What to do with an old PowerBook

Well, I thought Aluminum would be more durable than plastic...

Wrong.

While Aluminum doesn't break like plastic, at least when plastic bends, it goes back to original shape.

Currently, my G4 Powerbook 15" is split just above the optical drive slot. The clips that hold the upper panel to the bottom part of the laptop prevent discs from being inserted into or ejected from the optical drive.

The screen doesn't quite close properly, as the upper panel pushes the lid up enough to not allow the hook to engage the bottom. I can force it closed or slam it shut. I usually just flip the whole laptop upside down.

Also, occasionally, I'll pick it up just right so that the chassis flexes enough to kick the battery out. If I'm not on AC power, it reboots.

Now the OS has been installed and running for the better part of five years. It's starting to Kernel Panic more often and really starting to run sluggishly.


This PowerBook has seen better days.

Is there any hope of recovering any of the value of this laptop towards a new MacBook?

I wish Apple offered some sort of trade up program where they recycle the old laptops or cut them up for useful bits like the keyboard and screen.

 

imo, think about donating it to a school, church, etc.......though their stuff is often better than ours, lol.

no way your going to recover any cost from that one--it's seen it's better days for sure.....

 

actually look on ebay, often times they have chassis parts for sale. Or dead laptops that you can get the whole thing and swap for your parts... Cheap and easy way to repair it compared to just throwing it out

 

I'll give ya $20 for it.

 

loler. I would try ebay, start an auction at 1 dollar and see where it goes. Unless you can find a sucker for a friend who would pay you decent money...

 

Send it to me? I'll pay shipping!

 

I'll give ya $21.14!

 

$22

see? its definitely worth something.

 

I'm sure there are people who want to just try and play with OSX so it would be worth something to someone. I would try ebay.

 

Doh. Why didn't I think of that...

If mine's broken, obviously someone else's might be too. Instead of selling the parts, why not just buy what I need. I do it with cars all the time.

So I've got a keyboard/palmrest and bottom aluminum section on the way from eBay...

Since I'm refurbing this thing, might as well upgrade a few items.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3566619

 

33.50 - Bottom Aluminum case
85.37 - Palmrest with Backlit Keyboard
95.00 - Superdrive from newer Mac Mini
69.90 - Seagate Momentus 160 GB 5400.3 ATA-6 Hard Drive
18.40 - Ambient Light Sensors

Total 302.17 with upgrades from stock.
(Original was 60 GB 4200 RPM drive, Combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM, non-backlit keyboard.)

vs. Apple's estimate of 300-600 using all stock parts to get me back to where I was. (Estimate was 300 if damage was caused by poor refurb job as this was originally a refurbed unit on special. 600 if abuse...)

I even got to customize my logo... In a light room, it looks like any other Mac, white glow through logo. turn out the lights and it becomes the old school gay pride logo... I'm glad I'm not an Apple tech. This thing sucked to dismantle. I'm secure enough with my orientation (straight) that I'm not going to dismantle it to remove the coloring. Fu*k that. PITA.

I'm running on the original drive via Firewire. It runs slow as hell like this. Gotta get either 10.4 or 10.5... Haven't decided which yet.

Old case was so bad, the cast metal (magnesium?) frame that holds the optical drive and everything else to the pressed aluminum shell was cracked and broken off in some areas.


Thins thing should hold me over until MacBooks get touchscreens.

 

Any pictures of it, sounds like it could be interesting.

 

Sorry. I was more interested in getting it backtogether with no extra parts leftover.

If you get ballsy enough, I can guide you though it.

The hardest part was figuring out how to get the logic board out. I thought it'd be permanently attached to the heatsink/fan assembly. That's partially true; the heatsink grease they used turns to a sort of epoxy over time. I thought I'd almost broken the logic board before I heard them separate.

I used some guides online.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/PB_G4_15_AL_takeapart/AL_PB_G4_take-apart.html

 

Oh, just meant pics of the final product. Did they make many of them with the old logos? or was that someones custom logo? Thats the main thing im interested in, cause I havn't seen that before on a newer mac.

 

I just traced out the apple on a piece of paper and colored it with sharpies, then taped it inside the lid of the Powerbook. The paper kinda drowns it out. I'll try and get a pic.

 

I pay you 50$ with shipping!