[iBook] Dual USB Black Screen symptoms

[Tony Gamble]

That last sentence in their statement indicates to me that any iBooks  
brought in after the program would be dealt with on a case-by-case  
basis, so you certainly have nothing to lose by bring it in to the  
Genius Bar.

Good call on the cable-to-the-screen idea, but I don't think it's the  
case here, as I'm pretty sure the AV port signal would come through a  
different cable, and you said the external monitor doesn't work  
either.  Have you tried booting into Open Firmware?  The OS would  
rely on loading a video card driver, but Open Firmware would be the  
ROM communicating directly with the video at the most basic level.   
If you get nothing there, I'd say she's cakked.

Tony

On 23-Mar-06, at 9:17 AM, Kevin Avery wrote:

> My wife's Dual USB white iBook has what looks to me the failed logic
> board problem. It never displayed any of those problems before
> yesterday.
>
> The screen has suddenly turned black, I can still get to the drive on
> the iBook over the network, I did a complete backup of all of her data
> last night.
>
> I did try resetting the PMU by following the directions on Apple's
> website, same symptoms. I have tried other things that I have found
> suggested on the web as well all with the same result.
>
> Also, for a while I was able to get to the machine via Chicken of the
> VNC, I was in there and it was working fine. Then after trying the PMU
> reset I tried to get back into it via CotVNC and the video was
> scrambled.
>
> After that point I dug out the dongle and tried to hook it up to an
> external vga monitor and got nothing on the screen at all. The monitor
> is known good. Did I do that correctly? I plugged the dongle into the
> machine and plugged the monitor into the dongle and then booted the
> machine. I once again got a black screen on both the monitor and the
> iBook screen.
>
> The serial number on the iBook falls within the range of the iBooks
> that were eligible for the logic board repair program, but the website
> says that it ended on March 18 a year ago. (2005)
> http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/
>
> Looks like the cheapest I could find a logic board from for it from a
> parts dealer is about $240 plus shipping. I certainly wouldn't want to
> buy something like this via ebay or the swaplist considering the fact
> that these logic boards were invlolved in a recall. The iBook itself
> isn't worth much more than $240 anyhow (if it were in working order
> that is) so I guess this is a loss. She has had this thing for a
> little less than 5 years so I think it has lived it's useful life, I
> have already replaced a failed hard drive in it and  the screen hinge
> as well within the last few years.
>
> Based on things I have read on the web I have had the thought that
> perhaps the cable that runs to the screen has failed, I am not sure
> how to test that without tearing the machine down. Then I am not sure
> I could test it without buying a new cable.
>
> Are there any definitive tests I could run to determine if this is a
> failed logic board? Does the fact that I could not get a signal to an
> external monitor mean that this is a logic board issue and not an
> issue with the cable going throught the hinge to the screen?
>
> The apple website about the logic board replacement is here;
>
> http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/
>
> on that website it says this;
> ==================================================================
> How long is the Expanded iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program  
> available?
> The program covers affected iBooks for three years after the first
> retail sale of the unit or until March 18, 2005, whichever provides
> longer coverage for you. Apple will continue to evaluate the repair
> data and will provide further repair extensions as needed.
> ==================================================================
>
> Do you think that the last sentence means they may still be replacing
> the logic boards in these machines? Should I take  this thing to the
> genius bar and see if they will replace the logic board? (My first
> thought on that is that there is no way they will even think about it
> since that program was supposed to end a year ago)
>
> Any thoughts on any of this are greatly appreciated.
>
> thanks,
> Kevin Avery
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