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My G3 iBook broke, and I want a G4 iBook... am i stupid?

S

sprouticus

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 10, 2004
36
0
Well, my G3 iBook has croaked a second freakin time... the motherboard went again. I'm sick of dealing with this lemon of a computer, so i need some help. Everyone by now knows that the G3 iBooks are total pieces of crap, and are pretty much the only faulty Macs ever made. I've been a loyal Mac customer since the Mac Plus, and this is the first one I've ever needed to get fixed.

So heres the problem. I don't want to spend much money, I need a laptop, and the only options available are the G4 iBooks. My only question is this - Will it be a lemon like my previous one? I don't want to spend $1000 only to get yet another broken laptop. Does anybody know if these iBooks are faulty or not? I would really appreciate the help. Thanks!
 
I understand how you feel. I lost my iBook due to lemonism.

As for the iBook G4, there haven't been any known problems with them yet. My guess is there won't be since they have a different motherboard architecture. Also, apple knew about the iBook G3 problem before the G4 came out so they likely fixed it.

Edit: if you are still under warranty, ask for a replacement iBook G4.
 
if your logic board breaks one more time and they repalce and it and ten one more time apple might offer you an ibook g4 ... sorry your plagued with this problem
 
Re: My G3 iBook broke, and I want a G4 iBook... am i stupid?

Originally posted by sprouticus
and are pretty much the only faulty Macs ever made.
Click to expand...
Not quite. There was an old PowerBook (540c I think?) where a few units managed to melt and/or catch on fire due to battery problems.
 
Re: Re: My G3 iBook broke, and I want a G4 iBook... am i stupid?

Originally posted by Counterfit
Not quite. There was an old PowerBook (540c I think?) where a few units managed to melt and/or catch on fire due to battery problems.
Click to expand...

the cube was a fire hazard from some reports as well.
 
Re: Re: Re: My G3 iBook broke, and I want a G4 iBook... am i stupid?

Originally posted by FightTheFuture
the cube was a fire hazard from some reports as well.
Click to expand...

I don't believe this is the case. At least I've never read such a report. I couldn't find a mention of this on CubeOwner.com either. Do you have any links?
 
no, just word of mouth. 2 different sources. 2 very flawwed people. they vicariously told me that their friends cube actually melt during renders overnight. i guess it was inaccurate to use the word "reports" huh?
 
hahaha well im glad the iBook hasn't MELTED but it might as well go and melt...piece of crap. Yeah the warranty is up on the iBook... when it first died, the warranty was literally a week away from expiring, and then they only gave me a 60-day warranty! Needless to say that's come and gone... So looks like I'll need to spend some money on it.
 
im sorry to hear about your warranty blues and the fact ur ibook bit the dust...if you have the spare cash srping for apple care, taht way you can get 3 years coverage and lots of replacement if this ever happens again, hopefully you wont need to ivoke the applecare, but if you do it gives some piece of mind, if nto a piece of ur wallet
 
G4 iBook is a good idea!

Originally posted by sprouticus
Well, my G3 iBook has croaked a second freakin time... the motherboard went again. So heres the problem.
I don't want to spend much money, I need a laptop, and the only options available are the G4 iBooks. My only question is this - Will it be a lemon like my previous one?
Click to expand...
sprouticus, understand how your faith in Mac has been bruised by bad experience with iBook G3. Me too. Apple's single replacement of my iBook G3 14" 700MHz motherboard has worked well for me. But, I will never buy another laptop without purchasing AppleCare extended warranty before the year is out.

Good news is I have had ZERO bad pixels in my 14" LCD! If your old G3 had perfect screen, keep it around for parts.
Salvage HD to put into case for external HD, laser Combo is worth $250, and AirPort card will transfer. However,
do NOT part out your G3 yet! Sign up on petition (over 1600 now, I'm 945) to Apple for relief, and keep it because you may need to turn it in (remember to pull extra RAM and any AirPort card first).

Review of your background says you have a 17" PowerBook G4 and nothing about size (12 or 14) or configuration (MHz etc.) of your iBook G3 :confused: so not sure where you are coming from, or headed?

G4 iBooks appear to be awesome and an excellent choice! :)

I'd get the $1299 933MHz and upgrade the HD size from 40 to 60 for $50, order it with internal BlueTooth already installed for $50 because it CANNOT be installed internally after purchase, buy an AirPort card as needed, and look at buying your iBook G4 from MacMall, MacZone, MacConnection, etc. because of RAM upgrade, printer discounts and other FREE offers. Look carefully at other heavily discounted offers at time of purchase like Final Cut Express, MS Office 2004 (if any), .Mac, etc. Make sure iLife 4 is already installed free otherwise it will cost you $50 later.

Sure, I'd settle for an iBook G4, but I have started a "repacement fund" with a 15" PB as my goal (because of SuperDrive, PCMCIA card port, 512K L2 cache
512MB DDR333 SDRAM
80GB Ultra ATA/100
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (64MB DDR)
Backlit keyboard
Gigabit Ethernet
FireWire 400 & 800
AirPort Extreme built-in
DVI & S-Video out) with the hope that my G3 will last until the fund is full.
Let us know what you decide.;)
 
The melting problem with some of the ancient 5300s was due to faulty batteries from Sony.

The Cube in its stock configuration has never had overheating problems to my knowledge. The only time it had heat problems would be when someone would cover up the heat vent by placing something on top of it. Upgrading the CPU and graphics card in the Cube without adding a fan could also create too much heat. Some people also managed to fry their cubes by adding mods that drew too much voltage. It's not Apple's fault if somebody fries their cube through modifications.

The G3 iBook problems are clearly Apple's fault. Apple should have fixed the motherboard while it was still a G3. Regardless, it is very bad policy to replace iBooks that die with iBooks that are known to have defective motherboards.
 
Well, if any product fails more than two times under original warranty, I think you deserve a replacement.

I have an 800MHz iBook, and yes, it did fail after 6 months. Fortunately, it was repaired quickly and it has been great for last 3 months. I believe that the problem is not universal. My friends who have iBooks (one 500 MHz, one 800 MHz) are not affected by the problem.

Many sources indicating that the logic boards of iBook (G3 or G4) and Powerbook 12 inch are very similar, and connecters and wiring in the G3 iBooks are the suspect, not the logic board itself.

I also wonder this problem may be limited in America, as I haven't heard anyone complaining in Japan, the second largest market for the iBook G3.
 
I've never had a Mac melt on me, but I've had my Gateway PII 266 MHz melt pretty bad on me (those original PII's were insanely hot) and our Dell 2.8 GHz P4 is showing signs that it may melt, too. It freezes at least once a day due to overheating because my parents bought this big oak computer case for it and it doesn't get much air probably.

I'd have to say they will replace your iBook if they can't get the problem fixed. Just keep your cool and be patient.
 
Originally posted by FightTheFuture
no, just word of mouth. 2 different sources. 2 very flawwed people. they vicariously told me that their friends cube actually melt during renders overnight. i guess it was inaccurate to use the word "reports" huh?
Click to expand...

Any story that starts with "A friend of a friend said..." never qualifies as a 'report'.
 
Re: G4 iBook is a good idea!

Originally posted by MacRAND
Review of your background says you have a 17" PowerBook G4 and nothing about size (12 or 14) or configuration (MHz etc.) of your iBook G3 :confused: so not sure where you are coming from, or headed? [/B]
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not the one with the iBook, it's my mom... but I figured I would post using the first person because it's easier =). My mom did sign up for that class action suit by the way.

I have had ZERO problems with my powerbook... I love this beast.
 
G4 iBook is a good idea!

Originally posted by sprouticus
Yeah, I'm not the one with the iBook, it's my mom... but I figured I would post using the first person because it's easier ;). My mom did sign up for that class action suit by the way.
I have had ZERO problems with my 17" powerbook... I love this beast.
Click to expand...
And so, what is the configuration of your Mom's iBook, and has she had any pixel problems.
I have a 700MHz bought in July 2002.
When I delivered my iBook to an Apple authorized independent shop for repair, it was they who sent it to Apple. AppleCare called them and tried to "blame me" for the damage to the motherboard, but the indie had examined the iBook before sending it to Apple and knew it had not been abused. Strange, my only problem was with the battery screw breaking and it was APPLE who found the motherboard problem through thorough diagnosis.
Apple ended up making extensive expensive repairs at zero cost to me. I was stupid to let the 12th month come and go without buying AppleCare, partly because I already had it on my Dual 1GHz G4. :rolleyes:
 
iBook G4 problems

I purchased an iBook G4 12" 800 combo from MacMall a couple of days after it was announced as a birthday present for my fiancé. It was dead on arrival. It wouldn't turn on most of the time, and when it did, it would freeze up after a few minutes, have a kernel panic, and shut down by itself. I took it to the Apple Store here in NYC, they sent it away for repair, and 2 days later I got it back, with a brand new motherboard, power supply, and other replaced stuff. Works like a charm. But for a week there, it was a nightmare. I'm sure I'll be getting AppleCare for it before the year runs out!

Good luck.;)
 
Re: G4 iBook is a good idea!

Originally posted by MacRAND
And so, what is the configuration of your Mom's iBook, and has she had any pixel problems.
I have a 700MHz bought in July 2002.
When I delivered my iBook to an Apple authorized independent shop for repair, it was they who sent it to Apple. AppleCare called them and tried to "blame me" for the damage to the motherboard, but the indie had examined the iBook before sending it to Apple and knew it had not been abused. Strange, my only problem was with the battery screw breaking and it was APPLE who found the motherboard problem through thorough diagnosis.
Apple ended up making extensive expensive repairs at zero cost to me.
Click to expand...

I wish I could tell you the config, but I cant start the damn thing up... however, I'm 99% sure its a 500 MHz with a regular CD-ROM drive bought in December 2001. I remember this because it was equal to my iMac at the time.

We have an Apple Store in my town and the guy kept blaming my mom saying stuff like "oh what did you do to it" and crap... All she does is go on the Internet, play some games, and do some work for my dad, which is writing in MS Word... That's why she got the cheap low end model. They must know that these iBooks are dogcrap and tell the workers to plead the 5th. It just seems too wierd that you, my mom, and other people I've read about in other forums get blamed for a faulty motherboard.

My mom is heading into the Apple Store tomorrow to see if they do anything... I told her that if they try to charge her to just wait... I'll try to salvage her hard drive and back her stuff up on my PowerBook. I'll let you guys know if anything happens!
 
G4 iBook is a good idea!

Originally posted by sprouticus
500 MHz with a regular CD-ROM drive bought in December 2001.
...you, my mom, and other people I've read about in other forums get blamed for a faulty motherboard.
I'll try to salvage her hard drive and back her stuff up on my PowerBook. I'll let you guys know if anything happens!
Click to expand...
1. To back it up using your PB, connect the 2 laptops with a FireWire cable, try starting up the iBook and holding down the "T" key until you see a FireWire symbol moving around the screen. This turns the iBook into an external FireWire drive for your PowerBook, and the iBook's hard drive should appear on your desktop. Have fun transferring her data off. ;)
2. Apparently, no 3 year extended AppleCare warranty? :( Otherwise, Apple will fix the problem.
3. The problem is not really the motherboard (but that's the easy way to describe it, so everyone simply says it's the "motherboard"). Actually, it is the wiring up of the motherboard and only a small (yet significant) percentage of iBooks are affected, not all of them.
4. If your Mom gets a G4 with the same size screen, then she has ready made parts in the screen, laser drive (wrong, the new one is slot-loading), hard drive, and possibly the battery.
 
Though SOME iBooks had flaws, many many others didn't, and I think people overlook this. I'm not sure what the percent of iBooks with the problem Apple have made since the Dinosaur Chicklet form factor in 2000 vs. the myriad of happily working ones are, but I imagine it's not large. I personally know scads of very happy iBook owners including myself, they're a champ of a portable so I think your line of "everyone knows the G3 iBook is total crap" is wrong, incredibly wrong, and just a biased unfounded statement. Nobody would be stupid for buying another one, in fact quite smart really.
 
Up to G4

I was terrified my old G3 600 iBook would die, so I sold it to a used computer store, on-line. I bought a G4 800 and upped the RAM to 640MB. It is a MUCH better computer all around. Bigger HD, Video RAM, Combo-Drive. AND it hasn't broken once. :D

And $1100 for an awesome computer is worth it. I love it. I don't regret it at all.
 
Hi,

I haven't heard any complains about the G4 iBook so far. I guess that shortly after the problem was known at Apple they fixed it in there production. I cannot believe that the know of quality issues and don't start immediatly on finding out the root cause to get it fixed. BTW I have a G3 900MHz iBook. Never had any problems.

Cheers
 
Wow. Those Apple guys really know how to feign ignorance.

So my mom went into the local Apple Store and get this- There were 3 other people there with the EXACT same problem. 2 of them happened to be switchers and were really wrung out because this was their first Mac. The genius at the Apple Store said it would cost $290 to fix both the motherboard and the graphics card (i forgot to mention that her graphics card is also shot... black shows up as red). She declined and asked for a number to call.

She called the customer relations number and this is when the real crap started. She was saying how her iBook was messed up and how it happens to alot of people and stuff, and the SENIOR EXEC AT CUSTOMER RELATIONS said "ohh well i dont know anything about that happening. i have an iBook and it's fine!"

Mom- "well how do you account for 3 other people being there at the exact same time?"
Guy- "That's just a coincidence"
Mom- "What about the class action lawsuit that is probably going to get filed about the faulty iBooks?"
Guy- "Oh i didnt know about that."
Mom- "And what about the protests at MacWorld expo?"
Guy- "Oh i didnt know about that either."

My mom went on to say how the guy should go check the message boards across the web talking about iBooks and stuff... I could see if this was the guy's first day of work and he had just switched to a Mac, but come on. Senior executive person? You should know these things.

Needless to say, that was a huge amount of bullcrap that we got spoonfed today. I'm going to work on recovering her files, and she may go and get the iBook G4 today too... She needs a computer, and she especially needs it now for some work she's doing with my dad.

Meh... life goes on.
 
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