The worst day of my Apple life
My Pismo died on me today. I was back from work and was just about to finish up a presentation for class tomorrow. I pressed the button and what sounded like a small drill came from the case, surprisely from the upper left corner and not the right (where the HD is). I had been worrying that the HD would die soon (loud noises and stuff) and had expected that instead.
I tried to plug it in to the adaptor and turn it on again. Same noise and same result. I then took off the keyboard and looked inside and a small smell of burning metal and some smoke rose from the corner. I quickly unplugged and removed the battery to avoid any further damage. But to be honest: It came from the MB and it is fried. No doubt about it.
Problem now is that don´t have any money for a new computer and I have a zillion papers to make this semester and with no computer it will be a problem.
SO someone please tell me that it was just the infrared eye that was fried and some magic spell will cure it. If not... well then its time for the first "help a fellow AI´er" collection marathon ever. Portables or funds are welcome 
I tried to plug it in to the adaptor and turn it on again. Same noise and same result. I then took off the keyboard and looked inside and a small smell of burning metal and some smoke rose from the corner. I quickly unplugged and removed the battery to avoid any further damage. But to be honest: It came from the MB and it is fried. No doubt about it.
Problem now is that don´t have any money for a new computer and I have a zillion papers to make this semester and with no computer it will be a problem.
SO someone please tell me that it was just the infrared eye that was fried and some magic spell will cure it. If not... well then its time for the first "help a fellow AI´er" collection marathon ever. Portables or funds are welcome
Comments
CompUSA or an Apple Store will usually have a specialist on their payrole.
I have figured that a new motherboard costs about the same as a new iBook. And despite my love for the Pismo it would be hard to justify fixing the problem instead of buying as new one.
New tactics
Woz?
Schiller?
Anderson?
Tevanian?
Rubinstein?
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Gates?
From now on at least...
Now lets see the power of the net. Spread this and I will have a new one by monday
[ 09-23-2002: Message edited by: Anders ]</p>
My AppleCare now runs out in 2005, btw. I still don't know how it happened but I'm not complaining.
Anders, I don't know what to tell you here. I know the position you are in. Apple will charge you a fortune to fix your PowerBook, perhaps as much as the cost of a new iBook. But on the other hand, you have no money to repair it or get a new computer.
I don't know how insurance works over in Europe, but is your PowerBook insured? Part of my home owner's insurance focuses on my PowerBook that would cover damage from a power surge, fire damage, etc. There is a deductible but otherwise, they pay what the cost would be to get it fixed or replaced.
If you can determine it was a power surge or some other anomaly and you have a good insurance policy that would cover electronics in your house, I would look into it.
Otherwise, you might be looking at an expensive solution.
<strong>Hey , I might be able to get you an old PowerMac 5300 100Mhz. Our school is in the process of getting rid of one of there first computer labs and turning into a class room. I'll pull some strings and see what I can do.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I´m actually really thankful for the offer but the problem is that I am 8 timezones away from you.
Next idea: If Apple send me an iBook I will change my name to Jaguar for the next year. If they send me a Powerbook I´ll change it to QuickTime Streaming Server forever.
Now, it got fixed simply by trashing the soundcard (which is, in the Pismo, far right next to where the power supply comes in). So, this guy didn't have sound anymore, but hell, that sounds like a bargain in your case.
And if not, I wonder if there'd be a way to test your comp to know if maybe it IS the HD or not.
Anyway, I had an emergency like this just two months ago (my Pismo died on me then), so I know just how much you feel like puking right now. I am, however, typing this on a new used iBook, and am quite content with it, it is certainly a little leap forward (not really big, but big enough).
I hope you have some other comp over there to do your stuff on, some old beige G3 or so, something to save your life on while you go through those horribly trying first Pismo-less days.
I really feel for you, Anders <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />
<strong>Rubinstein?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yo, sup. Sorry, I'm a bit tied for cash at the moment. A whole bunch of great GameCube software is eating holes in my pockets... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
No I don't have any more motherboards by the way, last one sold yesterday, sorry.
Student Discounts
Okay, that's two words but it only has one syllable.
Yeah yeah, welI I know what I meant, Or do I?
Andrew
<strong>I can email you the Pismo service manual if you post your email address, it might help you decide what to do.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I would appriciate that, thanks.
My email is in the profile link above the post.
Don't give up quite yet though. You can probably find a used motherboard for cheap. Screens, harddisks and keyboards the most commonly broken parts of laptops. This means that there are plenty of dead laptops out there with perfectly fine MBs!
Ask me how!