A friend of mine told me that you all would enjoy this, so I will post it.
Basic "in a nut shell view of the project"- I had a 800mhz G4 tibook, was abt 5grand new back when I bought it (well, for the total sale, between the computer, maxed out ram, larger HD, protection plan and a few external devices).
By 1 year almost everything on the machine broke, and Apple refused to repair it under warrenty- by this I mean hinges fell apart, the super drive died, the paint was flaking off (it looked like something that went down with the ship), etc.
So, with left with the expensive, broken up piece of equipment (all problems mentioned thus far are design flaws with the model- google it if you don't believe me) I decided that "hey, if they won't fix it, I will! I bet I can build a better computer using their hardware"
So I took apart the laptop, set it up on my desk and made sure I didnt damage its parts, and then put it inside a PC case. Basically I mounted the MB and airport card antennas to a removiable board trey in the case, I then added a decent coolant system.
I then installed a typical PC powersupply, wired it in to a switch, and had it so it switched on/off the fans. I then installed the laptop's power supply assembly, had it wired so it was always on. I then stuck in the 5.25" bays: 1 DVDrom/CDrw, 2 200-GB USB2.0 drives, a floppy drive, a USB zip250 drive, and the laptop's battery (so if the power goes out, it stays on until I shut it down).
I used it in this configuration for an other year with absoluetely no problems. I eventually put a fan controller in the top most 5.25" bay, and added some cpu fans to the heatsinks on the motherboard (that thing runs HOT!).
I then ran some wires for the sleep & power to two LED's on the front of the case. Finally, I ran a DVI to VGA adaptor out the back of the case, inserted a 4 port USB2.0 PCMCIA card, and I had all the ports I needed in the back. I ran the firewire port off the MB to the cpu fan controller, so the firewire port was up front.
Then, at about 2 years since I bought the tiBook- the OEM HD died (google this one, you'd find yet again a common flaw with this model). The drive appeared to be a wierd ATA specific to the model judging by the ribbon used to power it, so I gave up (too much work for a computer now 2 years old), threw it in a box in the corner of my room- where it has rested ever since. I am debating running a firewire HD to bring the project back to life (I have a few of which laying around) but I suppose I will save that for some point in the future.
Pics here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/evilshelbydodgeimp/slideshow2?.dir=/f302&.src=ph&.beg=0&.spd=2
Then my blog (has a more detailed overview of the project) here:
http://evilshelbydodgeimp.tripod.com/main.html
So what do you all think? 
Pretty crazy. Personally I have a 1GHz TiBook and have had much the same experience. Superdrive was my first to go, followed by the power adapter. I had the case replaced by apple a year ago because it had gotten so messed up. But this time around they really skimped so either I have extremely acidic/corrosive hands or the paint just sucks (it has bubbled up all over the place). Power adapter just broke on me again a week ago too, this time out of warranty though so I just broke it open and re-soldered the wire myself. Also lately the backlight on the LCD will just randomly turn itself off, which apple acknowledges is a problem in Tiger but pretty much told me to ignore it. So I definitely feel your pain, although in my case I've hauled this thing around with me for 3.5 years so to some extent age can be called a factor.
As far as your hack goes I'm impressed. Definitely not the prettiest thing, but the fact that you got it working like that is pretty good.
The HD though is just a standard 2.5" IDE laptop drive which you can find in most computer stores. Firewire may be a cheaper way to go though if you already have that hardware.
The HD, superdrive, hinges and paint are beyond any doubt, design flaws.
I had a relative of mine, an engineer look at the case after the unit was disassembled.
His statement was basically that Apple was foolish to use a paint on a metal to which it won't stick to.
Apple refuses to fix their design flaws, and as usual, the consumer has to fit the bill.
I've been using macs since 1988 and I truly believe that Apple customer service has gone out the window since the mid90s. Apple's "party line" since the PowerBook 5300 has been "ok, we screwed up the design, and its still under warrenty.. whats you're point?"
They must realize its more profitiable to sell defective computers and rape consumers for the repair costs.
The 5300 was clearly a lemon.
The tibook was clearly a lemon
The "windtunnel" clearly has issues
A friend of mine (pc user) I talked into giving Apple a try.. he was lucky enough to get an icebook, you know, with the logic board problems. He's had to send it in for replacement every 3 months since the day he bought it. If these were cars, federal and state lemon laws would have forced Apple to give us all our money back by now.
However, as a true mac user at heart, I won't let that stop me. Is it like a drug addiction? Stupidity? I am not sure.
But it was a fun project just the same, and worked great.
That is a great idea. How hard was it?
Just out of curiosity, what did apple tell you the reason for not repairing the computer was?
It was not hard, just took a while.
The hardest part was fitting USB2.0 drives inside a typical 5.25" drive bay. The way I did this, was I noticed that most external drives are really internal drives in special cases, remove the case and it can be mounted.
The next hardest part was the mass of wiring, the pictures show that aspect, since I was running several fans, a fan controller, and some neon lights- these pics dont show it but later on I added a window to the side of the case (I had a broken scanner in storage, took the glass off it, and cut out a section of the case's sheet metal, and then attached the glass to serve as a window).
I think once I had all the parts (the external drives, fans, etc) it took me about 2 days.
Apple told me:
1) The paint was user abuse, I must have cleaned it with some unapproved chemical (lol, it was less than 8 months old- it was never cleaned, NEVER- so it wasnt user mistreatment). When I told them that I had several consumer report sites, and engineers telling me it was a design flaw, Apple flat out said no- it was my fault.
2) The hinge Apple said must have been user abuse, claimed I must have dropped it or been rough with it. Um, no- companies sell hinge kits for this model for a reason- try again
3) They said that the burner was most likely user abuse, since after all, I had all these other user-abuse related problems. Big load of BS.
When I said that I have been a long time Apple customer, with numerious machines from them over the years, their response- as quoting the mac customer service rep "well, lots of people spend alot more than *that*"
I have worked in customer service for companies before, if I had the balls to say that to a customer, I would have had my arse fired.
Do other companies have this problem? Like Dell, Compaq, IBM. What about gaming and Nintendo, Sony Playstations, etc., etc.?
There seems to be such a glut of design flaws and problems with Apple equipment that I don't understand why (or most people, not me) continue to upgrade their macs and/or powerbooks.
Powerbook 5300 batteries and plastics, iMac G3 analog boards, iMac DV PAV boards, iPod batteries, iBook Dual logic boards, Tibook, iMac G4 neck issues, eMac software and monitor issues, G5 issues, iMac G5 issues, Rechargeable Batteries for 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch and 15-inch PowerBook G4 and that is the short, short list!
How many recalls and class action suits resulting in settlements have there really been?
I am still using my iMac DV (the only "new" Mac purchase I ever made) for daily use. It went in for service on Applecare to have the PAV board replaced one year after purchase. Supposedly the monitor was replaced as well. Right now I leave it on constantly because I have to finagle it to get the monitor back on if it is shut down for a period of time.
I wanted an iMac G4 so bad I could taste it when they came out. I am glad I didn't buy one because I would've been livid if the neck assembly went bad on me. I wanted an iPod but again never bought one after reading all the issues they had. I wanted a iMac G5 but currently am reading about issues and service support horrors that I will not buy one of those. My boss bought a G4 and Studio Display and after 4 months the display went bad. She didn't buy the Applecare warranty.
So all in all I love Macs and have been using and servicing them since 1989 but I am very afraid to drop money on a new piece of equipment. I probably will stay in the used market and be two generations behind everyone else for the rest of my computing years. As much as I want to, I will never recommend or push Apples on my friends or family for these reasons.
MaxTek
Well, as much as there is that goes wrong with apple products goes wrong with other computers too. I think that apple just has such a community that has built up around it that you hear more about the problems. Also the apple products have OSX which is a big draw with no viruses and huge ease of use.
Another example of something like this is the Xbox 360 which has tons of issues with crashing etc. and microsoft is getting a lot of flak for it. But because it is such a big product and so many people want that gaming experience they are still selling out of stores.
Of course it could also be that people are less likely to complain about a $400 cheapo desktop they bought from dell that went bad than a $2500 Powerbook too.
Personally I keep going back to apple because, for the most part, things just work. I have had my issues, as described above, but there were pretty much year long periods in between those issues during which everything was great.
I don't know though, it does sort of seem to me that lately apple has been dropping the ball as far as quality goes. I think it is primarily because they are trying to compete with the cheapo PC makers, and have to keep costs down to do so. It is somewhat ridiculous though that there is a sort of creed within the apple community, besides those that absolutely need the newest and fastest, that you don't buy Rev A models because there will most likely be issues.
Well, I think that part of Apple's problem is that they keep cutting R&D for computer hardware, that plus the gradual switch to intell hardware, I would not be surprised if Apple becomes a company which only makes:
-Consumer Electronics (ipods, etc)
-Operating Systems (OSX for x86 hardware anyone?)
I do not think that there is a "lot of time between lemons from apple" I can go year by year starting with 1995 and come up with at least one lemon product per year through at least 2003.
I also feel that one of the reasons why Apple has done so well, is the fact that people have traditionally felt that they have good customer service, with that disappearing since Jobs came back- I would not be surprised if more and more people switch to PC's.
Think of it this way, when Apple killed OS9 (while it was still an active OS), they lost some customers. When they switch to intell hardware they might lose even more. Just what would be the purpose of buying a mac when its just a PC with OSX on it?
If Apple had just allowed OS9 to die at its own pace (which really, would have happend- OSX is good enough that most people would have switched on their own, at their own pace).
Putting code in the ROM to prevent OS9 booting on newer machines, dropping all OS9 support while many people still used it- thats the kind of beheavor that only hurts a company.
The other day I walked into a compUSA store to get an mp3 player. The *Apple* employee at compUSA was telling people that Apple charges abt $250 to replace the battery in the iPod once it dies, and you have to send it to Apple to get the battery replaced (dumbest idea ever- the other mp3 players don't have this problem). The APPLE employee then told customers to buy the extended warrenty , if they must have an ipod, and send it in right before the warrenty expires, saying the battery doesnt last as long as it used to (even if this is not the case) and Apple will test it and replace it if its out of range.
Huh? If the APPLE employee is warning customers to not buy their products, and be damn careful so they dont get screwed if they must have one- something has gone seriously wrong at Appleland.
Personally- and mark these words- I believe its the begining of the end for Apple.
I wasn't saying that apple stopped creating lemons during those years. But that it was about one year each time in-between a problem arising with my powerbook.
Anyway, lemons nonwithstanding, the TiBook brought back to life is a beautiful piece of work.
And I clearly mean beautiful in concept and effort, not in aesthetics...
O.k. so cats only get one life but . . .
I thought that Apple was slitting it's throat when they introduced the Mac, and Jobs kept trying to kill off the Apple II line. That required another nine years (1984-1993). What I didn't know then, but found out not too long afterward is that unlike most major corporations, Apple has no corporate debt, and they have billions in cash reserves.
Now, iPods sell like crazy, despite well known and published battery problems, lawsuits, resolutions and third party solutions. The iPod effect is really pushing up their computer sales, along with some interesting marketing concepts, i.e. the Mac Mini and the iMac/home entertainment center. Apple now as a good sized presence, well established, with their mall based retail stores, where they make great mark-ups on their equipment without paying the "middle-man". Their stock has gone from $14.50/share to $80, split back to $40 and is now approaching $80 again when it will split again.
No new Apple customers care about the availability of OS 9, despite what us old timers might want/think. One CompUSA sales person, giving slightly pesimistic cautionary advice to customers isn't going to scuttle christmas's sales figures for iPods this year.
I don't think that this is "the begining of the end for Apple."
Its an arguement you can make either way, and a debatiable one at that.
LOL, my tibook problem rant took less than 20 hrs, but i've already gotten my first hate mail. I feel so proud!
Thats one thing I cant get over, everytime a bad mac product appears- and someone complains about it, the rest of the mac community calls them a "overzealous lying PC user" and goes back into denail "there's no way apple has made a product that bad"
If I were an overzealous, lying PC user, I would not have spent the money to build the tower out of my tibook that I made, the drives alone werent cheap (usb2.0 zip250, dvdrom/cdrw, two 200gb USB2.0 drives- this all a tad over a year ago mind you).
You got hate mail? Thats pretty intense for resurrecting a PB Ti.
Yeah, I got hate mail.
Some guy hyped up on testosterone blasting me for "not knowing what I am talking about," that Apple "has a like 1% failure rate, which is nothing compared to dell/HP/gateway/etc, windows is a bad OS. etc etc etc"
LOL, like that has anything to do with a tibook with a perhaps 80% paint failure rate, and way more than a 1% failure rate of the HD, superdrive and hinges.
Oh well, guess you cant please everyone.
I thought my project was pretty good, it saved a otherwise garbage-dumb bound computer, and worked better than it ever did leaving the factory.
I agree with you there. At least while Steve is at the helm.
He does seem to have a knack for pushing new products. When the iPod fissile out he'll just find another product to sell.
I often hear people complain about how Apple obsoletes stuff and force people to upgrade and other what not. Well Apple is a business and with if everyone still used there 10 year old PowerMacs with System 7 Apple would not be a company. Apple needs to constantly sell new hardware and software to stay in business. Sometimes the only to keep that going is to cut ties with the past and keep everyone moving forward. It is not some evil plot by Steve to take over the world.
As for the people saying Apple is going to die tomorrow. History is full of people saying the world is going to end tomorrow. Even if Apple just completely disappears into oblivion tomorrow so what. Life goes on and another company will pop up to fill the void.
If their new products are good enough, you dont *need* to prevent people from booting into OS9, people would switch to OSX at their own pace.
Think of it this way, Apple still releases quicktime for Windows95 and Windows98.
You know when Apple last released a quicktime version for MacOS9?
And its not like quicktime is always free, they do sell licenses for quicktime pro.
An interesting read: http://www.macintouch.com/reliability/laptops.html
Seems to confirm a lot of what was discussed here.