Hi! I'm a first time snooper, I mean, user looking for some expert insight into this:
Recently I got a nice used 400mhz Pismo to replace my old desktop G3. I'd had it about a month when a friend presented me with the exact same Powerbook she found at a garage sale. Of course it doesn't work, but I thought I might take a crack at resurrecting it. All I get when I hit the power button is the light on the caps lock button. Bypassing the PRAM doesn't work. Should I replace the sound/power card? What's the next step? Or should I quit while I'm ahead and sell it for parts?
Sounds like the usual discharged-PRAM-battery-thingy. Try disconnecting the PRAM battery, its plug is accessable right under the keyboard. If it then starts, plug the PRAM battery back in and let it sit (off or asleep) and let the PRAM battery charge for a couple of days.
FYI, this issue (and solution) applies to 'Books from Lombard through the first gen TiBooks.
dan k
Fix It Guides for Mac Laptops & Mini
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/
The guides can be viewed on-line or you can download a PDF file.
How to Upgrade, Repair, Disassemble an Apple/Macintosh Laptop or Notebook
http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_apple.html
PowerBookTech
http://www.powerbooktech.com/
Cheers, Tom