I have a new 7290 and I have noticed that it take forever to charge with the USB port as apposed to the car adapter and the main plug.

is this normal ?

I've noticed it different on different computers. Possible usb v1 vs v2? Or maybe some computer just don't output as much power as others. My laptop takes forever for the device to charge, whereas my PC at work takes maybe an hour.

Thanks that is probably what it is. I have mine hooked up to a laptop too

I checked on this a little...

The USB specification for 1.0 and 2.0 require that 5 volts DC be available at each port, but I didn't find anything that required the .5 amps. Apparently the amperage varies based on what else you have plugged into the USB, etc. I have a powered USB hub with nothing plugged in and my 7290 charges pretty quickly from that. Still not as fast as the wall charger though.

James