[P1] Dead iBook dual-USB combo drive-HELP Please!

[Guy McMickle]

Just wondering, this authorized apple service center hasn't ever had to 
open up your iBook for anything have they?  Has the hard drive been 
upgraded or replaced?  The reason I ask is because the IDE cable that 
runs between the HDD and the optical drive is VERY easy to break!  It 
is paper thin and glued in spots that can easily break the cable if 
careless.  I know because I broke mine when I upgraded my own hard 
drive!  I just don't want you to get screwed by someplace that caused 
the damage themselves.  If there hasn't been any such service, you 
could try doing it yourself.  It's not that bad as long as you aren't 
careless like I was.  $580 for a replacement drive is about as much as 
it would cost to replace the entire unit.  In fact, you could probably 
ebay the old iBook for a couple hundred bucks and get another similar 
iBook for $500...less than the cost of repairing your drive.

-Guy McMickle

On Mar 31, 2004, at 3:16 PM, J. Henderson wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I recently replaced my iBook battery after trying everything to 
> resurrect
> the original. So, I thought I had spent all I was going to spend on my 
> aging
> dual-USB iBook w/combo drive. Not so, or at least that's what the tech 
> at my
> local Apple authorized service location told me.
>
> My drive door will open w/both the hardware and software options, I 
> can hear
> it TRY to spin up with a disc inserted but NO startup. I have seen a 
> thread
> at Apple's discussion area on dead combo drives so I know I'm not 
> alone. The
> shop says it will take $399 plus $180 labor to replace the drive.
>
> Any ideas beyond springing for the replacement right now? Am I missing
> something? I have not upgraded OS X Jag beyond 10.2.8 and the original
> offering of that update if that helps.
>
> TIA,
>
> JH
>
>
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