MSI, Gigabyte, and ASUS Release iPad Charging Software
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The iPad has been in the market for about 8 weeks. Many of you quickly found out that most powered USB hubs, and many computer USB ports are not enough to quickly charge your iPad. But, why?
The issue is simply that your iPad requires more power than your iPhone and iPods, and many USB hubs and computer USB ports, especially those installed on older computers, do not provide enough power to charge your iPad during use. It does not mean that low-power USB ports cannot charge your iPad at all. Instead, the issue is how quickly can your iPad charge if you are using it while connected to a low-power USB port.
If you are an iPad “newbie”, or a “soon-to-be” iPad owner, you may be asking what are your options. Do not worry, there are several options for you.
- For the fastest charging, we recommend to use the iPad’s included 10-Watt USB power adapter. This will fully charge your iPad in a few hours, even if you are using the iPad at the same time.
- When connected to a high-power USB port, such as the ones on newer Macs, your iPad will charge even during use (the process can be slow).
- When connected to low-power USB ports, such as the ones on older Macs, most Windows PCs, and most USB hubs, your iPad’s battery will not charge while the iPad is awake. However, if you let your iPad go to sleep mode, it will charge (the process will be slow).
- Finally, if you are one of those that likes to “trick out” your computer, there are a few motherboard companies coming out with some interesting software updates. MSI, Gigabyte, and ASUS have all come out with software that improves their interchangeable motherboards to deliver additional power to an iPad-plugged USB port. I always like to be careful with my computers, but if you want to try the software updates, the following video shows someone using the ASUS software on different non-ASUS computers.
Editor’s Note: This software was developed specifically for MSI, ASUS and Gigabyte hardware. There is no telling if the software will have any adverse effects on your computer if it is not using MSI, ASUS or Gigabyte hardware. You can try this at your own risk.
