So it's not supposed to throw sparks?

Power cord was never really an issue for me. My problem was the backlit screen on the Powerbook. The connection for the backlight kept jostling loose, meaning you literally can't see what's on the screen.

After three returns to Apple, I just learned how to disassemble and reassemble it. Eventually got so annoyed at it that I pried loose the restrictions on the wire for the backlight and glued the connection point down while letting the wire stay loose for the screen hinging. Problem solved.

Then five months later the wire got too close to the board and smoke started spewing from the exhaust vent, as the Powerbook could and would cook eggs, let alone melt a little electrical wire.

Now I have an HP pavilion where the plug seems to wear where it meets the socket on the laptop, meaning every eight or so months I need to get a new connector. That's only five bucks, some wire stripping, and some electrical tape though.

Ah, what I go through to make sure my laptop is my main source of browsing the internet and networking.