iBook G4 RIP or replace battery advice?

[setasai]

Hello,

My iBook G4 battery is now dead... it stays at 0% and will not charge at all. Coconutbattery says its stuck at 29% max capacity anyway. The hinge of is also a little floppy due to an accident a year ago leaving the LCD very loose at the hinge. Even so, it does not look like it will fall off anytime soon and actually seems that if i just drop some crazy glue or something it'll probably fix itself and be fine.

With that aside, do you all think i should buy a new battery for it and keep using it? or sell it and how much you think it'll be worth?

Thanks,
sai

 

[bobwill]

the apple store and fastmac sell replacements for the ibook g4 for $100-$130.

I guess that it depends on how satisfied you are with the machine.

I would think that ebay and craig's list would be good places to check for current prices. Lowendmac says that prices can go from $380 to about $700 to $800 depending on speeds. These are from stores, so I wouldn't really expect that much selling it as a private party, especially without a working battery.

 

[motulist]

There's no way even a final generation iBook G4 with a dead battery and a half-broken hinge is gonna sell for anywhere near $700. Heck, perfect condition final generation powerbooks from the same era have asking prices around $600-$700 in classified ads. If you got $300 I'd be surprised.

So it comes down to what situation are you in.

If you really don't have much money to spend, then you can gamble on buying a new battery and hope that the hinge doesn't break. But I've heard lots of bad stuff about hinges from those era machines, so that might be a bad gamble. If money is tight then you can sell the machine in parts which usually brings in more money, and then use that money plus some more extra that you throw in the pot to buy a used laptop that's newer and in better condition.

However, if you're not too worried about money and you're just trying to not be wasteful, then you can buy a new laptop and do something useful with your iBook. For instance you can set it up as an machine that permanently lives in your living room or bedroom. Or you can donate it to a charity where it'll go to a good cause and give you a tax right-off to boot.

 

[setasai]

well its not really a money issue like you said... it really comes down to the worth of the computer. I'm sure it'll last a good amount of time after because even through these past 3 years that i've had it... its still very usable and the hinge has not gotten looser or anything over time... it has pretty much stayed the same since i broke it.

If i do sell or give it to charity I will most likely not buy a new laptop since I have my imac thats still relatively uber...

Despite the hinge issue... if i buy a new battery... what would that cost? From apple you said 100-130... any 3rd party that would be just as good and last just as long? or am i really stuck on the apple store and those prices.

 

[wordmunger]

Even third party batteries aren't much cheaper. I got one for my iBook G4 and it was maybe $15 cheaper. It didn't fit as well in the machine (there were gaps) and its rubber foot fell off pretty quick. But it has lasted a long time -- longer than the original Apple battery.

 

[Jpoon]

Even third party batteries aren't much cheaper. I got one for my iBook G4 and it was maybe $15 cheaper. It didn't fit as well in the machine (there were gaps) and its rubber foot fell off pretty quick. But it has lasted a long time -- longer than the original Apple battery.

Meh, I'd just donate it or sell it for parts and invest in a new laptop.

It's not worth investing new stuff in a machine that's approaching its deathbed.

 

[setasai]

I guess i'm just really hesitant to get rid of the thing entirely is because I feel it is still a very capable laptop. I dont need it to do anything heavy since i still have my iMac.

I also have an old Powermac G4 sitting around... what do you think I should do with that? lol I attempted to make it a server but with all the rising electrical prices and its not exactly silent, i've shut it down and stored it in a corner of my room.

As for the ibook... i'm considering getting a new battery for it... since thats the only thing it needs and the rest of it is still fully functional.... i dunno... i hate parting with competent hardware. Plus... sentimental reasons... served me extremely well during my college years.

 

[motulist]

I guess i'm just really hesitant to get rid of the thing entirely is because I feel it is still a very capable laptop.

Oh I agree, but there's a difference between doing something useful with it as-is, and actually putting more money into it. Like I said above, you can use it as an always plugged in machine in a stationary location such as your living room, kitchen or bedroom.

And don't overlook the possibility that giving it to someone who'll appreciate it is probably the way for it to get used most usefully of all. If you set it up in your kitchen as a web surfer then you might use it a couple of hours a week as a convenience machine, but if you give it to a young kid or a needy family then they'll use it constantly and it could really change their lifestyle.

 

[setasai]

yea thats true...

I actually just cracked the whole lcd open... turns out it's the metal hinge that cracked... I found a replacement for it online at pbparts.com

http://www.pbparts.com/shop.php//n12hk.html

Has anybody replaced the hinge before? is it worth $30? Summer is coming up and so I have plenty of time to patiently take things apart piece by piece and I'm relatively good with taking things apart and putting them back together.

If the hinge replacement works perfectly I may dish out the money for a battery... which makes it a completely perfect computer and give it to a friend of mine who doesnt have a computer at all.