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No place to discuss repairs, tinkering, and hardware in general?

quantum003

quantum003

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 27, 2009
542
0
Superposition
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that there's a total lack of interest in these subjects on this site. Personally, I'm keen on repairing and tinkering with iBooks, Powerbooks, PowerMac G3's, G4's, and G5's. I'm keen on overclocking processors and video cards, and at the moment I'm very interested in techniques for flashing video cards to work with Macs.

Is there a particular place on this site for weirdos like me who would prefer to buy my Apples broke for dirt cheap and fix them up, rather than pay thousands for the brand new model of iMac that's .01Ghz faster than the last model was?

We all love Macs, please just tell me where I should be posting. And if there is no such place currently, shouldn't there be? :)
 
I'd be interested a forum for this as well... Not that I know anything about any of that, but it could be a good read and useful to those whom are active in that field. Just my thought.
 
kainjow said:
It seems like one of the Apple Hardware sub-forums would be appropriate?
Click to expand...
In all fairness to the OP, those sub-forums never turn out to be overly helpful. Every time I post a technical question in one of those forums, it seems that if anyone replies (depending on the complexity of the question, many times nobody does), it's usually along the following lines:

-go to an apple store
-search
-it's not possible (when it is)

I would imagine, though, that it's probably a lack of interest from the entire community and making a separate sub-forum would do little to solve the issue. I've also noticed that most forum members that actively participate in those sub-forums are typically using the latest generation of the hardware and have no knowledge of earlier versions or have little interest to discuss anything aside from the latest and greatest.

Macrumors currently isn't much of a place to discuss complex hardware issues. Most of the questions asked involve buying a new machine, waiting for something, speculation, etc. The hardware questions are usually simple (how to eject optical drive). While a repair section might better organize more complex hardware questions, it doesn't seem to me that there is sufficient interest here to make such a sub-forum useful. It could be worth a try, though.
 
akonradi said:
In all fairness to the OP, those sub-forums never turn out to be overly helpful. Every time I post a technical question in one of those forums, it seems that if anyone replies (depending on the complexity of the question, many times nobody does), it's usually along the following lines:

-go to an apple store
-search
-it's not possible (when it is)

I would imagine, though, that it's probably a lack of interest from the entire community and making a separate sub-forum would do little to solve the issue. I've also noticed that most forum members that actively participate in those sub-forums are typically using the latest generation of the hardware and have no knowledge of earlier versions or have little interest to discuss anything aside from the latest and greatest.

Macrumors currently isn't much of a place to discuss complex hardware issues. Most of the questions asked involve buying a new machine, waiting for something, speculation, etc. The hardware questions are usually simple (how to eject optical drive). While a repair section might better organize more complex hardware questions, it doesn't seem to me that there is sufficient interest here to make such a sub-forum useful. It could be worth a try, though.
Click to expand...

I must say I agree 100%, word for word. And I thought I was the only one.

This extends to complex software problems, as well. The MacRumors forums isn't as knowledgeable as it used to be back when things are a little bit smaller.
 
quantum003 said:
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that there's a total lack of interest in these subjects on this site. Personally, I'm keen on repairing and tinkering with iBooks, Powerbooks, PowerMac G3's, G4's, and G5's. I'm keen on overclocking processors and video cards, and at the moment I'm very interested in techniques for flashing video cards to work with Macs.

Is there a particular place on this site for weirdos like me who would prefer to buy my Apples broke for dirt cheap and fix them up, rather than pay thousands for the brand new model of iMac that's .01Ghz faster than the last model was?

We all love Macs, please just tell me where I should be posting. And if there is no such place currently, shouldn't there be? :)
Click to expand...

There is discussion about flashing video cards on the site - maybe the retro//older tinkering bit could be a subforum suggestion?
 
ravenvii said:
I must say I agree 100%, word for word. And I thought I was the only one.

This extends to complex software problems, as well. The MacRumors forums isn't as knowledgeable as it used to be back when things are a little bit smaller.
Click to expand...


I wasn't here back then, sadly. But it seems as if from what I've heard that it was a nice coffee shop full of intelligent, helpful people until one day ... The frat showed up, they installed some taps upstairs and just party it up.

I see so many people that never offer a single piece of helpful information, but still find time to insult constantly. Is this becoming am AOL Chatroom?
 
I think a place to talk about hardware tinkering would be great forum to have. I love DIY projects from fixing computers to building them from scratch. Sometimes I want to replace the audio chip in my iPod, so I get better quality sound.

I really look forward to a hardware repairs section.
 
akonradi said:
In all fairness to the OP, those sub-forums never turn out to be overly helpful. Every time I post a technical question in one of those forums, it seems that if anyone replies (depending on the complexity of the question, many times nobody does), it's usually along the following lines:

-it's not possible (when it is)
Click to expand...

If you knew it was possible, how do you know- and why did you ask in the first place?
 
alphaod said:
I think a place to talk about hardware tinkering would be great forum to have. I love DIY projects from fixing computers to building them from scratch. Sometimes I want to replace the audio chip in my iPod, so I get better quality sound.

I really look forward to a hardware repairs section.
Click to expand...

Redwine imod modifies certain iPod for a fee.
 
If you're tinkering with G3/G4 hardware in any sense then I've found that the Apple Collectors forum is a welcoming place.
 
miles01110 said:
If you knew it was possible, how do you know- and why did you ask in the first place?
Click to expand...
Maybe because Macrumors wasn't the entire depth of my research? I have had to find answers elsewhere when I can't get answers from these forums as people tell me that something can't be done. Then I find my solution elsewhere.

In addition, I often read others stating that some projects are impossible when I know for fact that they are true.
 
There should be a thread for this. MR did used to be full of helpful information to people who wanted to fix their own or could not afford repairs etc.

MR got me to do it myself, though I admit I am getting out of the G4 fix it business. That said, the problem with fixing it yourself is no one seems to know how to solder broken logic boards anymore. Even in shops.
 
In addition, I often read others stating that some projects are impossible when I know for fact that they are true.
Click to expand...

Then you should say so. Having a new forum isn't going to change people's stupidity.

I don't think a new forum would be particularly useful anyways. 90% of the threads are going to be :

-How to install a hard drive into a *book.
-What kind of RAM should I buy
-Looking for an external hard drive!
-Can I put a bigger HD in my iPod to hold my pirated music?

The other 10% will be more esoteric things that, as you claim, will be possible but nobody will know how to do.
 
miles01110 said:
Then you should say so. Having a new forum isn't going to change people's stupidity.
Click to expand...
I try to, but the problem cannot be solved by me alone as it happens in many more cases than I can reply to.

The other 10% will be more esoteric things that, as you claim, will be possible but nobody will know how to do.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but it may be worth considering a try to see if it actually works.
 
Wow! I didn't expect so much positive response. I'm not alone! Thanks for all of the helpful suggestions and links guys, I'm investigating them now.

The reason I was hoping to find a place to discuss technical issues here is because this site has such a huge membership and community, much more so than lowendmac and some other similar sites. But like others in this thread said, my questions on technical and hardware issues very rarely get responses, so I wasn't sure if I was posting in the wrong forum or what.

Anyway. I will keep my fingers crossed for the tinkering forum. Because right now I have a small stack of PowerBook G4 motherboards that I want to test out and see if they pass "POST", and I would like to discuss techniques for doing that as easily and quickly as possible. :D
 
I would still love to see this. Hackintosh discussions could also easily be trafficked into a general tinkering sub-forum. :)
 
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