Hi guys,
I just bought a broken MacBook Pro Unibody 15.4" off of eBay, and here's the specs:
Model: A1286
CPU: Core Duo 2.2 GHz
RAM: 2GB
Hard Drive: 250GB
OS: Snow Leopard 10.6
Cost to me: $532 shipped
I was really looking forward to fixing it up--everything except the screen and cd drive worked. It works fine with DVI/HDMI out to my monitor and TV.
Now for the not so great news: I bought a new LCD and plexiglass panel cover for the LCD (the old plexiglass cover was cracked beyond belief, and the screen didn't power on at all).
Total cost for new parts (LCD and plexiglass): $212
Total Cost: $532 + $212 = $744
So I follow online instructions, swap out the LCD, plug in the cables, power it on, and.....nothing. System powered up to login sound, but no visual from the new LCD.
I'm in IT for a living and I've seen PCs take a lot of abuse and keep on ticking, so (since I was very careful) I don't think I broke the LVDS cable when I reinstalled it.
This leads me to think I need a new LVDS cable.
Now for the question: Is it worth it? A new cable will run me another $99-$135 with no guarantee that it will be the solution to fix the Macbook.
I'll be charged return shipping plus 15% restocking fee for the $212 worth of parts I ordered. Rough calculations put that restocking fee and shipping cost at $50, so I'll get $162 in refunds.
If I were to get $425 for the Macbook on eBay pure profit after eBay takes their cut, I'm looking at recouping $425 + $162 = $587.
Thus, I'll be out a difference of $744 - $587 = $137.
Sorry for the long, involved post, but I thought I'd talk it over with you guys who know more about what the Macbook is worth, since this is my first official Mac (not counting the Apple 3 of my dad's that I played on in 1988 ).
Thank you guys very much--I really appreciate any feedback!
Best,
Nathan G.
P.S. Mods, feel free to move if there's a better place for this post. Thank you!
I just bought a broken MacBook Pro Unibody 15.4" off of eBay, and here's the specs:
Model: A1286
CPU: Core Duo 2.2 GHz
RAM: 2GB
Hard Drive: 250GB
OS: Snow Leopard 10.6
Cost to me: $532 shipped
I was really looking forward to fixing it up--everything except the screen and cd drive worked. It works fine with DVI/HDMI out to my monitor and TV.
Now for the not so great news: I bought a new LCD and plexiglass panel cover for the LCD (the old plexiglass cover was cracked beyond belief, and the screen didn't power on at all).
Total cost for new parts (LCD and plexiglass): $212
Total Cost: $532 + $212 = $744
So I follow online instructions, swap out the LCD, plug in the cables, power it on, and.....nothing. System powered up to login sound, but no visual from the new LCD.
I'm in IT for a living and I've seen PCs take a lot of abuse and keep on ticking, so (since I was very careful) I don't think I broke the LVDS cable when I reinstalled it.
This leads me to think I need a new LVDS cable.
Now for the question: Is it worth it? A new cable will run me another $99-$135 with no guarantee that it will be the solution to fix the Macbook.
I'll be charged return shipping plus 15% restocking fee for the $212 worth of parts I ordered. Rough calculations put that restocking fee and shipping cost at $50, so I'll get $162 in refunds.
If I were to get $425 for the Macbook on eBay pure profit after eBay takes their cut, I'm looking at recouping $425 + $162 = $587.
Thus, I'll be out a difference of $744 - $587 = $137.
Sorry for the long, involved post, but I thought I'd talk it over with you guys who know more about what the Macbook is worth, since this is my first official Mac (not counting the Apple 3 of my dad's that I played on in 1988 ).
Thank you guys very much--I really appreciate any feedback!
Best,
Nathan G.
P.S. Mods, feel free to move if there's a better place for this post. Thank you!