[tikki]

I've got an ancient iBook (original 500MHz iceBook) that just failed on me. If you open it past about 30 degrees, the backlight goes out.

It's an old laptop that has had a great run, and I accept its demise, but I'd like to still repair it if possible to hand down to my girlfriend.

What part is going to need to be replaced to fix the problem? Me and a couple of buddies will give it a shot and see what happens.

And for those that care, I replaced my 1st gen iBook with a brand new G4 iBook this afternoon. woohooo.

Thanks for the help.

[blasto]

Its likely (but not certain) that the wiring has degraded in the hinge. If so, its about the cheapest part of the video to replace. If possible, see if a local mac fixer will have a quick look for free. They are likely to have seen this before and could give an on the spot opinion and likely price. If you are happpy to diy and have the tools, the wiring is something easy to test.

[tikki]

I am getting it repaired. I was quoted $110 to fix it (assuming its the reed cable)

[seanc]

Reed cable?

I thought it would have been the backlight cable.

If possible it would be good to replace them all while it's open, as it will save you hassle down the line if more cables were to fail.