Powerbook G4 weak airport

I have a powerbook g4 thats about a year and a half old, 1.5 ghz, and ever since I got it, I have found the airport to be extremely weak.

I have been in locations with lots of other pc users, and also mac users (using the exact same laptop), and they all have strong signals etc, and mine is always weak. I have even had in alot of cases where friends on powerbooks will pick up like 4 or 5 different access points on the airport menu, and I will have like 2.

Add this to the list of problems I have had including white spots on my screen, dead pixel on the replacement screen, and the screen hinge that creeks like crazy.

Any ideas as to what might be causing this would be appreciated.

Tom

Yeah its weird. My friend gets this local connection as does everyone else in his aprtment from this local pub. He gets a realtively strong signal too, like 3 bars. It won't even appear on my list. Whats really annoying is that in the computer labs at my university, the signal is always really weak and I have trouble grabbing my files off my server that I need for class because I keep loosing the connection where as other people can connect fine. My friends 12" powerbook which was purchased at the same time as mine gets a much stronger signal.

Its so frustrating and I am starting to wonder about this wire that connects to the antennas too.

Yeah the hinge creaks like crazy every since they had to replace my screen. I hate it because it puts pressure on certain points of the powerbook and I am affraid it will weaken areas of the lid where you can sort of see it flexing, it must be too tight.

Is there a way to loosen it just a tad?

My dad on his thinkpad can get about 20 more feet through an exterior wall than I can with my Powerbook. He can be sitting down outside on the back patio and get a signal where as I still have trouble getting a signal just inside the door to go outside.