What can I learn from taking apart a broken IBook G4?

April 24, 2010 6:10 AM

Ibook G4, RIP... Ideas for use instead of throwing away (recycling)?

I'd like to take a moment to share and express my gratitude to a computer that so diligently served me for the better part of 5 years. In the best of times, she effortlessly glided through spreadsheets and work documents as well as websites and maps. And, while there were a few moments of concern for her performance, the issues were addressed quickly and for the most part on the cheap.

Not once did she complain of overuse, her motor purring the whole time (albeit quite loudly at the end). She did not succumb to virus or plague, rather simply to old age and lack of processing speed. I wouldn't say out loud it was compatibility issues, although deep down, I know that might be true.

She is survived by an HP Officejet J6450 Printer, for which she's left
all her chords and other possessions should they be of use.

In all seriousness, this machine will not start up (battery & power source zapped)... Any suggestions on what I can learn from taking this apart or anything I should take out before I recycle? I have already removed the 1GB RAM I added (not sure what I can do with it). Bit of a novice but like taking things apart.

Much thanks!

posted by priested to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

If the screen is still in okay shape, you can part it out and sell the bits on Craigslist or elsewhere. I gave away a husk of an iBook [no HD, no RAM] to some local high school kids who were thrilled to have it for their mad scientist lab. So, if you can get the HD out, you can get an external enclosure for it and still use it as a spare drive and still have the screen/case to give away [and no risk of people getting at your personal data]

RIP ibook.
posted by jessamyn at 6:12 AM on April 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

.

Apple will recycle if you buy a new machine. Any Best Buy store will recycle it for free.
posted by mds35 at 6:20 AM on April 24, 2010

...but you must remove the hard drive before taking it to Best Buy for recycling. They won't accept it with a hard drive.
posted by mds35 at 6:20 AM on April 24, 2010

If she has an Airport card, that can be removed and sold on eBay. That and the RAM are obsolete parts, and prohibitively expensive elsewhere, since the market is people who have a beloved iBook that isn't really worth spending much money on but they can't bear to part with.
posted by nowonmai at 6:53 AM on April 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

If you have a place to display it and a suitably artistic mindset, you might consider using it as a piece of art by impaling with a 12" spike to the wall in the folded open position...
posted by fairmettle at 7:31 AM on April 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Some goodwill stores create computers out of all the computers they get and then sell it really cheap to someone who does not have a computer. It may or may not work for your goodwill, check in with them if they have a similar model needing repair.
posted by iNfo.Pump at 7:32 AM on April 24, 2010

Oh, you sound like me! My 6-year-old PB recently gave up the ghost, after doing everything and more I put it through from the US to the Amazon to the high Andes. What great machines!!!!

I did as Jessamyn suggests: get an external enclosure ($6 at a cheapo computer store) for the HD, then give it away to some college kid with a hankering to experiment through Craigslist.

RIP PB G4! You did me good!
posted by mixer at 8:52 AM on April 24, 2010

Before committing her to eternity have you tried zapping her PRAM? It just might "shock" her heart back to beating.
posted by Pamelayne at 10:18 PM on May 30, 2010