I have an early Titanium Powerbook G4 (400 MHz). I think I've had it for 3-4 years.
About a year ago it started making noise #1 -- a rapid thumping sound when the screen was pushed back (maybe the hard drive was hitting the case as the case was squeezed by lid being pushed back???). I have avoided this noise for the most part by always opening the lid a little farther than I would like before booting, then pulling the lid only forward.
In the last couple of weeks, it has started making noise #2 -- what sounds exactly like a fan noise. But there is no fan in this machine. This noise is not the CD drive (no CD in the drive, and the noise seems to come from the left-rear of the machine and the CD is in right front). This noise happens only occasionally -- usually after prolonged use. I figured that this can't be good, so I quickly save everything, shut it down, wait a short while, then boot it up. The noise has always gone away on the reboot (but sometimes it returns after another hour or two of use).
Regarding noise #2, I also noticed today that the bottom of the case is farily hot to the touch -- along an area under the number keys and the F-keys. Some of this may just be the power supply, but I don't know where the power supply and hard drive are located. I'm not even sure that this warmth is new.
What could these noises be? Am I about to suffer a hard drive failure?
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