iBook gone bad?

So I went to check something in my iBook today (not my main computer, just a back up), and the computer would either freeze at the main screen or wouldn't boot at all. I figured it was just a issue from running Onyx (has happened before, after all) and since I was considering downgrading the machine to Tiger anyway, popped in a Tiger install disc and started the procedure.

About 30-40% in, the installer popped up a message stating that there was an error and to try installing again. Did that, same message. Did that again, verified disc, and zeroed out data, same problem.

Normally I would tend to think that the HDD went bad, but since it zeroed data fine I am not sure. Plus, the HDD is only about 2 years old and the computer is, as I mentioned previously, barely used. Something similar --but not quite-- happened to an old G3 B&W I owned, and replacing the HD did nothing to remedy the situation. i ended up throwing out the computer because it wasn't worth fixing.

So, does anyone have any ideas? I really don't want to open up the thing again, it's a damn pain and I've done it more times than I'd like. If it really is broken I'll probably just put it on eBay as is and use the money to get an iPod Touch, as it'd handle basically everything I do with the computer anyway (email, basic surfing, etc). Alas, would love an iPhone, but am in no way willing to pay $80 a month.

While I'm at it, and this is a bit off topic, how well does the Touch handle web and basic stuff like that? Speedy? Well? Hopefully as well as a iBook...

It's a basic Tiger disc (not specific to ibook), and there is nothing wrong with it. The entire reason I used tiger in the first place was because the leopard boot froze on start. Plus, it passed Tigers own verification during install, so I've ruled that out.

Come to think of it, my girlfriend's mother's mac did the same thing and it was the hdd. Just odd that I'm getting no bad reports and it zeroed data just fine. Normally it'll error out when zeroing data and it finds a bad sector.

If only it could boot via USB...

Also, doesn't show any error period, just says there was an error.

I'm gonna try and partition the disc into 2 and use the second half to see if it'll install properly on a different part of the hdd. if yes then I have my problem.

Edit: Didn't work either... Sigh. It boots from the cd just fine. When it gets to a certain point it'll just error out with an unspecific "could not be installed". I want to believe it's the hdd... but I don't want to spend the money on a new hdd I don't need should I be wrong.

Been there, done that. I tried booting from Techtool Pro, and while it boots from my iMac just fine, it just goes into infinite load mode.

Next is for me to remove the Ram stick and see if that's screwing stuff up.

Alright, I've located the problem. It's either a bad stick of Ram, or a bad Ram slot... Hopefully not the latter, because I have lifetime replacement on the ram from OWC

First time I've ever had ram go bad on me. Must not be totally bad though because it's still boots.