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OMG what have I done????
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Brussels, Belgium
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I dropped my month-old powerbook! Augh! It was in a Tucano second skin, I was just putting it back on the shelf, it slipped out of my hands and fell five feet to a hard wooden floor. *sob*
The casing was nastily buckled but everything still works, even the clasp. I'm amazed I got away so lightly. I've actually tried to fix the worst of it myself, er, with a hammer (no seriously, I have a very light touch, don't flinch).
Didn't take any pictures of the status quo ante, here it is now I've "fixed" it.
As you can imagine I'm feeling a bit peeved with myself right now. Anyone have any constructive suggestions as to what to do next? As it's working OK and the only damage seems to be cosmetic, I'm inclined to leave it as it is and let it serve as a reminder of my own stupidity/clumsiness. I don't imagine accidental dropping is covered under the warranty...
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Mac Elite
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2000
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Not dropped mine yet, but you know that feeling you get when you nearly drop it... I get that often and I swear to be more careful.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2000
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The damage looks minimal, but just like with "minor scratches" in cars, it _hurts_ a lot. How bad did it look before the fix?
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2003
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It did actually look a lot worse. I almost burst into tears when it happened. I'm glad you think the damage looks minimal. Of course, to me, it looks anything but minimal. I suppose it's haircut syndrome - you walk out of the barber's convinced you look like a freak of nature with your radical new haircut, no-one else even notices it.
I did actually manage to hammer the casing back into shape, more or less. In fact, the PB is now more stable resting on the table than it was before. However, there are still some gaps between the casing and the plastic surround, not to mention some very unsightly dents and scratches. Also, my amateurish attempt at panel-beating means that the battery no longer fits absolutely snugly, but I suppose that's not the end of the world. Touch wood, so far at least, everything functions as it ought to, and that's the main thing.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 1999
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As long as it works I would say just leave it. It also shows how strong these machines are. Imagine if you did that to a PC laptop. Just keep that in mind.
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"Evil is Powerless If the Good are Unafraid." -Ronald Reagan
Apple and Intel, the dawning of a NEW era.
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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I dropped my Rev A 12" Powerbook in South Station before Thanksgiving and it has a dent similar to yours, but on the front left corner. The latch actually closes better now! Its a little more wobbly than it was before though.
I asked the hardware guy at work and the bottom panel costs $96 from Apple, and to replace it you have to remove *everything* else in the computer first. I haven't bought it yet (haven't even unscrewed the thing). But if they want to charge more, you'll at least know how much the actual part costs
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2003
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It's true. In a way, it demonstrates another advantage of the aluminium casing. It's relatively malleable, and so it can absorb shock by deforming in localised areas while maintaining its overall rigidity and internal integrity. A typical plastic laptop would probably have disintegrated. I was VERY VERY RELIEVED when I hit the start button and the chord sounded (even more relieved when it booted up as per usual).
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Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Originally posted by typoon:
As long as it works I would say just leave it. It also shows how strong these machines are. Imagine if you did that to a PC laptop. Just keep that in mind.
That's exactly right. I've never heard of anyone taking a hammer to a PC and having it survive. Of course, their motives were a little different than yours.
Good luck - I'm sure it will keep going along as if nothing happened. Those PowerBooks are tough!
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Mac Enthusiast
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Can anyone tell me whether Apple Care covers this kind of thing? Their site is less than clear in this respect.
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally posted by mintcake:
Can anyone tell me whether Apple Care covers this kind of thing? Their site is less than clear in this respect.
No It doesn't cover accidental droppage
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"Evil is Powerless If the Good are Unafraid." -Ronald Reagan
Apple and Intel, the dawning of a NEW era.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Yep if I took a hammer to this Compaq laptop I use at work you'd just see little pieces of plastic start chipping away and falling apart. Glad your Powerbook survived the fall; bruised, but not beaten!
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I have a TiBook. I have an iPod. Life is good.
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
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/holds head in hands.
May I suggest talc on those hands next time!
;-)
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
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i'm glad the thing still works. dont beat yourself up too much. it sucks. we've all done dumb things (lost count myself)
anyway, at this point i dont think i'd bother buying applecare, if that was ever an option for you. now, because of the damage, apple will be highly unlikely to cover ANY issue, whether the malfunction happens tomorrow or in 18 months, by virtue of the fact that its been dropped.
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if it aint' broke, break it.
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ouch...i don't even own a powerbook and that hurt to look at
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"I'm for anything that gets you through the night, be it prayer, tranquilizers, or a bottle of Jack Daniel's."
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Mac Elite
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Originally posted by mintcake:
Can anyone tell me whether Apple Care covers this kind of thing? Their site is less than clear in this respect.
Sorry to see and hear about the PowerBook. For acciental coverage try SafeWare.
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Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
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I'm sorry this happened, and people have given you some good suggestions, but I've got to know: why the heck are you trying to put a Powerbook up on a high shelf with the potential for a drop like this? It just seems kind of strange.
Steve
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2001
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Well, while I never managed to drop the iBook I had a few years back, it was essentially ruined one week to the day after I got.
Long story short, I walked out of the room and when I came back 10 minutes later my cats had managed to chew my power adapter, put bite marks all over the palm rest and mouse button, and put teeth marks in the LCD.
Yeah.........
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I like chicken
I like liver
Meow Mix, Meow Mix
Please de-liv-er
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Originally posted by ibook_steve:
I'm sorry this happened, and people have given you some good suggestions, but I've got to know: why the heck are you trying to put a Powerbook up on a high shelf with the potential for a drop like this? It just seems kind of strange.
You know Steve, I've been asking myself the same question all day...
I think the answer is a combination of (a) I didn't expect to drop it; (b) we have a toddler in the house, so putting valuable things out of her reach is kind of second nature; and (c) that was the only empty spot on the bookcase...
Anyway, update: I'm using it now and unless I look down, I really can't notice it. I think I'm going to learn to live with it. Must look into better protection than the Tucano second sleeve though.
Oh, and thanks for the support/suggestions everyone.
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally posted by mintcake:
You know Steve, I've been asking myself the same question all day...
I think the answer is a combination of (a) I didn't expect to drop it; (b) we have a toddler in the house, so putting valuable things out of her reach is kind of second nature; and (c) that was the only empty spot on the bookcase...
Anyway, update: I'm using it now and unless I look down, I really can't notice it. I think I'm going to learn to live with it. Must look into better protection than the Tucano second sleeve though.
Oh, and thanks for the support/suggestions everyone.
That is what the Macnn Forums and community are all about. Glad we all could help out
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"Evil is Powerless If the Good are Unafraid." -Ronald Reagan
Apple and Intel, the dawning of a NEW era.
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Join Date: Feb 2002
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I think I'm going to learn to live with it. Must look into better protection than the Tucano second sleeve though.
Oh, and thanks for the support/suggestions everyone.
I would at least call Apple and find out how much it will cost to fix it. They usually have a tiered repair charge for PowerBooks and the damage may fall into the least expensive category.
Let us know what they say if you decide to call.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Originally posted by typoon:
No It doesn't cover accidental droppage
Got my Pismo covered on household insurance when I knocked it off a table. New case, new hard drive, new DVD drive, power adapter, even new keyboard (it didn't need half of those replacements but oh well).
Amorya
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What the nerd community most often fail to realize is that all features aren't equal. A well implemented and well integrated feature in a convenient interface is worth way more than the same feature implemented crappy, or accessed through a annoying interface.
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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I'm all for believing in the toughness of the powerbooks :-) but I was just wondering, does anyone know how the powerbook or ibook measure up against the other wintel notebooks in terms of how well they stand up to abuse?
I remember PCWorld used to publish an annual torture test of laptops and notebooks, where they dropped, crushed, spilled and plain abused notebooks to see which ones survive. Dell (gasp!) used to rank right up there I think...
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Why won't apple fix the "accidental dropped notebook" through apple care, but they will replace the LCD screen with it?(and from what i heard, even "dropped" lcd screens"
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Powerbook Al 15"/1.25 GHZ/60 GB/512 MB/Airport/Bluetooth/Combo w/ 10.3
iPod 20 GB
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