I'm not talking about a full schuko plug but when a 2 pin (ungrounded) plug with a transformer attached is inserted into a schuko socket it doesn't provide very good grip. It doesn't have the support of the side-earth springs or the socket's groves.
I have seen transformers fall right out of Spanish (flush and ungrounded) and Italian sockets. I pluged in a heavy europan version sony minidisk charger in italy and heard a large crash in the middle of the night and discovered it smashed on the floor (the outlet was quite high up)
As for adaptors surely a plug could be designed with a kind of "bolt on" adaptor ? Along the lines of the ones that convert Europlugs to BS1363 for long-term use (e.g. sony Ireland fit them to all of their tvs, vcrs etc..) it just looks like a slightly oversized BS1363 plug but actually contains a 2 pin Europlug. I wouldn't approve of using cheaply made poorly constructed and poorly designed adaptors. The harmonised plug could be designed with this crossover period in mind and perhaps a range of adaptors (BS, Schuko, Italian, Danish, Swiss ...) could be designed along with it.
BS-1363 is a good standard though (ignoring the ring circuits) I don't see any problems with it as a system. Its not any more bulky than an earthed schuko and it's a lot less ugly ! Schuko outlets are very obvious on a flat wall, BS 1363 if properly flush-fitted are very neat. it's the same when the plug is inserted it's neat and doesn't protrude from the wall (ala some versions of schuko/europlug)
It's robust, has good grip (without being difficult to remove), supports heavy plugs (power adaptors) very well and as a system it's very simple. Having all these endless ratings of plugs, grounded, ungrounded etc is just dangerous. I really can't see what's so terribily inconvenient about a small neat moulded BS1363/A ? They're a bit bulkier than a 2-pin euro plug, but they're no bigger than a standard fitted schuko.
One thing that would make BS1363 safer would be a slight change to the fusing on fitted moulded plugs making. Most appliences now ship with a moulded plug fitted and the appropriate fuse already in place so, why not just make it impossible to insert a larger fuse. Key the fuse carriers or make them different sizes. It wouldn't be that difficult. You couldn't do much about re-wireable plugs, but they're becoming much less common. Rewireable plugs always pose a risk anyway.. I remember someone wiring the yellow & green to one of the phase terminals of a schuko plug and wondering why the power tripped when they plugged it in! He was very lucky he didn't get fryed! It was a washing machine and just grounded to the pipework it was in contact with behind it blowing the trips.
