[TheJoshu]

Hi guys, long time no post.

I've got a friend's clamshell 300mhz iBook here (running OS 9), for which I was fixing a 'keys out of order' problem. Now that that's been fixed, I've moved on to problem #2. The computer doesn't recognize its battery. I've read up on the problem, and I've tried a number of solutions: PRAM, PMU, booting into open firmware and entering reset-nvram and reset-all, the Battery Reset 2.0 application. I did succeed slightly, in that the computer now sometimes recognizes the battery for about ten minutes before it goes back to the red X over the battery indicator in the menu bar.

So I'm going to try some last ditch things. My other friend has a clamshell iBook, so I'm going to go over there and test out her battery and her A/C adapter... so I can see if it's actually a battery problem.

But here (unless you all have other ideas) is my actual question:

On eBay I've seen a number of auctions for something called an iBook 'charger board.' It looks like it runs the length of the right side of the computer. Is this the DC-in board? is it connected to the PMU? is the PMU board a separate item? And if the tests with my friend's iBook point to an internal non-battery problem, is it worth my $20?

Thanks!

[Detrius]

Most laptops that old don't see the battery because the battery is as old as the laptop and doesn't work anymore. The first thing to try is a working battery. Then, you have the charging board and the logic board. The charging board connects to the logic board (IIRC) and therefore, the logic board *could* also be the cause of the problem.

The charging board is the board that actually connects to the battery. This is difference from the DC-in board, which is where the power cord connects.

[TheJoshu]

Many thanks!

Managed to get my hands on a working battery and confirmed that, indeed, the problem is as simple as that. (Isn't that how it always is?) But it's good to know for the future!