Pbook Shutting Down

Hey guys,
This started happening about 6 months after I bought the 1ghz Pbook g4 12". I brought it into a service center and it was shipped off to apple to be serviced under warranty. That was about a year ago.

The issue was with the pbook shutting off randomly when the power cord isn't plugged in. Occasionally the laptop will stay on for a few minutes without the power cord, but once it shuts off I can't turn it back on at all unless I plug the power cord in. With the power cord in the computer works perfectly fine. When I set it in to apple they said I had dropped the computer. Which omg, I can't even explain made me so pissed. So basically they did nothing to it. Once it was brought back to the service shop in my area they tried a new battery in the pbook and supposedly it worked, but I don't know how long he tried it. It's to the point now though, that I want the pbook fixed so I can use it on my lap or places where there is no plug.

Anyone have any fixes or similar or same issues as this? What route did you take to fix it? I do have my pbook insured with state farm so worst case I'll just make them pay for it, but as an apple customer I feel I shouldn't have to as it did brake during warranty period. But I know that won't happen so I'd like to see if I can fix it myself or know for sure that I need a new battery. Thanks in advance for any help with this issue.

Two possibilities:

1. The battery has completely lost its ability to hold its charge. That is, a "100%" charge now consists of only a few minutes. It's reading full, because it's calibrated to think of that level as "full." If this is the case, then you'll see the battery read "0%" when it comes back.

2. The contacts of the battery are out of alignment, and don't stay in contact with the contacts on the inside of the PowerBook. This can happen if the PowerBook is dropped, so that may be why Apple blamed you. If this is the case, it might run longer if it's not moved (IE, unplugged but left on the desk) and then shut off after you pick it up.

If it's #1, a new battery will fix it. If it's #2, a new battery may fix it. If it's something else, you've got bigger problems.

In any case, I would document all your experiences with Apple support (dates, times, phone numbers, people you spoke to, any paperwork you got.) If possible, go to a store; otherwise, explain everything over the phone. Be polite but firm. Demand to speak to a supervisor, if necessary.

You may or may not get it fixed.

It sounds like it's the logic board or the battery. Either way it sounds like its going to be about 150 bucks to for a new battery or to fix the board. It definitely shuts off immediately as soon as I unplugged the power cord. I'm not going to get anything for free, but I was expecting that, doesn't sound like this is to expensive to fix. It also sounds like a fairly common problem.