Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with laptop and powerbook

Powerbook: No Logo

DiscourseMarker — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:41:28 -0800

Powerbook G4 won't boot up. I hear the chime, get a gray screen, but NO apple logo or spinning wheel. This is a circa- late 2003 1.25GHz PB running OS 10.5. something. Yesterday, my husband was trying to open some Word 2008 docs he had saved on this laptop. Word would not open, it just kept bouncing in the dock, and we could not get it to force quit, so he did a forced shut down of the computer. Ever since then I cannot get the computer to boot past the gray screen.

I have tried resetting the PRAM, but it still sticks at the gray screen, same with resetting the PMU and trying a safe boot. It never progresses to the Apple Logo, just stays on the gray screen. When I pressed my ear to the keyboard I heard a few clicks from the HD after trying to start up, but now there's no sound.

Any suggestions?

Four Years of Dedicated Service

Monstrous Moonshine — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:29:27 -0800

Powerbook G4 (hardware?) woes, followed by death of battery LEDs. Firstly, excuse my style of description.

Yeah, I gave my laptop a tap to the side, which was followed by the Beach Ball. The charge was low (according to the battery LEDs), so I let the thing cool down and, after a little charging, I started the computer. Backlight came on, but the screen remained black. The fan quickly turned on; it was obvious to me the thing was working very hard at some futile task.

The computer only correctly started once. After, like, taking out the battery, three PMUs, blah blah... The thing stopped working again mid-trash-emptying. Earlier, I noticed the LEDs only work when the computer's plugged in. Now the LEDs are always dead. :| What?

I'm itching to crack the thing open and look for something loose. If you have some advice for key signs of easy fix/dead mother board/etc... lemme know.

Powerbook charging troubles

rtha — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:32:20 -0800

Help me diagnose my Powerbook’s power supply woes. I'm running 10.4.11 on a powerbook g4 (1GHz, 768 MB RAM). The trouble started yesterday when I got to work and plugged it in: the light at the site where the cord connects to the laptop doesn't light up, although the indicator in the menu bar says that it's charging. It shows a 95% charge, and that hasn't changed.

When I got home last night, I plugged it in again - I have two different powercords, both the standard Apple-supplied brick kind, one for home and one for work - and the home one does glow (green), but again, the charge doesn't increase. It isn't dropping either, at home or work.

The original battery for this powerbook keeled over in September or October, so it's got a new battery in it. I have googled, but found nothing helpful. So, help?

PowerHit

artdrectr — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:02:42 -0800

My Powerbook is bent. Can it be bent back somehow without disassembling?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12017613@N02/
(sorry, can't seem to make a direct link)

Everything works as normal, but there is a CD installed (still plays) that will not spit out because of the 'reduced' slot.

(The short story: Mrs. Artdrectr had a rough day and gave it a little...tap).

Fixing a dropped Powerbook

pandaharma — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:55:30 -0800

DIY repair for a narcoleptic titanium Powerbook? I have a five year old TiBook which was recently dropped. Fortunately, the drop wasn't very far and the thing still seems to work perfectly well with only one permanent problem. The laptop now will go to sleep sometimes when there is pressure on the palmrest on the right side.

When it has a bout of this random sleep, I've found I can temporarily stop the sleepiness by gently shaking the laptop for a little while. However, the problem always returns eventually. I assume something with the latch mechanism went awry.

This laptop is only used as a couch/bedroom computer and so I don't want to spend a lot of money on it. My question is: is this a repair I could do myself? I found a guide for latch replacement at ifixit. But I'm not sure if a simple latch fix would do the trick or if I need to look at something else.

Has anyone else had this problem? Searching here and googling hasn't come up with much.

Help me sell my PowerBook

cosmic osmo — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:03:36 -0800

I have some questions about AppleCare and selling my PowerBook. I have a PowerBook purchased in the summer of 2005 that I've decided to sell before the market completely bottoms out on G4 machines, and I have a few questions:

1. The machine is still covered by one more year of AppleCare. In order to transfer the warranty to the buyer, do I need to do anything? I no longer have the enrollment receipt that Apple mailed me. I see the agreement number when I sign in to the Apple service web page; how do I (do I?) let Apple know that I am no longer the owner of said PowerBook?

2. I've upgraded the RAM and replaced the hard drive myself. Should I swap in the original drive and remove the additional RAM? I've heard that these user upgrades don't void AppleCare, but that Apple will make you revert the laptop back to its original state before they will look at it for repairs (to make sure that the new hardware isn't the cause). The new hard drive is 160 GB, the old is 100 GB. I'd think AppleCare would be more valuable in terms of resale value than 60 gigs, but welcome opinions on this.

3. There's some (mostly minor) cosmetic damage that I fear may affect resale value--and could potentially cause problems if the buyer were to bring it in for repairs (I've spent the morning googling horror stories involving AppleCare and user-inflicted damage). The palm rest, mouse button and part of the space key have developed "pitting" that results from sweat. The power supply area and front left side of the case are a little bent, and the hinges of the LCD could stand to be tightened. Is it worth it to repair these before I sell it? The laptop otherwise is in absolute perfect condition and has given me zero problems.

4. Determining a fair price: it's a 15" 1.67 PowerPC G4 with 2 gigs of RAM (1 GB originally), 160 GB HDD (100 GB originally), SuperDrive, ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB VRAM, the battery lasts ~2 hours on a full charge and there's a year left of AppleCare (it was the second-to-last revision of the PowerBook; the one before they introduced dual-layer DVD burners). I'm going to throw in my (pretty banged up) first-gen 2 GB iPod Nano and ask for $1000. Too much/little? I know you can't see the cosmetic damage but I'd rate this laptop a 7.5/10 for looks, 10/10 for performance.

From reading about selling laptops here and elsewhere I've decided to do it on craigslist with cash upon local pickup only, but if you have any specific advice about selling used laptops I'd welcome that as well, as I've never sold a "big ticket" item before and am just trying to do this right.

Laptops: Apple MacBook Pro versus Sony Vaio/Dell/Toshiba. Please help me choose.

davidinmanhattan — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:32:43 -0800

It's time for a new laptop. I have very strong thoughts on this subject, but I need your help, suggestions, and guidance. I am using a three-year-old Apple PowerBook G4. Previously, I had a Dell Inspiron (home) and an IBM ThinkPad (work.) Truth be told, I found the Windows machines' interface more precise (easier to highlight a portion of a web page or text,) and, well, I could run MS Outlook. (I love Outlook, and miss the drag & drop, email to appointment functions.)

I love the ease of use, everything just works Apple "lifestyle," but I also love formatting my harddrive, and even switching the Windows GUI to Litestep.

And, I have to admit, I am shallow enough to allow my self esteem to be improved when I am working on my shiny, elegant Mac in public. Also, I live in Manhattan, and have 2 Apple stores closeby (one is open 24 hours a day,) and "TekServe," a full-service repair shop that does a great job. Makes repairs and emergencies much easier and faster.

So, I can get the new MacBook Pro (with the Santa Rosa chip!) and run Windows and Outlook, or get a Sony Vaio, or Dell, etc., and run Windows and Outlook.

Do you have any suggestions? Is there a great Windows laptop you would recommend? For something this important (I am a writer, and could not function without a laptop) money is a non-issue.

Or, should I get the new Apple MacBook Pro? I love the idea of an imbedded webcam, and I plan on getting the new iPhone. There are some Mac-based OS X programs (BluePhone Elite, iSync, AcidSearch, iPhoto, LaunchBar, OmniOutliner, etc.) that I love and might miss.

Is the MacBook Pro faster than a similar Windows laptop? How fast, via Parallels, is Windows? I work extremely fast, am a whiz with shortcuts and key-combos. Even with a gig of RAM now, I find myself waiting for my laptop to catch up. Speed is of the utmost importance, and I would install as much RAM as possible.

Thanks for your help and advice!

I have "Alien" sweat!

Alterscape — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:54:08 -0800

Help me save my theoretical new MacBook Pro from my Sweat of Doom! I own a well-loved 12" G4 powerbook. Over two years of heavy use, the wrist-rest portion of the case has slowly but steadily developed severe "pitting" in the areas where I typically rest the heels of my palms. My glasses frames exhibit the same issue over time and my optometrist tells me it's because I have very acidic sweat and there's very little I can do to correct the problem.

Several weeks ago, the pitting finally annoyed me to the point where I decided to buy a Marware Protection Pack (~$15) for my machine to see if the rubber wrist-rest protector would be good quality, cover up the pitting, and prevent further damage. After less than a month of use, the plastic is developing pitting and cracking of its own in the same places -- I'm almost certain it isn't a material defect because the damage only occurs where I rest my wrists!

I plan to buy a shiny new 15" MBP for grad school later this summer, and I want to protect it from this pitting mess, but the idea of ponying up $35 once every few months to replace a Marware Protection Pack wristrest irks me. Does anyone have any ideas less invasive than "wipe down the metal every few minutes during use" to prevent this mess and increase the longevity of the metal or whatever wristrest protectors I use?

Quick fix iMac as monitor for another Apple.

Bengston — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:16:32 -0800

Is there any way that I can easily use my iMac Desktop (Current Intel Model) monitor as a second or primary monitor for my Powerbook using either the wireless network or a monitor adapter? Would using some sort of remote desktop allow me to utilize all the extra monitor space? I just want to use some software that I have on my 12" Powerbook on my friends much larger monitor that is unfortunately also attached to his iMac. Thanks.

Using a PowerBook as an extra display...

Aanidaani — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 14:43:58 -0800

Is it possible for me to use my PowerBook G4 as a display -- meaning, can I connect some input source and view it just like I would an external LCD? I'm not planning on upgrading my computer until the summer of next year, but I wanted to see if I could use my old PowerBook G4 just like an external monitor. The mac comes with a port and an adapter so that a VGA cable can be connected, but I wasn't sure if it's possible to display input on the PowerBook's display. Does anyone know anything about this?

My Hard Drive Crashed. What now?

maxreax — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 08:57:17 -0800

My 12" Powerbook G4's hard drive has gone belly up. Help me figure out my options. My hard drive crashed in a serious, unfuckwitable way mid-day yesterday. After exhausting my own technical know-how, I took it to the Apple Store, who told me (basically) that it's unrecoverable due to hardware damage (it makes a reallllly scary spraypaint-can clicking noise when turned on). I attempted to target boot it to my girlfriend's computer (from where I am writing this question), but it won't mount. This, it seems to me, is a v. bad thing. So: I would like to know what, exactly, my options are.

1) a) Obviously, I need to get my hard drive replaced. I would do this myself, but I've heard that the 12" Powerbooks are difficult to pry open (and instruction manuals I found online back this up). Is this true? Is there anyone who's done it? If I decide that I don't feel comfortable doing it, can anyone recommend a Los Angeles-area Mac service store that will do it quickly, well and cheaply?

b) Should I just spring for a new computer? My Powerbook's not in great shape--sticky keyboard, dead line of pixels on the screen, bumps and dents all over. What's the lifespan for the rest of the hardware parts on these machines, and if I do replace the hard drive, how much longer am I looking at? Am I better off just buying a new Macbook?

2) a) At this point, how likely is non-heavy-duty data recovery? From what I can tell, most places recommend (if the drive wont mount in the computer itself) removing it and placing it in a firewire enclosure, and trying to get it to mount from there. Is this something that I could do? (I suppose this is a similar question to 1a). When I attempted to target-boot the laptop, wasn't I basically doing the same thing--and if it doesn't show up then, am I basically fucked? Is there a store that would do this for me (if it's even worth doing), and how much would they charge/would they charge if it ended up not working?

b) Assuming that I will never be able to mount my hard drive again, is there a Los Angeles-area data recovery service that will do it for fairly cheaply (I understand that in this case that might mean something like $500), or is that just wishful thinking? Considering that the hard drive is making the bad noise and I've tried to turn it on several times, I'm worried that I've damaged it even further. What's the likelihood of that, and how much will that affect other people's attempts to fix it?

Literal "debugging" issues.

nowonmai — Mon, 22 May 2006 08:47:57 -0800

How can cockroaches be evicted from the innards of a laptop? A friend of mine lives in a building with a bit of a cockroach problem. This wasn't a big issue until this morning when a couple of baby cockroaches popped out from between the keys of her Powerbook to say "hello". Does anybody have any suggestions how cockroaches can be evicted from and persuaded to stay out of this machine? This previous AskMeFi didn't really help.

What is best upgrade for a powerbook G4?

fox_terrier_guy — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 15:08:10 -0800

I would like to upgrade my old 15" G4 powerbook laptop 400 Mhz. I would like to get more speed out of it. I have maxxed the ram out and installed a faster access HDD. What else can I do? Motherboard? Recommendations?

Should I invest in a Mac?

charmston — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 10:18:03 -0800

I'm a longtime PC user who is considering purchasing a Mac laptop for personal use. I'm relatively unfamiliar with Macs, and need advice! I'm a 20-year-old student in the Twin Cities, double-majoring in psychology and english, with plans on immediately pursuing a doctorate in developmental psychology upon graduation. I'm somewhat of a computer nerd, and I'm considering purchasing a Mac for personal- and school-related usage. I currently use an inconviently-sized and relatively sluggish Sony Vaio PCG-K25, which will probably need to be upgraded within the next year or so anyways. It's large (11 lbs), has practically no battery life (less than an hour on a full charge), and is becoming relatively slow, even after reformatting.

The primary uses for my computer include:
- Organization/Task Management (kGTD appeals greatly to me, and is one of the biggest reasons I am considering buying a Mac)
- Web browsing/instant messaging/e-mail
- Listening to, organizing music (I am the proud owner of a 5G 60gb iPod)
- Web design (Photoshop and TopStyle are my programs of choice on PC)
- Internet poker (large drawback: Pokerstars doesn't have a Mac version)

I'm also unsure of which model would suit me best. Portability and battery life are both issues with me, so I likely would get a 12" model, whether I go with the iBook or Powerbook. I'm not sure if my computing uses, and their subsequent needs of computing power, would justify spending the additional cost. I would need at least a 60gb hard drive, and would prefer at least 1gb of RAM. iLife would be a necesity, and iWork would be practically useless to me.

Given my needs, an iBook would cost $1,149, and a Powerbook would cost $1,549. I plan on taking out a loan to pay for it, so cost isn't a huge issue; I'd just like to get my money's worth if I'm to spend an additional $400. I could pay for it with cash, but the loan serves two purposes: it minimizes my initial cost and it also will help build myself credit, which is important to me.

My questions to you all are these:
- What benefits would buying a Mac present to me? Would they outweigh the drawbacks?
- If you believe I should indeed buy one, which model would you recommend?

Any other comments or suggestions based on personal experience would be highly appreciated. Thanks everyone, and merry Christmahannahkwanza!

How do I use my laptop as a screen for a playstation?

BuddhaInABucket — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 20:23:53 -0800

What would it take to hook up my playstation 2 to my powerbook? We only have one TV in the house, so there's no way for me to play playstation without pissing off the rest of the family. I'd love to just use my laptop screen to play games on. How do I do it?

Which laptop for a skinflint graphic designer?

godawful — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 01:45:49 -0800

The new 15 inch Powerbook suits my computing needs perfectly, but one of those plus new software would actually break the bank. What's the closest I can get with a Windows laptop? Thanks in advance for all your help. This purchasing decision is causing a lot of stress - I can't afford to make a bad decision and end up with a turkey.

I am trying to claw my way into the graphic design profession. Money is tight for the time being. To do my job, I need a laptop that's durable enough to withstand all my commuting, powerful enough to run several heavyweight apps at the same time, and with a high screen resolution. Weight is a factor, as is build-quality.

I have done a lot of research (including past ask.mefi threads) but I've not yet found a machine that I feel comfortable with. I feel sure I'm missing something good.

Or is it the case that the Powerbook will pay for itself? I could be receptive to a cogently argued case for chuffing up the extra cash...

Powerbook buying help

bsexton — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 06:04:12 -0800

I am looking to buy an ibook / powerbook. I found a Lombard Powerbook G3 400 for $250 Here are the specs...

Fast 400 mhz G3 processor
14.1 inch Active Matrix Color Screen
128 Megs ram
6 gig internal hard drive
Dvd ROM Drive
AC power adatopr
2 USB ports
SCSI
PC Card Slot
OS 9.0
Built in Ethernet
No warranty On Battery
30 day warranty on all other parts

I am wondering if this is worth it. (I am a IBM guy). All I really want to do is watch movies while traveling. Install photoshop cs2 on it, and put a wireless card in it.

Would I be able to install OSX?

Car Harness or back seat holder for Laptops?

chococat — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 15:01:18 -0800

I have a laptop (Powerbook G4 12") that I want to use in our tiny (Mazda Protege5) car for showing DVD's to my kids on long drives. The kids are squished into 3 child carseats in the back (they actually fit nicely). The problem is WHERE to put the laptop. I've searched on Google and the only back-of-seat harnesses I've seen are for DVD players 7-9" in size. Lots of people have wedged the computer into the space in between the two front seats, but that space is way too small in our car. Placing the computer in the lap of the kid in the middle is not an option, as it will result in a grouchy kid with a hot lap and probably a wrecked Powerbook. Any suggestions?
Again, I checked on Google and I also searched the Ask Mefi archives, so I'm sorry if I'm a moron and this has been asked before. Thanks.

lap-tøp no-døz

Silky Slim — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 07:36:07 -0800

my powerbook seems to have developed narcolepsy. i'll be typing away or watching a movie, and all of a sudden it grinds to a halt and the sleep indicator starts pulsing. pressing a key wakes it back up. i'd appreciate any help.

What's the black stuff coming out of my 12" Powerbook?

michaelkuznet — Sat, 18 Jun 2005 14:14:25 -0800

A couple of months ago, I noticed a small black spot on the bezel around my laptop's screen, and on the spot that was directly under it when the laptop is closed. Today it oozed. What is going on? I'm pretty sure this is related to how much pressure has been applied to the laptop cover; i.e. when my laptop is in my backpack packed with textbooks, the spot is more likely to be "dirty." When I notice the spot, I usually rub at it with a damp kleenex, until almost all the mystery-goo is gone. Both bezel and the spot under it *do* have marks which I can't rub off. I also put it through x-ray machines at the airport all the time. Today, I came home from the airport to find a little droplet of the black stuff in that spot. It looks like what I imagine liquified pencil lead would look like. I am out of ideas....it's not even something like a label in my laptop sleeve that could be getting in there. Help!
(follow-up; how do I fix it)

PowerBook power problems

box — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 07:53:56 -0800

Someone just gave me a g4/400 PowerBook (the first titanium model). It doesn't power on. Please help me figure out what the problem is. Okay, here's some backstory. Some friends of mine gave me this PowerBook after they found it while cleaning out their old offices. It has sat in a closet since about 2002. As far as anyone can remember, it worked just fine the last time it was used (roughly three years ago). Now, it won't power on. I've already tried unplugging and re-plugging the battery and AC adapter, charging the battery overnight and resetting the PRAM and Power Manager. After roughly twelve hours connected to the charger, pressing the button on the battery doesn't light up any of the LEDs. I've also tried running the laptop directly from AC power, with the battery removed entirely, but, again, it won't power on.

My tentative conclusion is that the AC adapter is bad (it's one of the yoyo-looking ones, which I've been led to believe are prone to failure). The next step I have in mind is borrowing a multitester, in order to make sure that the AC adapter is good. If it's not, I'll borrow/buy a replacement one. But if the adapter's not bad, what next?

(Relevant considerations: I'm pretty decent with hardware, but I don't have much experience with either Macs or laptops. There's no Apple Store within a convenient distance (though there's a CompUSA, and a few local shops that do Apple repair). I'm willing to buy a new charger and a new battery, but I'd prefer to spend as little money on this as possible, and, if feasible, I'd prefer to do the work myself.)

Powerbook heat tolerances or "It burns! It burns!"

maniactown — Thu, 12 May 2005 08:02:19 -0800

My Powerbook (15" G4 1.25 Ghz) is criminally hot. Temperature Monitor reports that my Processor/Controller Bottomside temp. is 140°F, Power Supply Bottomside is 142.2°F, Battery is 95°F, and my Hard Disk is 104°F. The metal bottom of the "laptop" is too hot to touch for more than a moment. Is this reasonable? Is my computer broken? [MI] It's so hot that I have a sort of a sting-ey "half degree" burn on my right hand from typing on the built-in keyboard a lot yesterday and there's absolutely no way I can put it atop my lap, as intended by name and design. It is out of warranty, so Apple won't even talk to me about it without charging me for phone time. I can't find any information about the heat tolerances of this model, but I suspect the heat is partly responsible for the shortened life of the battery (I get about 12 minutes out of a full charge now) and may cause other hardware problems and possibly even ill health effects (i.e., sterilty and the burn on my hand). So MeFi friends, what can I do about it?

12" Powerbook Battery Info?

snowjoe — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:52:16 -0800

My battery acts funny. It always says I have over three hours when it first gets charged. Then after just a few minutes it says much less, like an hour or so. Then within minutes it is off. I have charged it completely and let it drain to completely of which I have been told resets the power manager. Do I need a new battery? If I do, are any of the after market batteries better than the Apple battery? The computer is two and a half years old.

How do I repair worn paint on my PowerBook?

ArsncHeart — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 20:57:43 -0800

My PowerBook is shocking my delicate forearms. The light silver paint on front edge of the laptop is majorly wearing off. What's a quick and inexpensive way to fix it? [+] I read here (#5, Fixing a PowerBook at the Seams) that packing tape will work. Do you have any other suggestions? Would clear nail polish do the job?

How do you clean your Mac Powerbook screen?

cahlers — Sat, 18 Dec 2004 17:43:18 -0800

How do you clean your Mac Powerbook screen? Mine is dusty.