Yeah, I'm going to go and talk to the apple rep at a local computer store that my school uses to fix macs. I might just wait for the turnaround time to drop as well. I need my computer for a lot (I'm a college senior) and I can't really afford to be without it. The hinge is a minor inconvenience, but it's a bit unsettling to hear that noise.
On a different note I have the powerbook hooked up to an external display, pretty sweet. I love having two desktops. Now I just can't wait for my bluetooth keyboard to come in.