Do it myself or pay someone???

Hers the deal my powerbook G4 1.33 Aluminum needs the hinges replaced also need a new bezel and clutch.
I am not a computer tech but I do know how to use tools.... I am wondering should I fix these things myself or pay someone to do it. I was reading iFixit.com and the step by step instructions seem idiot proof. I don't want to pay someone several hundred to fix this unless I have to would rather do it myself.... any advice?

Best advice I would give, is to know your limitations. I'm all for learning and trying new things. Fixing up and remodeling my old house, I learned what they are.
If you have the proper tools and instructions and your willing to try, why not? You may find it wasn't that hard and saved some money.
Now if it was something major and expensive, say the logic board, and you were unsure, I'd say get it repaired. Know what your limits are.

Just remember, if you can't fix it, then you will have to get it fixed. Find out how much before you even try and see if its worth the effort.

how much would it cost you to have it done versus doing it yourself?

Do it yourself!!!

I can already see about 3 hours labour + parts.

Also how long will your Powerbook be out of action about a week?
While they wait for parts or the technician(s) to come back from holiday?

http://www.powerbookmedic.com
Have some good DIY guides. But ifixit is excellent as well.

I would pull apart what needs fixing you might be able to fix it yourself? Lose screw etc.
If Not. Source the parts. Google is your friend. These Powerbooks look similar to the ibooks they might share common parts.

The only specialist apple tool I would recommend is a spudger.

Good Luck. You would be surprised at how easy it is! It's not rocket science.

The Apple store quoted me $350 out the door to replace the entire display assembly.

well if it were me i wouldnt even consider spending $350 to fix something that is out of warranty and the cost to fix it is half the price of getting one online in great condition.

personally if it still worked well enough and i had $350 dollars to spare i would put it towards and intel macbook/pro and finance the rest.

then you would have 2 mac laptops.

then i would get the parts for the powerbook and try to fix it knowing that i have another mac with all my stuff on it in case something goes wrong. you could then have a backup mac or you could then sell it to pay of your new one.

well anyway do it yourself

you can do it

I think your right Fletch,I'm going to just sell it and get a MacBook. Anyone know how much I could get for this powerbook ?

1.33Ghz
1GB RAM
60GB HDD
Airport
battery & power supply
Leopard and iLife the CD/DVD' are included.

I see they are going for about $500 and up on ebay.

I've fixed many (HP) laptops, and in general the hinges and such aren't too bad. If you take your time and don't rush, repairing it should be fine, especially if you found instructions somewhere. The big problem is normally forcing things to move/open and breaking them, and not being careful with what goes where on reassembly.

bargsbeer said:

I think your right Fletch,I'm going to just sell it and get a MacBook. Anyone know how much I could get for this powerbook ?

1.33Ghz
1GB RAM
60GB HDD
Airport
battery & power supply
Leopard and iLife the CD/DVD' are included.

I see they are going for about $500 and up on ebay.

Click to expand...

i dont know if you plan to buy a new macbook or a refurb or even a used one but if you are considering a new one then take a look at this thread. if it were me and i were going to spend the money for a new one then i might consider trying to get by with my current one for a few months if this is true and they are going to take the macbook to a new design. again if it is used or refurb your looking at and you want to save some money and dont care about if it might change in a couple months then it doesnt matter.

as far as what yours is worth then i think you are doing the right thing by looking around on ebay etc... to see what you can get for it.

you could also do what i have done and sell it to someone you know that doesnt want to spend a lot of money but wants a chance to see if a mac is right for them.

good luck with whatever you decide

I'm still a lil while away from a new Macbook or Pro.... I just picked up a complete powerbook G4 screen off Ebay so I'm gonna take everyones advice and do it myself.... It doesn't seem that hard.

I got it replaced took me a couple of hours but it was very easy. iFixit.com was very helpful.

How much did you save on the apple quote? As I said it's not rocket science.

Not it's not rocket science at all.... very easy just need to pay attention and be patient.

I save Three hundred fifty dollars. Only problem I'm having is that the numbers on my keyboard do not work. Any ideas?

Does the 12 inch Powerbook have a numbers lock button that allows you to use the central "letter keys" as a numeric keyboard?

If so this button could be activated, hence unable to use top row of numbers keys.

Or push the numbers lock button and see if you can use the "Numeric keyboard"

Did you seat the keyboard cable/sockets/connectors properly?

IIRC. You have to lift a couple of the number keys off the keyboard to get inside the Powerbook. Have these been returned/pushed back in place fully?

the number lock key does work....I'm thinking it's a loose connection with the keyboard connector.

I just recently took on a macbook pro from craigs list with a bad monitor. and replaced it myself to find its still not working.
The computer acts like its there when the external monitor is attached. but it wont lite up. Do you think theres another problem.
It runs great on an external monitor.

Are any of the wires damaged? and/or the connectors? I hate to say it but it could be an issue with the logic board.

inverter or screen?

did you replace the inverter or the screen? And did you buy a new screen or a used one?

IMHO lots of "working" used laptop screens that are found on eBay are trash. I still buy them, but keep the box for a few weeks just in case.

If you Know you have a good screen (seen it work with your own eyes on a different machine) then replace the inverter, go to ifixit for help. better yet, you should try the inverter with the broken/cracked screen to make sure its working fine. I burned out a logic board the first time I tried to replace a LCD screen. It acted like a bad inverter, but it was the board, so you might have shorted something out. It might be the cable too. You can check it with a continuity tester (part of many multimeters) or you can replace it. check both the cable from the logicboard to the inverter and from the inverter to the lcd panel. Also make sure you aren't supposed to use a LED display with it. If you need a LED display and are trying a CCFL display or the other way around, it won't work.

So:

Make sure the screen is good

Make sure the inverter is good

Test with known good parts.

If that all fails, replace the logicboard and eat your loses.

When replacing the logic board,Is it possible to install logic board with a faster CPU I have a 1.33Ghz can you put a faster unit into the powerbook?

BTW If you need a working LCD I have one.It's used but works. with inverter...etc..etc