Powerbook Survival Stories

[UWF404]

I dropped my 12" Powerbook early this year and hosed the screen. Replaced it with a 15" Powerbook. Last night it fell from the coffee table but survived the fall! The thing was open and landed on screen and keyboard. Thankfully it landed on area rug so no damage! Whew...

Any other stories?

 

[GimmeSlack12]

How about some advice:

STOP dropping your Powerbooks!

 

[haiggy]

I dropped my 12" Powerbook early this year and hosed the screen. Replaced it with a 15" Powerbook. Last night it fell from the coffee table but survived the fall! The thing was open and landed on screen and keyboard. Thankfully it landed on area rug so no damage! Whew...

Any other stories?

Wow, that is crazy! That just happened to me, the exact same thing with my iBook. I had it on the desk, went to plug it in and it fell off the desk. Landed on the keyboard and screen... kind of like a tent. I responded with "OH $#!7" and then quickly attended to my poor baby. The video was messed up, had a kernel panic I assume... force reboot wouldn't even work. I had to unplug the power cord and take out the battery... then boot it up again. It just resulted in the apple logo with the spinning loading wheel for about 5 minutes so I tried a force reboot again and it booted up... maybe even faster than usual. I was sooo scared I was going to have to buy a new computer

Now... if I had a computer with MagSafe....

 

[jaydub]

My old Powerbook G3 was pulled off the corner of my desk with the cord, and it shattered the internal structure. It was out of warranty and I couldn't afford to repair it, so I sold the parts for ~$700.

 

[Cloudgazer]

My old Powerbook G3 was pulled off the corner of my desk with the cord, and it shattered the internal structure. It was out of warranty and I couldn't afford to repair it, so I sold the parts for ~$700.

Thats not a 'survival story' more like a horror story - or gruesome murder scene.

 

[jaydub]

Thats not a 'survival story' more like a horror story - or gruesome murder scene.

haha well the machine still worked! The chassis was just broken.

 

[macOSX-tastic]

my powerbook rarely moves from its iCurve, unless i am going somewhere. so its a kind of survival story.

S

 

[Josias]

Have any of you ever benefited from SMS (sudden motion dude)?

 

[AlBDamned]

Have any of you ever benefited from SMS (sudden motion dude)?

I wish he'd come into play .

Unfortunately, SMS doesn't work if the computer is in sleep...

All fixed now though

 

[Cloudgazer]

Have any of you ever benefited from SMS (sudden motion dude)?

Its nice to know I've got it - but pray to god I never have to see if it actually works.

 

[Mord]

every major part in my ibook has a fault with it.

i've dropped it down the stairs a few times tripped over the power cable countless times dropped my bag onto concrete with my ibook in it had a cisco heavy duty router dropped on it while it was open and someone drop kicked it.

speaking of which anyone want to buy a slightly used ibook?

 

[bigandy]

I had, until the start of May, a PowerBook G4 15" FW800 (the 1.25Ghz model).

I sold it for roughly £600, but before it here's the damage report:

DISCLAIMER:
Many of you may be of a squeamish disposition when it comes to PowerBook damage. Those of you know who you are, and I urge you to consider reading what is written below. You have been warned. Sick bags are placed in the pouches on the seatback in front of you...

• Week one, went to NYC. Took PB. Dropped PB in marble-floored reception room in hotel. Survived with a small dent.

• Week one, again. Same hotel. Dropped brand new iPod on left palmrest, leaving a nice iPod-corner shaped dent. No functionality problems.

• Week 14-ish. Dropped PB, in big padded bag, on foot, after bag slipped off top of car. (I know ). Damaged DVI port surround, however not functionally.

• Week 40-ish. Spilled a half pint of water through keyboard. Survival noted after taking apart and drying out carefully for 48hrs.

•*Week 45-ish. Fell off side of low futon bed, on to power cord connector. Bent connector, bent case around power port. Still worked.

• Week 47-ish. Same thing again, no power cord this time - landed on screen. No damage, luckily.

• Week 60-ish. Same thing again. Ditto week 45. But had to buy replacement powercord. Took 50min removing centre powercord pin from PB. Sorted.

• Week 70-ish. The "cigarette ash incident". As rarely mentioned by friends as the "Spaghetti incident" in Calvin & Hobbes. Trackpad assembly replaced, burn stopped it functioning.

• Week 85-ish. Spilled half a bottle of Lime Diet Coke over keyboard. No problems afterwards.

• Week 105 or so. Handed to new owner (a friend) who promptly dropped it on his foot, slightly bending the entrance to the optical drive (outwards, funnily enough, but not closing it up).


Beat that, everyone!

People say they're not that well made, but to go through all that and STILL get £600 for a machine, is amazing. And yes, my friend a) knew all about what i'd done to it in my care, and b) still wanted to pay £600.

Guess that's what friends are for...


I'm buying a MBP toward the end of summer, and I don't think I'll be taking it out of the box, seeing my track record...

 

[AlBDamned]

Many of you may be of a squeamish disposition when it comes to PowerBook damage. Those of you know who you are, and I urge you to consider reading what is written below. You have been warned. Sick bags are placed in the pouches on the seatback in front of you...

• Week one, went to NYC. Took PB. Dropped PB in marble-floored reception room in hotel. Survived with a small dent.

Snip

Wow, that's some major PowerBook punishment!

I can't believe it worked after all that abuse and to get £600 for it... Has your mate got a handle and a strange love of hot drinks?