iBook surgery successful

This is a thorn in the paw of my iBook, lovingly known as "FrankenMac." FrankenMac was originally resurrected from the dead and now contains parts from six different laptops (hard drive, optical drive, main guts and screen, miscellaneous internal bits and bobs, power adapter, and the new part- detailed below).

What you're looking at is a gizmo called a reed switch. There's another part to the part, but it's not relevant. A reed switch connects when it comes in contact with a magnet, allowing all sorts of useful applications, like, say, putting an iBook laptop to sleep when I close it. When this part is busted, the iBook, she no goes to sleep. She also wakes up at inopportune times, much like a naughty parakeet. Except this parakeet sucks battery and keeps its hard drive spinning while in motion and is generally in a poor state. I'd say I dealt with the problem for a week or two.

I had gotten two and a half quotes on the work. Happy Mac, in Austin, quoted me two hours at $50 for labor if I supplied the part. The Computer Shoppe in New Orleans quoted me a $99 service charge for out-of-warranty work, plus the cost of the part for $29.95 or so. Compuzone, another Austin joint, wanted me to leave the machine with them for two or three days just to evaluate the issue that I'd already diagnosed. I didn't bother asking their rates.

I read some forums and did my research and found the replacement part at the awesome Small Dog Electronics, which gives you a free small dog with each order. I spent quite some time with FrankenMac yesterday. All told, I needed to more-or-less completely disassemble the entire laptop in order to replace a $20 part. The whole process took on the order of four hours, give or take. Hooray for the very calming Riven soundtrack.

Now I have a happy laptop.