to repair or not to repair - that is the question...

oziii said:

Two months ago after only just buying myself a brand new 15 inch Powerbook I was coming through customs at the airport after a holiday and my laptop bag was dropped off the end of an xray machine conveyor belt - it was one of those nightmare moments where everything went into slow motion. The damage was a dint in the left hand side panel and a small defect behind the screen. Neither piece of damage has any impact on the running of the machine - it works fine.

I was covered by insurance so took it in for a quote ($2300 Aussie dollars) and sent it off to the insurance company who today sent me a cheque.

The question I now have (which I'm interested in others thoughts on) is this:

- should I get the repair done or spend the money on a new iMac?

You see if I get the repair done it will increase the value of my powerbook when I sell it in 12 or so months time - but I'm not sure by how much. However if i buy myself an iMac I end up with two computers - one a slightly damaged powerbook and one brand new iMac....

hmmm

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Well... You have a little bit of choosing to do here mate.

When you say that there is a small defect behind the screen, what do you mean by that? Is it a defect in the actual screen or is it just a cosmetic thing on the lid. If the screen is ok, then don't worry.

Knowing Apple, they will charge you quite a bit for repairs so I don't think that the money you would spend now would be re-couped when you sell it (btw why are you going to sell it in 12 months?...). 😕

So, if I was you I would be looking at buying an iMac 17 inch and keeping a slightly 'weathered' PowerBook - just think it will add some character😛. Be wary of the super drive model as there have been noise issues with them and they run quite hot (there are many threads that discuss this). But after that, wait until after MWSF before you do anything. 😉

aussie_geek

Wow ... you must be really glad you had insurance!

Well, it looks like you need to evaluate your needs. Would you prefer having a desktop and a laptop, or just a good, powerful laptop?

If you prefer a heavy-duty laptop, you might consider selling your Powerbook (if you can) and waiting to see if new PBs come out soon. I'm not generally a fan of sitting on one's hands waiting for new Apple products, but it's possible that MWSF could bring surprises. Of course, you could always sell your PB after the new ones come out, though you might not fetch as high a price.

It sounds like the damage to the Powerbook is minor and cosmetic, so I wouldn't advocate repairing it necessarily. I think a new PB or a PB / iMac would be the way to go.

Two computers is the way to go. That new iMac is hot, and you won't regret buying it once you sell that powerbook (for a little less than if it was all pretty).

i have a powerbook and a powermac (so a kinda possible senario for you) I have to say that i prefer using my powermac, not just because its faster but because you don't have to worry about battery life and constantly charging if you need to use your mac at home. I am back from uni now for the holidays and only have my powerbook and let me tell you i find it a real bind having to keep hooking up to the charger all the time. If it were me i'd keep the ever so slightly battle damaged powerbook and get an iMac, those things are seriously cool and will last you for quite some time. Which size are you thinking of?

oziii said:

I don't really care much about how my powerbook looks - the only concern was its resale value which of course plummeted the moment I walked outside the shop with it.

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And as luck always has it, as soon as the repairs are done, it will be stolen or dinged again. Use the money on something else, now or later.

i can only think from my perspective as a middle aged person with bills only a middle aged person could have added up over many years...i have an old rev a ibook which has a dead modem, a borrowed dual g4 which works fine, and an old pc laptop which is in need of a cmos battery...and i am happy as a clam...but then again i don't make my living using the latest adobe suite and i am not an extreme gamer who never sees the light of day

i would say if the powerbook works fine, then just use it and hang onto the money

how old are you? do you have expenses with kids, house, college, college loans to pay off? broken muffler? etc? with 2300 dollars and a working (but slightly dinged) laptop, i would use the money for more "useful" endeavors...but that is just me

i do know people who can't stand it if they don't have the latest mac gear and if they suddenly saw 2300 dollars fall into their lap, they would hit an apple store that day! 🙂

i guess that can't be that bad because one of my former employees would give half of that 2300 to his religious cult and the rest into his gigantic dvd collection (which his cult says he is not allowed to view due to non approved content) 🙂