[adam.larsen]

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 700 MHz
Mac OS X (10.2.x)
384 MB RAM


Anyone who has had thier Logics Board replaced in a Dual USB iBook please answer the following questions and post here:

1. How regularly do you use your iBook?
2. Is your iBook your primary computer?
3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?
4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?
6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?
7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?

8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?

What I'm thinking/wondering and a fellow iBook user is wondering is if the display adapters play a part in the fried logics board.
MY Case follows:

[adam.larsen]

I'll start this thread by adding my case:

1. I use my iBook everyday.
2. It is my primary/only computer (besides my brother's G3).
3. I use an alternate desktop display every day. I have a PC monitor pluged into the converter that came w/ my iBook
4. I use the Composite output which I bougt from Apple for $20 on rare occasions to watch a DVD or record an iMovie onto VHS.
5. NA
6. I have the 12" model
7. I think it created FLOATING pixels left of center in my screen. See my topic "FLOATING PIXELS".
8. ??? Not sure I think the alternate displays may have had some impact. But I'm not sure, that's why I started this forum.

[fhoubi]

Adam,

1. You know my iBook screen went dead this week
2. I have the same iBook (I guess): 700 mHz 12" combo bought begin june 2002, 384 MB, 10.2.3
3. I NEVER connected it to a 2nd display or TV
4. I use it EVERY day, at home
5. I handle it with (very) care, up to 2 weeks ago I even used the foam between display and keyboard.
6. I leave it connected to mains as much as possible, so that the battery level does not drop below 95% each day (which triggers a charging)
7. When 96% I disconnect and I run my battery flat, every 3... 4 days. BTW it is my 2nd battery, the first went broke after 7 months (not doing that retual as discribed)
8. The iBook still works sometimes for a short period of time, but when the display goes funny or dead, it is realy dead, access with my old iMac running a small local network tru the ABS is lost.
9. This morning I will give my baby into repair.

So... the external display was not my issue.

[molala]

hi adam, thanks for starting this thread.

800MHz iBook/combo
OS10.2.4
640 MB RAM

1. use iBook everyday
2. yes, primary computer
3. yes, used VGA adaptor to screen projector, did this 2 or 3 times
4. yes, used VGA to composite adaptor to TV, did this about 5 times to view DVD movie.
5. answered above.
6. 12-inch model
7-8. it was after putting in the composite adaptor in sleep mode that my problem occured - after wake up, screen went black. upon restart, i had so many lines on the screen, fan was on. on subsequent restarts, screen either remained black or appeared very dim, though everything else was working - target disk mode ok (but fan went on frequently). VGA port did not work, could not view anything on separate display or TV. logic board recently replaced.

[biscuit]

I'll add myself to the list:

Dual USB 600 MHz (8 Mb Rage)
640 Mb RAM
10.2.x

1. I use my iBook everyday
2. It is my primary (only) computer
3. I use the VGA port to display to a projector, do this once or twice a month
4. Used the composite from AV port twice ever
5. See above
6. 12"
7. I got my board replace because my screen went completely haywire, flickering on/off, changing resolution, windows moving and changin shape. Eventually forcing a restart. This with 10.1 and 10.2
8. Um, not too sure on this one really. They got me to do a lot of stuff before taking it in for repair. They never actually told me the board was replaced, but I know because my ethernet MAC address is different from before.

biscuit

[-Q-]

Good idea Adam. Let's see if there's a trend!

800 Mhz iBook
Combo Drive
640 RAM
10.2.X

1. Used daily.
2. Primary computer about 80% of the time.
3. Yes, I use the display port to output to a 17" monitor.
4. No, never.
5. I use the monitor port 5 days a week at work.
6. 12" iBook.
7. The display going out is what necessitated the logic board replacement. But the LCD went blank immediately, no other problems occurred. One second it worked, the next it didn't.
8. I have enabled the monitor spanning hack, not sure what they may or may not have to do with it. Also, I have used the display adaptor 5 days a week at work.

[CrazedVW]

iBook dual USB
12"
800mhz
Combo Drive
OS X v 10.2.x

1. I use my iBook everyday during the week. Quite a bit on weekends but not as much.
2. For the most part it is my primary computer. It's used for all schoolwork and while at work.
3. Tried once. Didn't have any luck with it. Probably was doing something wrong.
4. Not yet but I plan to for a presentation in one of my summer classes in several weeks.
5. n/a
6 12"
7. The DC convertor died while my iBook was in the shop the first time for logic board replacement.
8. The best thing I can think of is that it died due to excessive heat buildup due not allowing it to cool down before slipping it in the protective sleeve it stays in while in my backpack. This is just an uneducated guess though and may be more due to paranoia then anything else.

I've had the logic board replaced twice, the AC adaptor once, and the DC convertor once.

[wludavid]

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 700 MHz
Mac OS X (10.2.x)
384 MB RAM

1. I use my iBook everyday, 2-3 hours a day

2. Yes, primary computer

3. Yes, I've used an external display 4-5 times

4. No, never w/ a TV

6. 12" model

7. The display has stopped working completely. It worked for a few days by resetting PRAM, PMU, but now the screen is completely dead and it won't even start at all.

8. I have not had the logic board replaced, but I'm 99% sure that's the problem.

[foamy]

Great thread.

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 800 MHz
Mac OS X (10.2.5)
640 MB RAM
Combo
Airport


Anyone who has had thier Logics Board replaced in a Dual USB iBook please answer the following questions and post here:

1. Everyday, all day.
2. Yes.
3. Display port used on ocassion for presentations on a projector.
4. No
5. 3, once every month or two.
6. 12"
7. Display has gone haywire twice in less than 1 year.
8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced? Shotty construction?

I'm posting this for my GF. Her iBook was purchased last August (w/Applecare). Her computer was having zero problems until she gave a presentation at work in late November. When she used the projector, mirroring wouldn't work and she got a bunch of screen artifacts, etc. so she copied her presentation to another machine and didn't think much about it. Within weeks, the screen began to show lines across it at times. Shortly thereafter, the screen would just go haywire. Shortly thereafter, it wouldn't boot periodically. I backed it up, brought it to the Apple Store (Palo Alto) and they acted Oh so surprised. It was back in a few days with a new mobo and all was well.

Fast forward to this week. She gave another presentation last Thursday (5/22) and yesterday the screen went black and wouldn't boot. After an hour of trying and various tapping on the left palm rest, we finally got it to boot and backed up /Users. I should note that it was used successfully a couple of months ago to give an hour long presentation and it worked flawlessly until yesterday. The display seems to crap out shortly after using a projetor, but if this is just coincidence I can't tell. If it is a defect, then the machine should be replaced with a model that does not suffer from this problem.

In an hour or so, I'm off to the Apple store to get it fixed again. I'm sure there will be no acknowledgement that this is a widespread problem and they'll act like we just got a bad apple (no pun intended).

On another note, I would like to know what it takes to get a computer replaced for good? She's really pissed off about this and is vowing never to buy another computer from Apple unless they replace this one.

[-Q-]

Originally posted by foamy:
[Edited by Q for brevity]...The display seems to crap out shortly after using a projetor, but if this is just coincidence I can't tell. If it is a defect, then the machine should be replaced with a model that does not suffer from this problem.

Interesting theory. I had forgotten I'd used my iBook in a presentation at the end of March. About a month later, the iBook was dead. I think I'll back up my machine this weekend and test that theory.

On another note, I would like to know what it takes to get a computer replaced for good? She's really pissed off about this and is vowing never to buy another computer from Apple unless they replace this one.

I'd say after 3 repairs, it's time to start bitching to Apple that they need to replace your machine. It might take some work b/c all companies (not just Apple) have become notoriously bad for admitting fault and replacing hardware. But don't give up. Just keep escalating the issue until you get a customer service person who can assist you. Good luck.

[basscat]

iBook 700, 14.1, 384mb, later upgraded to 640, purchased end of May 2002, problems developed Jan. 2, 2003

1. Daily, a lot, at work and at home.
2. Yes
3. Yes, especially a lot in late August (teacher training at beginning of school year), but no problem, as stated, until January. Have used several times a month since repair on data projector with no problem.
4. yes, a couple of times a month.
5. See above.
6. 14
7. The regularly reported random lines acroos screen, followed by freeze, a short successful reboot, then hard drive spinning up on reboot with no activity on display.
8. Besides heavy regular use, mine has been transported carefully in padded bag, never dropped, nothing unusual for a laptop. Support and repair went quickly and without hassle, and no problem since. I have added Applecare for another 2 years (check Smalldog.com for good price), just in case. In my case, there is no apparent connection with using the vga-out dongle, as the heaviest use of it was several months before problems developed. Thanks for posting the questions, it's interesting to see the responses from similar problems....

[MacMaui]

It would be interesting to add a part to this data which included feedback from those who have not had their logic board replaced and whether or not they connect it to any external displays/projectors.

[scaught]

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 700 MHz 16mb graphics
Mac OS X (10.2.x)
640 MB RAM


1. How regularly do you use your iBook?
everyday for at least an hour. more often when school is in session as the wife usually takes it to school. then its used quite a bit more (5-8 hours per day).
2. Is your iBook your primary computer?
nope.
3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?
no
4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?
no
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?
6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?
12
7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?
not prior to the machine dying. everything was fine til it started going fuzzy, then it went downhill from there.
8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?
nothing that i can think of.

[Uisce]

1- daily, 10 hours or so a day.
2- it switches. when it works, it usually is.
3- yes.
4- no.
5- not very often, maybe 4 times total over six months i had my iBook.
6- 12"
7- Display, display, display... Many display problems, which led to logic boards being replaced.
8- I cart the thing around daily, so it gets jostled, but thats about it.

Appel replaced my logic board, video board, Airport assembly, and hard drive to fix my video problems. It finally gave me a new iBook since problems kept manifesting.

[jetta_gt]

700mhz iBook 384MB RAM

Today my screen went crazy, it's 6/4/2003 today. I ordered on 5/30/02, and i'm worried my warrenty is shot. i'm about to cry right now.


1. How regularly do you use your iBook?

8 hours a day

2. Is your iBook your primary computer?

yes

3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?

yes.

4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?

no

5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?

I use it with an external monitor on a daily basis.

6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?
12

7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?

my screen gets weird lines, sometimes won't boot, i get the chime but nothing on the screen.

8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?

I take such good care of my iBook that it's sick.


I am desperate for help now, i need this computer to be working so badly. WWDC is coming up, and i got a scholarship and everything. But i am thinking about just not going if i can't get this fixed.

this is one of the sadder days of my life.

[druber]

Just out of curiosity, are any of you crunching data for Seti, RC5, Folding, etc.? Could the problem be related to prolonged running at high heat?

[foamy]

This is beautiful. Just got my gf's iBook back from repair today (replace the logic board). I am using the machine right now and I though it felt a little sluggish, so I checked "About This Mac".

The iBook that went in was a 700/Combo/640.

The iBook that came back is a 600/Combo/384 with the correct HD and correct Airport card.

I guess it's off to Texas again...good thing she doesn't actually need to get any work done with her computer...Not.

[radarbob]

Just out of curiosity, are any of you crunching data for Seti, RC5, Folding, etc.? Could the problem be related to prolonged running at high heat?

this kind of logic does not apply to electronic logic circuits. (pun intended - sorry.)

The CPU is running all the time that proper power is applied to it. Doesn't matter what program(s) you have launched. Running "computational intensitve" programs vice others is irrelevant. Down at the level of registers, logic gates, etc. it just see's electronic "pulses" (you know, Megahertz) the CPU doesn't know Hubble Space Telescope orbital correction algorithms from your Java programming 101 homework.

[wludavid]

Here's an update from my previous post. It went in for repairs, and when I got it back, the screen worked, but it failed to boot properly. It booted into Open Firmware, and said there was an physical memory address problem. Guess it's going back.

[druber]

Missing my point. When the computer's under heavy use, hard drive stays spun up, etc., the machine is obviously hotter. Naturally it should withstand this usage, but if there's a part that's slightly imperfect, maybe the prolonged heat could have a negative effect. Just wondering, man, not flame-baiting. I started crunching SETI again, a month later my screen starts having problems. That doesn't mean there's a connection, but if other people had the same experience...?

[yes_I_AM_a_rocket_scientist]

This is for jetta_gt...

if you're warranty's out, try www.microdocusa.com - they do a flat-fee logic board repair that comes to about $350 with shipping both ways... and they warranty it for a year. I had my fw port die on my iBook 500 and they fixed it - and when it died again (I think it didn't like my fw enclosure) they fixed and shipped it back, no questions asked.

[MacMaui]

1. How regularly do you use your iBook?

--Daily


2. Is your iBook your primary computer?

-- Yes


3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?

-- No

4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?

--No

5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?


6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?

-- 14"

7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?

-- Yes, a transparent 1 1/2" stripe across the screen. Also, ibook refuses to start up after charging the battery. Periodicly refuses to wake from sleep.

8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?


I just received a brand new 900mhz combo drive 14" ibook. The logic board failed within 3 days. The ibook did nothing but sit on a desk. This is the third defective ibook in a row that I've received and my first attempt to purchase a Mac in almost 20 years. The first two had pixel issues, the third simply refuses to work. Apple has offered to replace the computer but I've decided to return it to my reseller for full refund.

I will not attempt to purchase a fourth ibook unless I receive a direct message from God to do so

[Sosa]

I would think carefully about coming to any conclusions from apparently related items in these lists. I think it is unlikely that any of these questions will find the link the the video problems. Most likely it is just an abnormally high failure rate of some critical component, not related to use.

My specs: See my sig

1. How regularly do you use your iBook? Daily, on 24 hours.
2. Is your iBook your primary computer? Yes
3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display? Yes
4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display? Yes
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often? seldom
6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model? 12"
7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?
Display freezing. Shipped to Apple, replaced logic board. Immidiately noticed new problem upon receipt: automatically turning off when disconnected from power (battery worked fine otherwise). Shipped to Apple, logic board and battery replaced, 50% solved. Not turns off only when disconnected from outlet but power cable still in iBook. Very annoying, planning on taking back to Apple soon (have lost hours of work).

8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?
Well, for a while I rode a motorcycle and later a bicycle to school and there was a lot of shaking going on in my Brenthaven shoulder bag. I thought perhaps I had shaken something lose. That the screen would freeze upon movement seemed to confirm this.

I do run SETI all day. I try to avoid having the fan turn on by placing the iBook so it cools.

On a side note, if this was any other company besides Apple I would be bitching about their product! As it is, I can't help but "love" my sometimes annoying iBook.

[MacMaui]

I forgot to mention that my 3rd ibook (in the span of a few weeks) also had power management problems. If the battery was run down to the point of needing a recharge, once it was charged (or charging), if you shut it down, it would refuse to turn back on for anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours.

Resetting PMU would work sometimes, but the same pattern would repeat itself all over again.

To Apple's credit, they did offer to send me a new unit. They said, "this is a very unusual problem and our engineers would be quite interested in taking a look at it." Ha ha ha, unusual problem, that's good one Returned the unit to my reseller for full refund instead.

[smic]

well my ibook opaque700 just died the other day, and the tech said it sounded like the logic board
and from reading this thread it seems more then likely
i was noticing that it looks like around the year mark for most of the ibooks here that needed a new logic board
thank god i got 3 months left of applecare, guess im considering the extended applecare now
but in agreement with others, i treated it like a baby
then restarted it and the screen was black, a couple of times it came on, but was all messed up video

well at least i know its not some freak thing that happened to me

[tomdavidson69]

My g/f only had to replace the LB once which seems lucky when I hear some horror stories!!

700mhz Combo model, 12'', 256mb RAM, airport.

I'll stick her ibook details down...

1. Use the iBook everyday
2. iBook is primary computer
3. Used output once to connect to projector
4. Not to TV
5. Just the once
6. 12''
7. When booting, HD would semi-spin up and not much else would happen. 1/5 times it would boot but the screen would flicker and become corrupted then you'd have to do a hard reset.

8. Hmm, the iBook is treated with care, except it was taken on a plane (two 3hr flights).. which might have helped it's death???

[smic]

YAY
well i called today and was told it was fixed and it was the logic board, that was pretty f#ckin fast since i took it there monday afternoon
i havent gotten yet but ill put down my info for posterity(sp?)

System Information:
iBook 700 MHz Opaque CDrom/Nov 2002
Mac OS X/9
128+512 MB RAM

1. Used everyday, for php/sql school work and overnite downloading
2. Yuppers
3. Used it on external 17" apple b&w with the "hack" for dual displays
4. Used it to watch some movies and music vids
5. 80% hooked up to the moniter, maybe 15 times to the tv
6. 12"
7. No problems till the day it died, other then that its been awsome
8. Nope, only other stuff was an ipod hooked up to the firewire (i found out that its better to unplug the ipod from the firewire rather then unpluggin the firewire from the ibook, apparently its more than likely to burn out the firewire port on the computer if you unplug it straight from there)

[khufuu]

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 700 MHz 16mb graphics
Mac OS X (10.2.x)
640 MB RAM


1. How regularly do you use your iBook?

everyday for at least an hour. (MacNN, email, surfing...nothing heavy)

2. Is your iBook your primary computer?

yes

3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?

never

4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?

never

5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?

6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?

12

7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?

I only had display problems.

8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?

Yes. I thought that the system ran hotter than normal for a few days before the display failure.

[smic]

just an update
my board i got back has 32mb vram, the original had 16mb vram
so i guess it dying was a good thing

[dcolton]

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 900 MHz
Mac OS X (10.2.6)
128MB RAM



1. How regularly do you use your iBook?
8hrs/ day
2. Is your iBook your primary computer?
no
3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?
Yes
4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?
no
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?
rarely
6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?
12"
7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?
many

Just want to say that I had MULTIPLE problems...4 logic boards, 2 optical drives, and a hd in 6 months. Finally convinced apple to send me a replacement computer, they upgraded me to a 900.

[velocipede]

How strangely well-timed...My ibook just got sent to Apple for an apparent logic board hari-kari, and right after I started using the video composite adpapter! Well, just to add my stats...

Originally posted by adam.larsen:


1. How regularly do you use your iBook?

Everyday.

2. Is your iBook your primary computer?

At home, yes.

3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?

Nope

4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?

As mentioned above, immediately before experiencing sudden iBook death, about five times.

6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?

12 incher

7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?

The iBook's video will sporadically not work.

8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?

None I can think of
Hopefully this is a one -time thing. Other people's reports of multiple MB failures doesn't give me a warm fuzz, though...
Edited to add that it's an 800 Mhz combo drive with 640 megs RAM/30 gig HD.

[andreas_g4]

System: iBook G3 900 MHz / 640 MB RAM / Airport

1. How regularly do you use your iBook?
daily, 2-6 hrs
2. Is your iBook your primary computer?
yes
3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?
yes
4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?
no
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?
only for presentations, rarely
6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?
12"
7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?
The display went crazy, half an hour later the iBook was down.

[pyramids]

System Information:
iBook Dual USB 700 MHz 14 inch combo
Mac OS X (10.2.x)
384 MB RAM

This was in December, before the warrantee extension. Given my circumstances repair costs looked to steep (shipping from Cairo etc) so I took the dealers trade-in and got another machine, an 800 dual usb iBook 12 inch. He later had the logic board replaced under the warrantee.

1. Everyday
2. uh huh
3. no
4. n/a
5. n/a
6 14
7. Had flickering distortion on the display, seems it was because of the harness problem, because it happened as I would adjust the screen. Don't know for sure, since I just traded it away. If I put pressure on the case near the hinge, the horizontal lines would flicker on and off.
8. Probably coincidental, I was installing Panther when the beast died.

I use the new book for presentations. I see the horrible horizontal lines from time to time when connecting, disconnecting from the projector. It makes me nervous, but, hey I just gotta project!

[zubro]

1. How regularly do you use your iBook?
everyday 8 to 12 hours.
2. Is your iBook your primary computer?
was need to set up my replacement G4 and it came with no RAM (256)
3. HAVE YOU USED the display port to view your screen on a separate display?
couple of times
4. HAVE YOU USED the display port for TV/Composite display?
couple of times
5. IF YES to 3 or 4, how often?
...
6 Do you have the 12" or 14" model?
12
7. Were there any other side effects that occured on your system, such as display problems?
see my link
8. Are there any other factors that you feel may have effected the logics board having to be replaced?
I used my computer! might just be to look good on a shelve...


my little story:
http://forums.macnn.com/69/mac-notebooks/207739/ibook-board-dead-again/

[Detrius]

why resuscitate a thread this old? It's not likely any of the stuff stated is relevant any more. Apple is fixing this stuff for free now--and offering refunds to people who paid to have their logic boards replaced (even if someone else fixed it).

[andreas_g4]

Originally posted by Detrius:
why resuscitate a thread this old? It's not likely any of the stuff stated is relevant any more. Apple is fixing this stuff for free now--and offering refunds to people who paid to have their logic boards replaced (even if someone else fixed it).