iBook G4 chugging along

[goldndelicious1]

i have had my 14" iBook G4 since 2005. the battery has been shot for a couple months, but it usually works when i keep it plugged in. however, sometimes it likes to randomly shut down without warning. at one point, it gave me some sort of system failure message on the display. then it went into sleep mode and started making strange beeping noises that i had never heard before. i took it to the genius bar, and the guy was not very helpful. he said that the logic pro/port (??) needs replacing and that it would cost $500, plus i need a new battery which would cost $130, AND i need a new power adapter. he said i'm better off buying a macbook pro since i can get the student discount. i've already ordered the macbook pro for myself, but i want to fix up the iBook for my mom. i don't plan on replacing the logic port thingy, however, i would be willing to invest in a new battery. i've been looking around on amazon and i've found these two options: http://www.amazon.com/LAPTOP-BATTERY-APPLE-M8416G-M8416J/dp/B000PB4D3E/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

and

http://www.amazon.com/Notebook-Batt...4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1280751150&sr=8-4

since the second one is sold by apple, i feel like i should trust that more. although the first battery received many positive reviews. which one is the better buy? and is it smart to go refurbished on the apple battery to get it around $20? thanks for any help!

 

[TheBritishBloke]

Logic board*

You can't not replace that. It's the main part of the computer and you can't get it to work without it. The genius was right. It'll be easier for you to buy a new one if you want to give it to your mom. Try ebay.

 

[goldndelicious1]

Oh yes that's what it was called!

Well the things is that my iBook has been working (other than those random shut downs). It's not like it has completely stopped functioning. and i would like to buy a new computer for my mom, but we can't really afford that right now since i just got a new one for myself for school. that's why i'd like to fix the iBook for a reasonable amount of money

 

[uberamd]

Oh yes that's what it was called!

Well the things is that my iBook has been working (other than those random shut downs). It's not like it has completely stopped functioning. and i would like to buy a new computer for my mom, but we can't really afford that right now since i just got a new one for myself for school. that's why i'd like to fix the iBook for a reasonable amount of money

The issue here is that its hard to fix a very old Mac for a reasonable amount of money. The parts are no longer in production and they are very hard to find. Logic board issues can get progressively worse, and it seems nonsensical to invest money into a system that is as old as it is. Get her a used PC laptop or save up for a used 1st gen MacBook.

I just don't think its worth the cost for the iBook series anymore. Maybe even try to find a PowerBook G4.

 

[goldndelicious1]

ooh i don't think i could do her the disservice of getting her a PC laptop.. haha. ok but that makes sense, maybe i will get her a refurbished macbook.

we probably won't buy another new computer for a few months though. in this case, is it worth buying an iBook battery from amazon until we get a new computer?

 

[Looon]

ooh i don't think i could do her the disservice of getting her a PC laptop.. haha. ok but that makes sense, maybe i will get her a refurbished macbook.

we probably won't buy another new computer for a few months though. in this case, is it worth buying an iBook battery from amazon until we get a new computer?

No the ibook will just keep shutting off more frequently. The same thing happened to mine and now it only goes for about 10 minutes before shutting down and then you gotta wait a couple hours and it will start up again. Don't waste $$$$ on it

 

[uberamd]

ooh i don't think i could do her the disservice of getting her a PC laptop.. haha. ok but that makes sense, maybe i will get her a refurbished macbook.

we probably won't buy another new computer for a few months though. in this case, is it worth buying an iBook battery from amazon until we get a new computer?

What the guy above said. Plus I have had bad luck with generic batteries off of Amazon, the last one I got for my 2007 MacBook Pro was dead on arrival. I will be getting a refund but its still a hassle.

 

[BiggAW]

I wouldn't put more than $10 into a PPC machine at this point- that being said I have one still running to play exercize videos on our 55" TV. Not to mention PPC machines are sllooooowww.

 

[goldndelicious1]

thanks everyone for your advice. i did end up getting the battery from amazon, and i'll be getting a new power adapter from my school. my mom said she will be able to cope with the sporadic shutdowns. she uses the computer mostly for e-mail, browsing the internet, and music. so losing saved files won't be that much of a big deal to her. i wish i could just get her a new one but it doesn't look possible in the near future. i feel like the iPad is perfect for her though, so once those go on the refurbished market, we may invest in it later on.

my iBook G4.. the little mac that could.