[iBook] dead display

[Wegener Media]

We have seen a pretty high number of the 12 & 12" G4 iBooks show the 
same (or similiar) issues with video, as did the early G3 iBooks. 
Unfortunately, Apple has successfully held off a class-action suit 
against the G4's, so this has gone without any warranty coverage to 
date.

The symptoms are usually either video issues color streaks,bars, 
random lockups when the colors show up, and a few which are not 
showing video at all.

The only answer I would have for this would be to make sure the 
laptops are not being used in a way which torques/warps the lower 
case.  Teachers (and students) often use the laptop on uneven 
surfaces, causing the case (and logic board) to warp.  This pressures 
the video chip and the processor, and they develop hairline cracks.

hope this helps...

Dave




>Greetings iBook listers
>A teaching colleague has just come around with her G4 14"iBook. She 
>was working on her school reports when her screen developed 
>problems. It suddenly cut out to 1 second screens of red, green, 
>blue, etc. When she bought it around, it fired up okay so thought I 
>would repair permissions and do an Open Firmware reset, not really 
>believing they were the problem. But then the colours struck (I've 
>never seen this before - nvram fault/ logic board?). After leaving 
>it with the battery out for 30 mins, I tried an Open Firmware 
>restart, then tried plugging in an external monitor (just stays 
>black) and also tried Target mode (doesn't show up on other machine).
>One thing I did notice was that it has no start up chime.
>I left it for a couple of hours and tried it again. When I opened it 
>up (I think it may have been left going but hard to tell) the fan 
>started and ran for an abnormally long time. Then I tried to start 
>it in Open Firmware but although I was holding down the kyds, it 
>started normally. Unfortunately, I didn't have the user's password 
>and so I had to ring her. I got this off her and started to drag 
>stuff off onto an external drive. I had just got the precious 
>reports off and was trying to grab all her other documents when it 
>went into the coloured screens again - red, blue, green, grey, 
>black, cycling through endlessly. I have now shut it again in the 
>hope I can get a little more off it. It seems to go for 3 mins 
>before going into this cycle. I'll try timing it next time. Any 
>thoughts on the problem and solution?
>This particular school has had an incredible run of problems with 
>their iBooks. This teacher is on her second after endless problems 
>with her first and it is only 16 weeks old. Another teacher had 4 
>logicboard repairs until they replaced hers and the Principals was 
>also replaced. I wonder about some bad practice in their use of 
>their laptops. I understand that there is a design fault in the 
>hinging of the screen putting pressure onto the logicboard. I have 
>always encouraged kids to either have the screen fully open or shut, 
>not 'play' with the catch opening and closing the lid as they are 
>prone to do. Any thoughts as to why they have been so beset with 
>problems and possible solutions. This is only a 8 teacher rural 
>school and the young teacher in charge of computing is tearing her 
>hair out coping with the number of computers she has to take in for 
>repairs. These are all 12" / 14" iBooks.
>Cheers
>_______________________________________________
>iBook mailing list
>iBook at listserver.themacintoshguy.com
>http://listserver.themacintoshguy.com/mailman/listinfo/ibook
>
>Listmom is trying to clean out his closets! Vintage Mac and random stuff:
>         http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmacguy1984