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My Macbook is falling apart.. (with pictures)

saaborac said:
I have been searching around for this topic, but it seems like this is another kind of "falling apart". I don't have warranty, I bought this in the US and I live in Denmark.. therefore, I can't get it fixed here.
This is a late 2008 model.

It started with the hinge being loose - which I found was normal for this model of the Pro - and I wanted to get that fixed, but never really got the tools ordered. So this has come gradually.. the hinge became more and more loose, and all of a sudden, one day, it looked like my screen was falling off my macbook. I am pretty sure the hinge is like non existent now!
The only way I can use my macbook is by having the screen at a 90 degree angle, with something that supports the screen - or else it just looks like this.. Here are some photos:
img0065ux.jpg

img0066bi.jpg

img0068n.jpg

img0069fo.jpg



I have been taking very good care of my computer and it hasn't suffered falls. It pains me to see this. :(

Help, please?
Caroline
Click to expand...

Thats your wear and tear, get a new one.
 
saaborac said:
I read that the loose hinge is common in late '08 models. I believe this has happened because I have kept using it with a loose hinge for two months and it eventually broke.
Click to expand...

Not sure how common it is, but seriously I've never seen anything this bad.

Obviously you got screwed by the seller here.
If something's too good to be true, it probably is.
 
That doesn't look too expensive... And it doesn't look as if it should need too much expertise. All the OP needs to do it buy a new hinge+display casing+screw kit and replace the screen housing and the hinge assembly.
 
you continued to use a broken hinge and then wonder why it broke even more? is it really such a surprise? :rolleyes:
 
I only just noticed that you bought the laptop in the US, but live in Denmark so thought it wouldn't be supported by Apple. Apple support their stuff worldwide. My MacBook Pro was bought in England and Apple happily replaced the motherboard under warranty in France.

I would take it to Apple and see what they have to say about it. Unibodies have had plenty of hinge issues and have internal memos floating around on the subject.

Beyond that, you shouldn't consider it to be a write off just because of a knackered mechanical part. Some people seem to be suggesting that the laptop is likely to blow up at any moment because of it and that simply isn't the case. If it works fine as a computer now then it will do so when the hinge is fixed as well.

Just avoid putting stress on the display connectors and get it sorted ASAP.
 
Having said that, if you do want to give up on it and start again, PM me a price with shipping to France and I'll take my chances with it. ;)
 
it was only the way you said 'my macbook pro is falling apart'. blaming the machine. instead of i/the previous owner abused it.
 
gotta love all the people here who do not read and just keep saying "get a new one" or "that is what you get for buying used" or whatever nonsense.

Here is what I would do, but I will ask this question first. Does the screen work like it should? No flickering or anything weird about it?

I did some searching, and the parts seem to be available. I dropped my MBP 15" (non unibody) and it dented the rear LCD case. I bought one off of ebay for like $50. I looked on ebay, and there are currently no rear LCD cases for the unibodys listed just by them selves.

However, I googled, and found places do sell these new. I am sure ifixit.com has them. Here is a link to the part LCD. I have never ordered from these guys, I was just using this as an example.

You will also need hinges. I typed in Macbook Pro unibody hinges into eBay and got a ton of results.

As far as what else you need, I am unsure. I have only had my unibody for several days and don't plan on having to tear it apart other than to install the HDD and RAM.

Hopefully these parts will cost less than $150 shipped. The hinges look to be like $20 or so each, and then the rear LCD case.
 
Denarius said:
My God, perish the thought that an Apple product could just be faulty of it's own accord. Heresy, I say! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

actually, i take it back, maybe this is the result of too much care. i would definitely say this is faulty.

I love that comment. - COULD JUST BE FAULTY OF ITS OWN ACCORD!

no offence to the original poster.
 
To those who are saying "who knows what else might be wrong with it!" - well, she said she has had it for six months or so and been using it. So sure, something else *could* be wrong with it, but it's not like it's a total mystery machine to her. I would guess she would have said if it were not operating correctly (besides the mechanical hinge and screen stuff).

If it were me and I were strapped for cash, and I could get parts for $200 or less, I think I would try to fix it. Especially since you say you are mechanically inclined and resourceful. The can-do attitude, plus a step-by-step illustration from someplace like ifixit's website, should go a long way.

Although, as someone else mentioned, if there is an Apple store that is not to hard to get to, I would try there first. At least if it is like Apple in the US, they will take a look at it for you for free. And who knows, maybe they would help you out. Sometimes there are "quality control" programs for known problems (I realize yours might have been caused by something else, but from here, I don't *know* that for sure).

Then, if having it fixed by Apple is a no-go, I would go back to the parts-plus-you-fixit plan.

Good luck! :)

Miss Terri
 
Same here

Mine is coming apart, and I have never dropped it.

More here on possible fixes...

There are many, many users of this model with this exact problem. Under normal usage, this should not happen in 2-3 years, let alone 5 or 6.
 
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