Hello!
I recently acquired a 15" 1.67GHz DL SD PowerBook, the last powerpc laptop Apple sold. The device has seen better days so I'm trying to turn it into a decent platform for internet access and notekeeping. Now I need some help on how to fix it. The faults:
1. Broken keyboard. One key is missing and others have worn out. -> Im going to buy a new one from my local Apple retailer for 70 euros.
2. No sound from speakers. I don't know if the speakers are blown or if the sound card is damaged. The sound control only recognizes 3.5mm/optical out port. Should I have the speakers replaced or leave it be? My Apple retailer says that the speaker set is 70 euros. They have absolutely no guarantee that this will fix the situation as the computers does not recognize the internal speaker system at all so it could be a motherboard/sound card fault.
3. The worst problem: The battery does not charge when connected to the the charger NOR does the computer remember the date settings when rebooted. iStat reported that the battery has 65% capacity left, but refuses to charge. Since the battery has never been replaced during the 3 year life of the machine, the battery could just be dead. It doesn't react at all to pushing the button, which shows the battery charge level. Since the PRAM only allows to be recharged through the battery, I could just replace the battery with a new one and hope the PRAM starts charging itself from the new battery.
4. Should I buy an Apple battery or a custom one with a bigger capacity? I was looking at Newertech, but so far I have been unable to locate a retailer in Europe.
What should I do in this situation? I am a student so my budget is quite limited. I am unable to answer any detailed questions at this time since the machine is sitting at the workshop.
I just hope that buying a new battery will fix the problem or do you think that I need a new AC input board and a PRAM?
I'd appreciate any input
EDIT: Powerbook G4 of course
I recently acquired a 15" 1.67GHz DL SD PowerBook, the last powerpc laptop Apple sold. The device has seen better days so I'm trying to turn it into a decent platform for internet access and notekeeping. Now I need some help on how to fix it. The faults:
1. Broken keyboard. One key is missing and others have worn out. -> Im going to buy a new one from my local Apple retailer for 70 euros.
2. No sound from speakers. I don't know if the speakers are blown or if the sound card is damaged. The sound control only recognizes 3.5mm/optical out port. Should I have the speakers replaced or leave it be? My Apple retailer says that the speaker set is 70 euros. They have absolutely no guarantee that this will fix the situation as the computers does not recognize the internal speaker system at all so it could be a motherboard/sound card fault.
3. The worst problem: The battery does not charge when connected to the the charger NOR does the computer remember the date settings when rebooted. iStat reported that the battery has 65% capacity left, but refuses to charge. Since the battery has never been replaced during the 3 year life of the machine, the battery could just be dead. It doesn't react at all to pushing the button, which shows the battery charge level. Since the PRAM only allows to be recharged through the battery, I could just replace the battery with a new one and hope the PRAM starts charging itself from the new battery.
4. Should I buy an Apple battery or a custom one with a bigger capacity? I was looking at Newertech, but so far I have been unable to locate a retailer in Europe.
What should I do in this situation? I am a student so my budget is quite limited. I am unable to answer any detailed questions at this time since the machine is sitting at the workshop.
I just hope that buying a new battery will fix the problem or do you think that I need a new AC input board and a PRAM?
I'd appreciate any input
EDIT: Powerbook G4 of course