using a laptop in italy,austria, and germany

Most likely -- BUT - it is important to confirm this by looking at the input label on the cord. If it says somewhat like, input 120-240v, then you are good to go. Nearly all electronic goods are designed to work in a multi-voltage situations but it always needs to be confirmed by checking the label. My son one time bought a cheap power cable replacement on eBay for his computer and it was only rated for 120v. Original equipment should BE Ok.

If it is an Apple laptop, then the answer is yes definitely. I have used multiple Apple laptops bought in the US in Europe at different points in time and all of them worked perfectly with the $1 plug adapter sold in the Rick Steves store.

Windows PCs get a bit trickier. If you have a 3-prong grounded plug on your power supply, you need a grounded adaptor which can be more difficult to find and more expensive (Amazon has a few). Also, if you have a polarized plug (one blade wider than the other) I have been told these can have difficulties in Europe and could cause major issues. But I have no experience with these so can't say for sure other than the polarized plug will not even plug into the basic adapter.

While its always good practice to check your power block's voltage and frequency rating, laptop and like devices are powered by voltage and frequency converters. Your device converter to power electronics will both convert alternating current to direct current and step the voltage down (typically +5v) to match the power demand of your device. These converter's will typically automatically (no switch) detect input current do the right thing. But that said, it's always safer to check.

My ACER netbook has a grounding, three prong plug. I can use a Europlug (type C) adapter in a Schuko receptacle (most of continental Europe except Switzerland and maybe Italy), with the grounding pin in the air next to the adapter, put doing so in not per code. However, I got an inexpensive Schuko type grounding adapter so as to be "legal". The power supply for the ACER carries the CE mark, but I'm sure carrying that mark assumes the power supply will be grounded.

Using an American polarized plug (one blade wider) with a Europlug or Schuko type adapter is also not per code. All the US to Europlug adapters I've seen recently have accepted the polarized US plugs. I once took apart a hair curler with a polarized plug. The only thing the polarized plug did was make sure the switch was on the "hot" side, so a short to ground in the unit would trip a breaker, but not cause the curler to heat up. If you use devices with polarized plugs in Europe, make sure you unplug them when not in use.

My current transformer pad's power supply is not only 120-240VAC but has the double insulated symbol (square in a square), which means it doesn't require grounding, and it carries the CE mark.

"My son one time bought a cheap power cable replacement on eBay for his computer and it was only rated for 120v. Original equipment should BE Ok."

Frankly, Frank, my ACER power supply has a multivoltage "brick" and a separate power cable, which would be different if sold in another country. The one that came with mine is for US use and is rated 125V (embossed on the plug). So we put an adapter for European receptacles on the end of a power cord rated for the US and plug it into 230V power.

I once looked up the UL standard for power cords, and, if I remember, they are HiPot tested for 1000V (maybe only 500V, I can't remember now), so, for use in Europe, the 120V rated, power cord your son bought is almost as good, if not as good, as an original equipment cord. To be absolutely safe, you should get a European power cord with the appropriate plug ending.

I've been using a variety of laptops for years in Italy (IBM, ASUS, Microsoft Surface) - all were rated for 110/220 volts and all I ever used was a plug converter.

I've never had a problem using any of my Apple smartphones or laptops in Europe over the last 10+ years. Just use the correct plug adapter and make sure the device doesn't require you to manually switch it between 120 and 240 volt settings...which is something I've only encountered with a hair dryer :)

barry,

Although most newer electronic products are designed for multi-voltage operation, it's still prudent to check EACH device you plan to travel with. Look for the words "Input Voltage" on the device or charger, and if this states *"100-240 VAC ~50/60 Hz", you'll only need inexpensive Plug Adaptors.

If a device is designed with a grounding pin I prefer to use a grounded Plug Adaptor, as I figure the designers included the ground pin for a reason (probably safety). That makes things a bit more complicated as there are different models for different countries. It's possible to buy a grounding "universal adaptor" for Germany and Austria which accommodates both the protruding ground pin as well as the grounding "ears", but Italy is different. You can see pictures of various Plug Adaptors here (for some reason they no longer show the two-pin "Euro" Adaptors?).....

https://www.magellans.com/ShopCategory.aspx?ID=118,3681

I'd suggest packing a couple of Plug Adaptors as they're small and easily misplaced.

I use this type for my laptop
http://www.amazon.com/American-European-Germany-Adapters-Certified/dp/B00EOI2N2M/ref=pd_sim_23_16?ie=UTF8&dpID=31wKiL54OUL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=05C2Y1FK6S6CW7KQ0VNC

Here is a much better website for seeing all of the types of electrical plugs in the world. The "the two-pin "Euro" Adaptor" is the type C and is available most places like from this website or here. Magellan only shows what they sell. Maybe they have stopped selling it because people misuse it for hair dryers.

Germany and Austria both use the German Schuko plugs (type F) and receptacles with what Ken called "ears". The protruding pin configuration (type E) is French and is also used in Belgium and the Czech Republic. These Schuko plugs will not work in recessed receptacles in Italy and Switzerland.