[tripletaker]

My PowerBook's latch is broken. I guess from wear and tear the metal that allows the latch to hold has just broken. What alternatives do I have to get my PB to sleep?

I take it around a lot and when I close the lid it sleeps but the lid won't actually shut so it wakes up again. I have sleeve to put it on, but it doesn't help that much. Is there an application or Terminal command I can use to make it go to sleep and not have it use the lid to wake up? Or is there an easy fix for the broken latch?

The computer is not covered under AppleCare anymore. Thanks.

[Sherman Homan]

You can tell it to go to sleep with several different methods, but as soon as the lid starts to open the reed switch tells it to wake up. So there isn't a software fix that I know of. Replacing the latch depends on the model and ranges from reasonably easy to ridiculous. All answers are revealed here:
iFixit: iPod, iBook, & PowerBook Parts and Accessories

[tripletaker]

Yeah, the metal part of the latch is broken so it would be impossible to repair short of buying another lower case for $250.