day of normal use.