Possibly Buying a MBP, Selling a Powerbook... Need Advice

[MrMan112]

I currently have a Powerbook G4 (1.5 Ghz, 512 MB, 80 HD) and a severely aging PC (coming to be 6 years old).

Unfortunately, the PB has a break in the trim around one of its corners (leaving a nice hole), a few minor dents, the latch does not work (I have not taken it out of the the house since this broke), and overall seems to run slower than it should. Unfortunately, I went the cheap route, and opted not to purchase AppleCare, which I now realize was a big mistake.

At the moment, I use the PC only to watch videos (its painful to do on my Mac) and the Powerbook is used for everything else (managing photos, music, internet, etc).

At the moment, I am a dental student. I have a Nikon D50 which I use alot to take intraoral photos and present cases. I am going to be doing a residency next year and want the ability to edit photos in Aperture (which I cannot use on my Powerbook) in the clinic and shows photos to patients.

I am planning to buy a Macbook Pro (with AppleCare) and a 23" ACD with to replace both. With Parallels, I should be able to do the things I used to use my PC for.

I would like to try and sell my Powerbook though. It seems like such a shame to have to get rid of it after just 2 years of use.

Would I be able to sell it in its current condition?

I appreciate any input...

 

[redmeister]

you can sell anything on ebay obviously

question is always how much you can get for it though. what about selling it to a friend or acquaintance or something? just for a web browsing/movie watching device?

i dont think you will get a ton of $ for it honestly, especially with new models constantly on the up and up. i think your best bet is ebay though and let bidders try and bid it up?

 

[smueboy]

Exactly - it'll sell for something. Maybe find out what it'll cost to fix the latch - the benefit may be more when selling, since that leaves only cosmetic issues. Refresh the PB with an erase and install of the OS and it'll run as best it can.

 

[holamiamigos]

there no loss in at least trying to sell to make some extra $$ for you MBP ACD combo

 

[garfield2002]

While eBay is the obvious choice I am alway wary about selling an item that I know is damaged. No matter how well you describe the Powerbook you always run the risk of some person giving you a hard time about the auction this could range from simply a negative feedback to a charge back to their CC company. The former sucks, and the later is a can of worms that you don't want to get into (You lose money and the computer and time). You could be totally in the right and still have to deal with an eBay auction gone bad.

I was faced with a similar problem when trying to sell my TiBook a month ago. It was a perfectly useable computer though with several cosmetic problems mostly due to its age. I decided that my perfect eBay feedback rating was not worth ruining over this computer. I then heard about iFixit.com a company that buys used computers. They sent me what I thought was a generous offer, nearly what I hoped for from eBay. They also paid for shipping and after a few days cut me a check. I was very happy with the process and it's something that you may want to try.

Another option is Craigslist where you can meet the buyer face to face so they know what they are buying. This however also implies some risk. Just thought I'd give you some additional insight to your choices. Good luck.

 

[MrMan112]

Thanks for the input. iFixIt.com offered me $300 for the Powerbook. Is this reasonable given its condition?

 

[garfield2002]

It seems a bit low given what G4 Powerbooks are going for on eBay.

However, I think you state correctly that you need to take into account the condition. iFixit is basically buying your Powerbook for parts. The value can be derived from an assesment of what is broken. You state the the case is dented with a hole so they cannot sell the bottom of the case. You state the the computer is running slower than normal. If this is not solved by a reformat to the hard drive, your main logic board may be damaged. You are then left with a HD, RAM, CD/DVD drive, and an LCD. The LCD is probably the component that is worth the most.

A quick look at their site seems to indicate that they have a large surplus of Powerbook G4 parts. This may also explain the low offer.

If you want or need more money, eBay is the way to go. You can certianly get more than $300 even if you say clearly in the auction "Parts Only".

Good luck.