[P1] Hello?

[Gene Merritt]

Folks, regardless, this doesn't just apply to a few iBooks. These 
reports
are coming from good mac news/troubleshooting sources, not just me.

This JUST came in from MACFIXIT: 
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20031229083510444

> The following is an immediate MacFixIt alert.
> iBook screen problems: Injured wires, logic board failure (Alert 
> Trigger: Late-Breakers)
>
> There is an issue with several iBook units involving failing displays 
> that we first reported on in-depth in mid-March and April of this 
> year. Since those initial postings, Apple's discussion boards and 
> MacFixIt's forums have been inundated with similar reports, leading to 
> the notion that there may be a serious design flaw in Apple's dual-USB 
> iBooks.
>
> The problem most users are experiencing is a design flaw at the hinge 
> to the display. Apparently there isn't enough room for the wires to 
> pass through and handle the friction they receive by opening and 
> closing the lid.
>
> To recap, the problem generally manifests in one of three ways:
> 	• 	Video "art! ifacts" progressing to eventual system failure
> 	• 	"Black screen" or "dimming" of the backlight, when screen is 
> opened past a certain angle
> 	• 	"Black screen" or "dimming" of the backlight at random times, 
> which can be temporarily solved by tapping on, or applying pressure 
> to, the iBook case directly below the fn and control keys (to the left 
> of the trackpad)
>
> MacFixIt reader Peter H did an excellent take-apart analysis of the 
> problem, yielding the following findings:
>
> "You are absolutely correct about the display hinges. The edges are 
> sharp and they cramp the wires. As the display is opened and closed 
> the wires are forced to bend and twist repeatedly about too small a 
> radius. As the lid is opened they are also put into tension. The 
> wires, such as the backlight cable, are only 7 strand and will not 
> tolerate this repeated physical stress and will fail from fatigue / 
> strain hardening.
>
> "You are also correct about shorting to earth! . My daughter's iBook 
> leaks high voltage through the exposed metal fasteners on the 
> underside and she can't use it on her bare legs without getting a 
> moderate but still intolerable electric shock. (This showed up within 
> a few months of being purchased. Initially I thought she was joking 
> but I have verified it and it is true. )
>
> "I repaired the broken backlight (black wire on RHS) by splicing in a 
> new segment of more appropriate cable able to withstand repeated 
> flexing. I also opened out the semi circular space where the wires 
> pass through the hinge and smoothed out the sharp edges. This is a 
> mechanical design flaw and the wrong type of cable is being used in 
> this demanding area. Given the small dimensions inside the hinge it is 
> difficult to resolve as a service issue.
>
> "Generally the (short term) solution to the problem I experienced is 
> to replace the backlight cable, but Apple technicians are repeatedly 
> replacing the whole display (I believe this is an er! ror in Apple's 
> workshop manual - which I have read BTW)
>
> "I also did a thorough examination of the motherboard with a stereo 
> inspection microscope and I see a problem with high voltage arcing 
> across to the RF shield. The characteristic pitting was quite obvious 
> under the microscope. (no wonder you may be exposed to an electric 
> shock from the bare metal on the underside of the iBook). I imagine 
> the shorting would also not help battery life. Also I noted that many 
> of the cables are RF shielded with a finely woven metallic sheath. 
> This is OK but I observed at the cut ends - stray fine metallic fibers 
> which in some cases were making inappropriate contact potentially 
> shorting out some electronic components. In my opinion, some areas of 
> the design and fabrication are superb. Other areas leave much to be 
> desired."
>
> "It seems Apple really needs to improve Quality Control and more 
> stringent review of design issues. If I put out a product with these 
> flaws I would ex! pect to lose Quality Assurance Certification."
>
> As we suggested back in March, purchasing an AppleCare extended 
> warranty plan seems to be the best bet for virtually all new iBook 
> buyers. Out-of-pocket iBook logic board replacements can be quite 
> expensive. Readers have been quoted prices ranging from US$400 to 
> US$920 for screen replacement and/or logic board repair.
>
> One reader writes "They (Apple) told me it was the logic board and 
> that the repair would be $920. I opted to buy a new iBook/800 G4 from 
> another source. This time I got the AppleCare program."