[iBook] Long Term iBook Storage

[Jim Scott]

On Mar 28, 2010, at 8:49 AM, Fred Stevens K2FRD wrote:

> I just upgraded to a MacBook Pro from my iBook 900 (now over 7 years old). I want to keep my iBook since it still works just fine but it's gonna have to go into my storage shed. The battery is shot but otherwise it's still a functioning machine. It will join a Powerbook 1400 (ca. 1997) in storage.
> 
> Is there any "best" or "preferred storage method?
> 
> FWIW, I have never had to "put down" a Mac/Apple machine in over 25 years usage of Macs. They are still functioning when it's become time to upgrade and store the old machines. The only difference this time is that my faithful iBook will be indefinitely stored in a shed and subject to the Arizona desert's heat, albeit a dry heat.
> 
> Fred Stevens
> Arizona desert denizen

Apple recommends storage temperatures no higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Having visited relatives during the hottest summer days in Tucson and Phoenix (120 degrees F + in the shade with a light breeze), I still remember the time plastic toys, a dashtop catchall tray and interior and exterior soft trim pieces melted in and on our Dodge station wagon. And then there are the stories about how laptops left in car trunks or hidden under seats "for just a few hours" on a sunny day were found to have totally unusable LCDs, which is why Apple recommends 140 degrees F. storage temp. max.

So the first thing you might want to do is check out your PB 1400 to see how its LCD has held up to the heat. If it's still OK, then your iBook probably will be safe stored in that shed in the same area. If it were mine, I would put it in an antistatic pouch with several of those silicon bags found in shoe boxes, electronics boxes, etc. Then I'd put that inside a big "zip lock" bag with a few more silicon bags. I'd make sure there's plenty of air circulation around the bag.

But all of this raises the question about why you want to store such relatively small items in a shed instead of inside the house where temperatures are going to be much cooler. Unless you've got a high-end shed with central air or a swamp cooler. :^}

Jim Scott
Cool Northern California coastal denizen who avoids AZ heat whenever possible