Dead Powerbook

[jankymutt]

After nearly four long years of service it seems my Apple Powerbook died.....  I was really trying to hang on another year until I have more money to buy a new one....
Anyone good with computers and has any suggestions please PM or email me!!!!  Here is what happened....

Last night while working on a Word Document and typing emails I heard a distinct "POP" sound and then my powerbook went dead.

I left it for a minute and then tried the power button. It sounded like it tried to boot up, but then died again. Now it does absolutely nothing when I try the power button. I tried taking out the battery (which is fully charged though only lasts 10 min now), checking the powercord for damage or fraying to no avail.

It has been running very hot the last few months. I'm suspecting the thermal bond between the heatsink and processor wore away and I burnt out the processor, but I have no idea.

Any suggestions off the bat? Should I take it into the apple store? Is there anything they could do for me? Is it worth buying a new processor and is it even possible to install one?

Thanks in adavance for any help you can provide!!

[Jetstar7]

Hi junkymutt.

Not sure if this might help much but here's what happened to a friend. It might give you a little grip, slippery as it might probably be...

So he was just working on his computer as usual. Don't know if there was a pop, but it went blank. Just plain died. Tried a few other power adaptors in a bid to wake it, but the adaptors went to a happier place as well.

He took it to an Apple shop, they told him the the motherboard got fried due to, most probably, a power surge. It would cost SGD$1K+++ to install a new board. So maybe it'll be good to do a diagnosis first? Get a handle on how much and what's wrong before proceeding.

As for replacing the processor, not sure if http://eshop.macsales.com/ can help you.

And oh, he pried the thing open and rescued the harddisk.

All the best.

[sunburst]

Check with MacResQ. They have a Powerbook ResQ section. They are a good resource. We did put a new motherboard in my old Lombard (kids fried it watching DVDs), and it still chugs happily away. Otherworld Computing also has parts and usually at decent prices.

On a sad note, however, we weren't able to resurrect our daughters' old iMac.

Deb