The answer.. not easy at all! You basically have to take apart the whole Powerbook just to replace the drive. Check out the step by step guide, it just gets freakier and freakier the nearer you get to the end.
I was thinking of replacing my sisters non-working drive myself, but after seeing this guide, there is no way I am even going to try doing it. [Link]
6 replies on “How easy is it to replace an optical drive on an Apple Powerbook?”
I don’t blame you! I couldn’t believe that. I know you are a fan but that’s the main reason I don’t like Apple. I like messing with computer hardware and upgrading pc’s myself. Apples just don’t lend themselves to that.
Steve Jobs makes his all products shiny and slick, but very frustrating to repair. Even basic components like HDDs or CD/DVD drives require gutting the laptop totally. Powerbook G4 and iBook disassembly is ver much service-unfriendly that even most Apple authorized repair shops don’t even bother touching or having a mere look at them. So instead of fixing the laptop in their workshop, they send out to Apple, wasting several days for the whole process to get over. The problem is so bad that Apple was informing repair centers about backlogs and extended delays in mail-in repairs, and advising the repair centers to fix the laptops themselves rather then ship them out. Well, Apple would not be having this glitch if their laptops were easier for technicians to repair in the first place. Making hardware easy to service benefits everyone. Users want stable and easy to use software from Apple. Mac based developers want robust and easy to use development tools from Apple. Should hardware repair boys get any less attention from Apple? Should service-friendly hardware be important to Apple, or should Apple just not give a damn shit about the people supporting their systems?
The big question! – Can an Apple system be repaired without it being broken again?
i took apart my ibook once, when i put it back together i had like 20 extra screws left over lol
mark why you don’t post to much these days
i’m very sad, your blog in the last month is more active
Yeah after looking at that guide.. i know i would put the wrong screw back in the wrong place and porbably fry the drive! lol
I can take it apart and thats about it! hehe
Don’t forget how easy G3/G4/G5 Powermacs are to upgrade. And as far as Powerbooks are conserned Viva Wallstreet/Lombard and VIVA Pismo indeed!