Power Inverter vs. Car Charger/Adapter

I looked at buying an OEM car charger/adapter for my Asus G53SW but then I thought about getting a decent power inverter instead (and slightly cheaper). Has anyone done this and have you had any problems?

The inverter I am looking at is the Wagan EL2402 SmartAC 200w (continuous) with a built-in USB port and surge protection (Amazon, $31.50 + free shipping).

It would need to power the Asus G53SW with a 1080p 15.6" screen, Blu-ray, etc.

 

Correct me if im wrong but i believe the difference is that with a car adapter you wont be changing the electricity to ac at any point. where as a car power inverter would change it from the cars dc to ac and you laptop charger would go from ac back to dc. now both should charge your laptop but the power inverter would most likely have to be much higher in wattage since in each conversion you would loose some of it due to inefficiency. Make sure the power inverter can supply enough amperage also.

Im not sure about an adapter but with the power inverter i have you have to connect it directly to the cars battery in order to get not only a high enough voltage but to be able to stably have the required amperage to allow safe charging (If i was to try the cig lighter on the car i would probably destroy my inverter and possibly cause a fire). So you may want to check any documentation on whatever you purchase to make 100% sure that it is not only safe for your laptop but safe to you any other passengers you may have.