[fleaplus]

So on Thursday my friend dropped a desktop hard drive onto my powerbook. It now has a nice big dent in the aluminum right above the trackpad and the 60GB hdd it came with is dented also.

My Dented Powerbook (this is 1.1mb...)

So I took the powerbook apart and installed a 40GB drive, reinstalled OSX, and now it freezes for 30 seconds when coming out of standby. It also fails to recognize any wireless networks 75% of the time it comes out of sleep mode. I did get a red stop sign on the hdd when I first booted the computer to install OSX on the new hdd, but after partitioning and restarting that went away.. any ideas why my machine is freezing??

I also wonder if I would have had an ibook with a plastic case the machine would not have been damaged at all? My friend has a crappy Compaq notebook and i've seen lots of heavy things bounce off of it, not affecting it at all... of course apple wouldn't make it so simple as letting me choose an ibook, because not even the 2 year old GPU (radeon 9600) that my powerbook has is available in the ibook. I guess here is hoping the G5 Powerbook somehow takes the form of the old Pismo!

[jdiddy]

Ouch make yourt friend pay for the repair. Just looking at that hurts my heart.

[solitere]

Originally Posted by fleaplus

So on Thursday my friend dropped a desktop hard drive onto my powerbook. It now has a nice big dent in the aluminum right above the trackpad and the 60GB hdd it came with is dented also.

My Dented Powerbook (this is 1.1mb...)

I also wonder if I would have had an ibook with a plastic case the machine would not have been damaged at all? My friend has a crappy Compaq notebook and i've seen lots of heavy things bounce off of it, not affecting it at all... of course apple wouldn't make it so simple as letting me choose an ibook, because not even the 2 year old GPU (radeon 9600) that my powerbook has is available in the ibook. I guess here is hoping the G5 Powerbook somehow takes the form of the old Pismo!

Aluminium is a semihard metal of course it will be dented if you drops something hard on it. However plastic casings like ipod and most other laptops casings will propably get cracks in simular situations.

[romeosc]

Pismo's was like a tank! Could be tossed around without any damage.

I hope you had Safeware.com insurance ...... no deductable ..... free replacement plus extras!

I sent in a TiPB with a broken hinge. After screen replacement, they called and said battery was only holding 1 & 1/2 hour charge, so they replaced with new battery AND a new Apple charger!

What service..... I wish AppleCare was that good! ($60/year!)

[TailsToo]

Dropping (fairly) heavy objects onto your laptop is never a good idea, not matter what it's made of. Based on the damage, I doubt that plastic would have helped.

[madmacgames]

Is it really necessary to direct anger and blame towards Apple because you have a clumsy friend?

[teknopimp]

ouch, that's a nice one. but, just like car dents, only the first one hurts. and don't hate aluminum, hate your friend instead. be more selective with whom you let trudge about your powerbook.

[Vi0]

That's the powerbook for you. All looks and nothing else.

These people who say that plastic is no better have no idea what they're talking about.

[ericssonboi]

Originally Posted by teknopimp

ouch, that's a nice one. but, just like car dents, only the first one hurts. and don't hate aluminum, hate your friend instead. be more selective with whom you let trudge about your powerbook.

I have to agree with teknopimp..
Why are you hating aluminum when its not even aluminum's fault.
Your friend dropped the hard drive onto the PB.
Same thing goes with anything else.. you drop the hard drive on the hood of my car.. I'd make you pay for the damages and probably repaint the whole front clip so the paint matches...
If your so worried about nicks and dents.. get an iBook.. something that can be more easily tossed around.
Like they say.. you live and learn.. just be more careful of who comes near your PB

[vinster]

Hey fleaplus,

If you can't get things working yourself, I'd say take it to an Apple store and at least get an estimate on the repair. Make sure you put all the original components back in and don't tell them you've been in there.

Make sure your friend knows how much his carelessness costs, too.

[Goldfinger]

Originally Posted by teknopimp

be more selective with whom you let trudge about your powerbook.

Seriously

[fleaplus]

Well, we did take the machine to the apple store before opening it up. They said it would be a tier 3 repair, and would cost around $700.

I guess I hate aluminum because because it has proven to be the easiest material to scratch/dent/bend out of all the laptops I have had. Before this dent, it had other dents and the aluminum above the combo drive had bent down because I rested my palm on it while using the trackpad. Even my old 1400CS still runs and looks like a champ even though it was treated with the same level of care that the aluminum one was. (okay, the floppy drive was broken once when the 1400CS had been sat on, but that was a cheap $150 replacement..)

He said he would pay me $1200 for the entire laptop (which seems to be around what 1ghz base model 15" goes) and I might just take that and get the next ibook revision once it comes out..

[KP*]

I've heard of a lot of people whose AlBooks have gotten badly dented from falls/things dropped on them. Of course the dropping is always somebody's fault, not the PB's, but yeah it does seem the Al is more sensitive to dents.

What you really need to do is kill your friend.

[sonicj]

a new g4 upper from pbfixit is 249 and a new 5400rpm 100 gig 5400rpm apple approved hdd is $179 from newegg. that sux man! i don't think plastic would have survived but, you hdd might have had a better chance!

[fleaplus]

I took the whole thing apart again and pounded the dent out. Now sleep mode doesn't freeze and the airport card works again. (I took care to keep the antenna from being peirced when I put the upper case back together this time...)

Maybe I can get him to buy a couple 1GB dimms and a 60gb 7200rpm drive (one of those new seagates with the 5 year warranty!) I certainly could deal with the dents then!

[urrl78]

Don't hate your friend or cast the blame on the aluminum; that is so lame. This is in the same category as the risk you run by having open containers of drinks next to your laptop. You are just as much or moreso to blame than your friend. Aluminum? Don't even try it. I might as well leave my Powerbook open in a house on moving day. Anyone can accidentally drop things but you are the only one that can make sure your possessions are not under them.

I usually park my 2003 Mustang GT furthest away in the parking lot AND take up two parking spaces. My car sits there alone in the empty portion of the lot, where practically no one parks. Crazy huh? Here it is 2005 and where are the door dings? My car still looks brand new because of me seeing nothing wrong with NOT jockeying around the parking lot (like everyone else) for the closest space and not minding getting a bit more excercise by walking a bit further to the store entrance. Besides, I get to check out all the other car door dings of the overweight customers along the way. What I don't get to do is blow my top and blame the guy who chipped my paint and drove off without apologizing.

Get a grip, look in the mirror and see the real accomplice to this event because you are not the total victim here, you have simply failed to keep your Powerbook out of harms way. Regardless of what others have posted, this was an ACCIDENT, not a malicious deed on the part of your clumsy friend. Pointing fingers at everyone (and every thing) but yourself is so easy. It would be the right thing to do on your friend's part to offer assistance in the repair, but even if your friend is not able to make any recompence, in this case forgive and forget, and BOTH of you be more careful next time is the answer IMHO.

[fleaplus]

Originally Posted by urrl78

Don't hate your friend or cast the blame on the aluminum; that is so lame. This is in the same category as the risk you run by having open containers of drinks next to your laptop. You are just as much or moreso to blame than your friend. Aluminum? Don't even try it. I might as well leave my Powerbook open in a house on moving day. Anyone can accidentally drop things but you are the only one that can make sure your possessions are not under them.

I usually park my 2003 Mustang GT furthest away in the parking lot AND take up two parking spaces. My car sits there alone in the empty portion of the lot, where practically no one parks. Crazy huh? Here it is 2005 and where are the door dings? My car still looks brand new because of me seeing nothing wrong with NOT jockeying around the parking lot (like everyone else) for the closest space and not minding getting a bit more excercise by walking a bit further to the store entrance. Besides, I get to check out all the other car door dings of the overweight customers along the way. What I don't get to do is blow my top and blame the guy who chipped my paint and drove off without apologizing.

Get a grip, look in the mirror and see the real accomplice to this event because you are not the total victim here, you have simply failed to keep your Powerbook out of harms way. Regardless of what others have posted, this was an ACCIDENT, not a malicious deed on the part of your clumsy friend. Pointing fingers at everyone (and every thing) but yourself is so easy. It would be the right thing to do on your friend's part to offer assistance in the repair, but even if your friend is not able to make any recompence, in this case forgive and forget, and BOTH of you be more careful next time is the answer IMHO.

Yeah, it could have been avoided but the outcome is really the best it could have been. If I would have closed the screen, it would now be ruined and the machine would be useless as a laptop. To avoid the accident completely, I would have had to pack up the machine in its bag under the table before I had left his room to use the bathroom.

I wish it would have been as superficial as a dent on a car door. Actually after seeing the inside of the powerbook quite a bit over the past few days I don't think any kind of metal or plastic could have stopped the hard drive from being damaged. It just seems to be one of the pitfalls of having a thin machine. Either way, it looks like things are going to be fixed now one way or another.

[jasonsRX7]

I'm pretty picky when it comes to the looks of my Apple hardware. If my G5, display, or Powerbook ever get a ding, dent, or scratch... they are gone. Seriously, I'd have to replace them. I couldn't stand looking at that beautiful aluminum case with a dent in it. That said, if I had the choice of a hot looking aluminum Powerbook or a bland looking black plastic Powerbook, I'd be all over the black plastic.

Having owned 4 Thinkpads before my Pbook, I can tell you that plastic holds up WAY better than aluminum. I've dropped my thinkpads, dropped things on my thinkpads, crammed up in a wiring closet with thinkpads propped on my knee, even (gasp!) holding the closed thinkpads by one edge! Stuff I would never dream of doing with the Pbook. The worst I've ever gotten was a cracked corner on a thinkpad A20p, and it didn't even bother me. With the Pbook, I carry it with two hands when it's not in the case, so that don't apply uneven pressure on the hinge and bend the screen. It's sad, really. But otherwise I LOVE my Pbook and I want to use OS X, so I got no other choice

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by urrl78

I usually park my 2003 Mustang GT furthest away in the parking lot AND take up two parking spaces.

Occupying more than one space is called double parking, and it is always an illegal act. I'm surprised you have not been cited before for it.

[osxisfun]

>I usually park my 2003 Mustang GT furthest away in the parking lot AND take up two parking spaces.

That's you?!?

I just saw a new mustang 2005? the new body / style. I'm not into muscle cars at all but I think they did a great job on the new model.It looked great.

[iREZ]

actually double parking is when you park besides a car that is parked on a curb on the road, parking in two lanes at a supermarket/parking lot isn't really frowned upon unless the spots he's taking are (a) close to the door, or (b) the parking lot has no more available spots. as long as he parks by himself in the middle of nowhere outside of christmas season then he should be ok, still think taking two spots is a dick move, but whatever floats your boat.

[osxisfun]

Originally Posted by iREZ

actually double parking is when you park besides a car that is parked on a curb on the road, parking in two lanes at a supermarket/parking lot isn't really frowned upon unless the spots he's taking are (a) close to the door, or (b) the parking lot has no more available spots. as long as he parks by himself in the middle of nowhere outside of christmas season then he should be ok, still think taking two spots is a dick move, but whatever floats your boat.

same topic:

the next SUV i see parked in a compact slot is going to get a dent in its aluminum

[jasonsRX7]

Originally Posted by urrl78

I usually park my 2003 Mustang GT furthest away in the parking lot AND take up two parking spaces.

I used to know guys in school that singled out people who did this because they (the school kids) thought they (the double parkers) were pricks. The kids would smash windows, kick in door panels, slash tires and that kind of stuff. I'm surprised that hasn't happened to you. But then again, that was back before kids had 23" wheels on their Tahoes or drove M3s.

BTW, I'm not saying you're a prick, just relaying the story. I don't care where you park.

[StonedRose]

Thats a nice dent man! Bummer. Wonder why you are having issues? There is absolutely no components under that part of the top case (trackpad is part of top case). Plastic is by far more durable...but it doesn't look as nice as these alums. Sorry bout your ding.

Aloha.

[stevesnj]

Originally Posted by romeosc

Pismo's was like a tank! Could be tossed around without any damage.

Thats the thing I loved about my Pismo...this thing took a huge beating...I would throw it around...on the bed, floor (carpeted) I dropped it a few times...this thing wouldnt die...I sold it for my Al 17" and miss it dearly. But every dog has their day...sorry to see the dent

[teknopimp]

Originally Posted by urrl78

I usually park my 2003 Mustang GT furthest away in the parking lot AND take up two parking spaces. My car sits there alone in the empty portion of the lot, where practically no one parks. Crazy huh? Here it is 2005 and where are the door dings? My car still looks brand new because of me seeing nothing wrong with NOT jockeying around the parking lot (like everyone else) for the closest space and not minding getting a bit more excercise by walking a bit further to the store entrance. Besides, I get to check out all the other car door dings of the overweight customers along the way.

in my area only ferrari owners and the like do the same. i have *never* seen a mustang (or any other american or jap car for that matter) do that.

[alex_kac]

I love the look of Al, but frankly after having two Al PBs, I much prefer our iBook's case.

[urrl78]

Although I did get a warning slip one busy Saturday (Day before Easter) at a Mall I have never had a problem parking the way I do. It just makes sense to me as I like to keep things looking new and hate the careless behavior of folks who throw open their doors into your car; had enough of that back in 93 with my new black Camaro. Some people you have to think for, even when you drive. I usually time my braking gradually for tailgators. Some people you have to think for, at a Starbucks; where you place your coffee in relation to your laptop. You even have to think for yourself so you will not be the perpetrator of such accidents. We are all human and crap will hit the fan. This thread is a perfect example. All we can do is the best we can. Incidently, the day I posted here, which was yesterday, I prepared to leave my job, putting my baby Sony T250 laptop into its case:

http://homepage.mac.com/bhardy3/PhotoAlbum38.html

My attention was taken by another co-worker, and when I afterward picked the case up off the table by its strap to put it on my shoulder the laptop fell to the floor. Apparently I had not zipped up the case due to the distraction. Fortunately absulutely no damage from a probable 4 foot fall thanks partly to the carpeted floor and Sony quality and the 3 Lb light weight of the notebook. But there you have it. Craps happens, even to me.

Back to the dent; if you were able to hammer out the damage as you say, maybe you would consider ordering and replacing the damaged aluminum yourself.

[itguy05]

It's never been a problem for me - I just watch my parking spaces and if it looks "too tight", I'll find another. No door dings or anything else like that.

Not to mention I always laugh at those who park in the back and take up 2 spaces with their Mustang's, Camaros, Firebirds, Civics, etc. Even when I had a Cobra (Mustang) I never did that.

Or when I drove my POS car (multiple shades af primer, rust, etc) I'd always squeeze right next to them.... Never ding'ed but was a funny "statement"

[phataccord04]

Originally Posted by fleaplus

So I took the powerbook apart and installed a 40GB drive, reinstalled OSX, and now it freezes for 30 seconds when coming out of standby. It also fails to recognize any wireless networks 75% of the time it comes out of sleep mode. I did get a red stop sign on the hdd when I first booted the computer to install OSX on the new hdd, but after partitioning and restarting that went away.. any ideas why my machine is freezing??

I also wonder if I would have had an ibook with a plastic case the machine would not have been damaged at all? My friend has a crappy Compaq notebook and i've seen lots of heavy things bounce off of it, not affecting it at all... of course apple wouldn't make it so simple as letting me choose an ibook, because not even the 2 year old GPU (radeon 9600) that my powerbook has is available in the ibook. I guess here is hoping the G5 Powerbook somehow takes the form of the old Pismo!

Freezing from what? You run a diagnostic on it yet? Wireless should not be affected as the antenna run up the side of the screen, and the card is under the keyboard more then by the trackpad. I say the freezing is from the HD being bad possibly.

The ibook would have cracked. The ibooks use diffrent plastic then then that of a PC laptop.

[urrl78]

Although anyone can walk thu practically any parking lot and witness the various dings, I marvel at your sheer luck. I would not be so ready to laugh at those who are more careful. It just takes one time...

[driven]

Originally Posted by itguy05

It's never been a problem for me - I just watch my parking spaces and if it looks "too tight", I'll find another. No door dings or anything else like that.

Not to mention I always laugh at those who park in the back and take up 2 spaces with their Mustang's, Camaros, Firebirds, Civics, etc. Even when I had a Cobra (Mustang) I never did that.

Or when I drove my POS car (multiple shades af primer, rust, etc) I'd always squeeze right next to them.... Never ding'ed but was a funny "statement"

What is your statement? What's funny?
I'm not getting the joke.

[fleaplus]

Originally Posted by phataccord04

Freezing from what? You run a diagnostic on it yet? Wireless should not be affected as the antenna run up the side of the screen, and the card is under the keyboard more then by the trackpad. I say the freezing is from the HD being bad possibly.

The ibook would have cracked. The ibooks use diffrent plastic then then that of a PC laptop.

At this point the hard drive has been completely replaced by a different 40GB drive. The machine would lock up when coming out of sleep. The display would show the screen with everything minus the mouse cursor. I presume might have been causing the problem, since the trackpad was bent when the aluminum above it had been peirced. The display and entire computer would then appear frozen for about 45 seconds. Any attempts to say, change the volume or screen brightness via the keyboard would not actually take affect until immediately after the machine unfroze.

After pounding the dent out the freezing had stopped, but I do think that my wireless range has been reduced because now I can't see some basestations that are only 30-40ft away indoors. Oddly enough I can still connect to a belkin router almost 100ft away at my dad's house on the other side of town.

[driven]

Originally Posted by urrl78

http://homepage.mac.com/bhardy3/PhotoAlbum38.html

Nice laptop. I've always loved that model. The screen glare is a little worse than I would have imagined, but it appears to still be usable.

'shame we can't run OS X on it.

[rlmorel]

I agree, the aluminium is not robust.

That said, I have a 17" that was given to me by my boss, after I drooled on it. No, really, I remarked how I would like one, and she said...I'll get you one. I thought, yeah, right, I'll believe it when I see it.

Then she dropped it one day, broke the screen in half, pretty nasty damage.

She got it fixed, gave it to me, and got herself a 12" Powerbook. The 17" was just too heavy for her small hands to even pull out of the bag.

When I walk around with this thing, I treat it like a carton of eggs, and a carton that can be scratched by breathing on it. I would love to be able to just toss it on a counter, but...I love the looks of it too much!

[driven]

How were the old Titanium Powerbooks? Any more robust than the Alumininum?

[teknopimp]

Originally Posted by driven

How were the old Titanium Powerbooks? Any more robust than the Alumininum?

they could take knocks better but prone to scratches, scuffs, chips. early models chipped really bad on the hinges and frame. tibooks seemed much more structurally sound from my experience (i've owned two) but i always babied them and they were perfect when i sold them.

[Feeling_Macish]

Originally Posted by teknopimp

they could take knocks better but prone to scratches, scuffs, chips. early models chipped really bad on the hinges and frame. tibooks seemed much more structurally sound from my experience (i've owned two) but i always babied them and they were perfect when i sold them.

I still have my 400 mHz model, been pampered from day one. I have always had it in a Kamas Powerbook stand when using at home and have kept the keyboard covered to keep dust off. [Although the screen is nowhere near as bright as that of the iMac G5 beside it, the brightness seems to actually have benefitted from the recent 10.3.9 update. Tiger is next...]

I would love to know if any of those custom paint jobs that have been documented on the web over the years have held up better than the original factory paint. In other words, is Titanium by nature a material that paint has trouble sticking to, or is the problem with these the kind of paint used by Apple?

Although the Titanium model was very cool, I'd like to see Apple move all their high-end laptops to the same kind of white plastic housing that the iBooks currently have. It seems strong enough, and with minimal effort/care, should look good for a long time too.

[SpeedRacer]

The AlBooks definitely dent easy. Frankly, I don't think I've seen a single model over a year old that DOESN'T have some form of denting. Alternatively, the TiBooks just cracked, scratched, and broke so I suppose we've upgraded to SOME degree. ;-)

Not going to comment on your specific dent/friend, but I see these things come in for service all the time, have owned both Powerbook and iBooks, and have DEFINITELY found the iBooks to be more durable than the Powerbooks.

If you're looking for maximum durability and don't mind the performance/functionality hit, the iBooks are a pretty good deal.

[MilkmanDan]

Honestly I enjoyed the look and feel of the Pismo more then the TiBooks, though I have found my time with my AlBook to be enjoyable. I can't say I'm bothered too much by the aluminum, but thats because I'm over causius of my computer. My room mate with the exact same computer has managed to get his all scratched to hell in about 3 months, mine is over a year old and still looking good. Sh*t happens man. No matter what your computer is made of.

[W. Ian Blanton]

Were the Titaniums better? No, the word "spun glass" comes to mind. Titanium PowerBooks were (are) prone to cracking. One of the reason that Apple shifted to Aluminum is that that material deforms a lot more before cracking.

The hands down winner in durability? iBook 12" "Clamshell", I could beat a desktop case to death with one of those things, using the handy-dandy carrying handle, and the sucker would probably still boot.

My iBook 466Mhz SE is still in service with my 7 year-old daughter, I "pre-beat" it up for her, including a 7' "slap" into asphalt. (I slipped on ice and almost cracked a rib, didn't even scratch the iBook.)

Sadly my PowerBook 12" Aluminum has not fared as well. It has a collection of dings, and bumps all over it. It still looks O.K., though, while I'll admit that the iBook is looking pretty worn. Mind you, I bet it would look fine If I'd just glue all the rubberized sections that are now falling off back on.

[entropy]

Originally Posted by fleaplus

To avoid the accident completely, I would have had to pack up the machine in its bag under the table before I had left his room to use the bathroom.

Yep, that would be what you should have done.

Especially if you were visiting someone who was clumsy enough to be dropping things onto an open laptop.

~ Kiran <[email protected]>

[urrl78]

Originally Posted by entropy

Yep, that would be what you should have done.

Especially if you were visiting someone who was clumsy enough to be dropping things onto an open laptop.

~ Kiran <[email protected]>

Actually I would have taken the Powerbook to the bathroom with me. No joke. There are three places I have my Powerbook; with me/locked in my room/locked in my car trunk, period.

[driven]

The bathroom?

I thought cell phones in there were bad. <gasp>

[klinux]

Originally Posted by jasonsRX7

BTW, I'm not saying you're a prick, just relaying the story.

Call it like it is, taking up two spaces is just rude and is being a prick. I understand you want to protect your baby but being an a-hole is just an invitation for trouble.

Back to topic, my suggestion would be to go with a zinc or magnesium alloy - both lighter and harder than aluminum but of course pricier. Maybe anodized aluminum as a compromise?

[rsgeek]

Originally Posted by SpeedRacer

The AlBooks definitely dent easy. Frankly, I don't think I've seen a single model over a year old that DOESN'T have some form of denting. Alternatively, the TiBooks just cracked, scratched, and broke so I suppose we've upgraded to SOME degree. ;-)

Don't forget that nifty "paint cancer" on the trim around the top deck! I'm still "driving" my 667 Mhz TiBook, luckily I got AppleCare with it (my 3 years runs out in a few months; just got it back with a new / non-bubbled top deck).

[urrl78]

A car parked where nobody else parks (thought I made that clear) is not hurting anyone, except the pricks who think I am just trying to be above everyone else. Parking with the flock incurred dings in my previous new car. To me it is just a lesson learned; avoid leaving personal property to the access of others whenever possible, because so many kind hearted folks (May God bless them) can be clumsy, thoughtless or both. I will never, EVER change in my opinion; call me what you like. End of story.

[driven]

Originally Posted by urrl78

A car parked where nobody else parks (thought I made that clear) is not hurting anyone, except the pricks who think I am just trying to be above everyone else. Parking with the flock incurred dings in my previous new car. To me it is just a lesson learned; avoid leaving personal property to the access of others whenever possible, because so many kind hearted folks (May God bless them) can be clumsy, thoughtless or both. I will never, EVER change in my opinion; call me what you like. End of story.

I don't have a big problem with it, so long as you are parked out in the middle of no-damn-where. If you want to walk a mile to the store, it's your legs. Heck, there are probably health benefits.

I find it more bizare that some folks go out of their way to park really close to someone way in the back just to make their life miserable, as if that somehow makes them better than you or improves society.

[urrl78]

Point taken. I find it just as bizarre riding around as a passenger for 5 to 10 minutes while the driver orbits the parking lot to get the ultimate park 10 feet from the store, when I could have been inside shopping after a brisk walk from my usual parking location. Yeah, people actually do that, then get into fights when some other driver cuts in and steals their coveted prize; a stupid parking space. Guess it depends on your point of view huh. No thanks, I'd rather walk for my health as you mentioned, avoid the stress, and never have to worry about forgetting where you parked it; lost in a sea of other cars.

[osxisfun]

i park further away then most just so i can get a little exercise. It also makes getting in and out of parking spaces a little easier...

hey i need some way to work off the calories from sitting in from of my mac posting to forums.macnn.com!