My mac is dead Update: Need Advice on a used Macbook

[dissentowner]

My PowerPC Imac G5 started shutting off on its own for no reason and then would not even power up. Turns out the Logic Board is shot and they want $700 plus tax and labour to replace it! I thought it would be much cheaper then that for an out of date Mac that is 5 years old. I am not working right now so I cannot afford that and I would not pay it anyhow, for that kind of coin I might as well shell out the bit extra to get an Intel based Mac. My question is if the Mac won't power up because the board is shot if I get a new Mac can I get my photos and stuff from my old hard drive?

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

My question is if the Mac won't power up because the board is shot if I get a new Mac can I get my photos and stuff from my old hard drive?

Almost certainly. Get an external enclosure, through the drive in that, and connect it to the new Mac, and you should have no issues pulling the data off.

[FlamingStuffedTiger]

Should be fine: http://discussions.info.apple.com/th...153&tstart=135

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

My PowerPC Imac G5 started shutting off on its own for no reason and then would not even power up. Turns out the Logic Board is shot and they want $700 plus tax and labour to replace it! I thought it would be much cheaper then that for an out of date Mac that is 5 years old. I am not working right now so I cannot afford that and I would not pay it anyhow, for that kind of coin I might as well shell out the bit extra to get an Intel based Mac. My question is if the Mac won't power up because the board is shot if I get a new Mac can I get my photos and stuff from my old hard drive?

Look on ebay or around the internet for a new motherboard? I don't know how common it is to find ones for that model.

Seems to be lots of parts auctions that are really cheap. You might luck out and the logic board works while something else (like the screen died or is missing).
http://shop.ebay.ca/?_from=R40&_trks...nkw=powerpc+g5

$30 for a board!
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Apple-Power-Mac-G...item3caf525dce

[Barnes]

It's not a question of if your logic board will go, it's when.

Repair it yourself or have these guys do it.

http://www.badcaps.net/

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Barnes

It's not a question of if your logic board will go, it's when.

Repair it yourself or have these guys do it.

http://www.badcaps.net/

I have no clue how to do it and those guys look like they do PC, not Macs.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Thoughts and prayers go out to the dissentowner family. Thoughts and prayers.

[dissentowner]

Does this sound like a good deal? As far as I can find it is late 2006/early 2007 model. Keeping in mind I am working on a very tight budget, I can't afford to go new.

Three-year-old Macbook Pro, operating on Mac OS X Leopard.
2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
2GB 667 MHx DDR2 SDRAM Memory
160GB harddrive

Asking $300 or best offer. Reason for selling is I am buying a smaller computer for travelling.

Update: So I heard back from her and she told me that three of the corners are "smushed". She fell during winter and it was in her backpack and it took some cosmetic damage. She says it works fine though. Should I be scared?

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Does this sound like a good deal? As far as I can find it is late 2006/early 2007 model. Keeping in mind I am working on a very tight budget, I can't afford to go new.

Three-year-old Macbook Pro, operating on Mac OS X Leopard.
2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
2GB 667 MHx DDR2 SDRAM Memory
160GB harddrive

Asking $300 or best offer. Reason for selling is I am buying a smaller computer for travelling.

Update: So I heard back from her and she told me that three of the corners are "smushed". She fell during winter and it was in her backpack and it took some cosmetic damage. She says it works fine though. Should I be scared?

depends on the damage. take a look and see if it will spread.
I had a poor roommate in residence who dropped mine and it was OK for awhile but gradually got worse. Now the screen doesn't work and it's permanently tied to my desk.

But yes, it's a good deal. Check out the damage and see if it's something you can live with. Offer $200 because you weren't expecting damage and maybe you'll get it for $250.
What's it got for a graphics card?

Edit: Mine was a Macbook not a Pro. The aluminum case is stronger and is more than likely fine.

[Regulator75]

Just don't be like this guy...

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I have no clue how to do it and those guys look like they do PC, not Macs.

They quoted me $85 US including shipping last year for mine. Still haven't done it yet though.

[REDVAN]

Your mac died? Unfathomable.

I see Fanin80 is nowhere to be found... :-P

[FanIn80]

I wouldn't pay $300 for that. It's too old, and if it's been dinged around then who knows how it's been treated. As you've just found out, Apple products are expensive to fix after warranty. Even looking at the specs makes me shudder. 667MHz RAM? eep. I get that you're looking for something cheap, but there has to be something better than that out there.

I'm sure you can find a newer white MacBook in the $400-$500 range that will last you a lot longer and perform a lot better than that one will.

Edit: If you're set on buying that one, though, the first thing you want to check is the battery. $300 for a MBP doesn't seem so awesome when you have to pay another $150 for a new battery. You can look up the battery stats in System Info app. Also, "acquire" a copy of the Apple Service Diagnostics tool and burn it to a disk. Ask her to let you run it, and it will test everything and tell you if something is about to fail or has failed or isn't working properly etc etc.

[REDVAN]

Dissentowner was obviously just holding it wrong.

[Flames0910]

ooh, good eye Fanin80. not sure how i missed that.

Don't buy it. SDRAM is older than the dinosaurs.

And yes - the battery is a good thing to check. Make sure the power chord isn't worn, especially around the magsafe plug. Those are expensive to replace as well.

[jar_e]

Refurbished macs may be in your price range?

Macbooks from 849 last time i checked.

[fundmark19]

I may be willing to let me macbook go I am not giving it the love it needs and am thinking about getting into the ipad game. 2 years old 120 gb 1 gb ram I believe has had zagg shield on front and bottom since day one. Battery is 95 percent says that coconut app.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I wouldn't pay $300 for that. It's too old, and if it's been dinged around then who knows how it's been treated. As you've just found out, Apple products are expensive to fix after warranty. Even looking at the specs makes me shudder. 667MHz RAM? eep. I get that you're looking for something cheap, but there has to be something better than that out there.

I'm sure you can find a newer white MacBook in the $400-$500 range that will last you a lot longer and perform a lot better than that one will.

Edit: If you're set on buying that one, though, the first thing you want to check is the battery. $300 for a MBP doesn't seem so awesome when you have to pay another $150 for a new battery. You can look up the battery stats in System Info app. Also, "acquire" a copy of the Apple Service Diagnostics tool and burn it to a disk. Ask her to let you run it, and it will test everything and tell you if something is about to fail or has failed or isn't working properly etc etc.

Whats wrong with the 667mhz RAM? It’s a plastic macbook, they didn’t transition to 800mhz DDR3 until 2009.

Assuming the machine is in good shape, thats perfectly fine, and will probably be faster than the G5 its replacing.

My Mac Mini is a 2.0Ghz C2D with 2 gigs of the same RAM and its fine for surfing, email, Garageband recording, guitar amp modelling, and also functions as a full time EyeTV PVR and iTunes server, as well as a print server, and a file server for nightly SuperDuper backups of the other machines in the house.

The battery is really the only concern on that machine.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

ooh, good eye Fanin80. not sure how i missed that.

Don't buy it. SDRAM is older than the dinosaurs.

And yes - the battery is a good thing to check. Make sure the power chord isn't worn, especially around the magsafe plug. Those are expensive to replace as well.

What are you guys talking about??? It’s PC2-5300, same as every Core2 based Mac has used up until 2009!

[dissentowner]

ok, so that one fell through, somebody else bought it before I could see it. Looking at this one tmrw night.

A white macbook for sale - $600 comes with:

2ghz intel core 2 duo
2gb ram (upgrade from original)
80gb hard drive (upgrade to a 320gb for $50 more)
wifi, bluetooth, 3+ hour battery life (for real, can get more than 5 without wifi on), power cable.
BRAND NEW KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD. This was just replaced by apple under warranty (due to manufacturing defect), so the keyboard and trackpad are brand new, have no wear, nothing ever spilled on them.

Has been a trusty laptop for school for the past couple years for me. Am leaving the country and need to sell. Is in good shape, no screen scratches or dead pixels. Some slight wear on outside, nothing major. Never dropped and no broken parts. Working perfect. Will come with a brand new install of snow leopard (newest mac OS - 10.6) no matter what hard drive is chosen along with iLife 2009.
Everything flies on this laptop and I am sad to see it go!

Thoughts? Good buy? I told him I wanted the other hard drive thrown in for the $600.