Wallstreet loose screen - bad hinge/clutch
(discussion created Oct. 1, 00 1:19 am)
original message
by: Edmund White System Info: Powerbook G3/300 : Mac OS 9.0.2 \ 9.0.3 \ 9.0.4 :
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Well, my Wallstreet has developed a severe case of the loose screen issue. I opened my computer only to hear a nasty "crack". The clutch cover popped-off, and I realized that the screen/display hinges failed. My Wallstreet is just over a year old (out of warranty), but certainly withing its 3 years of useful service. This was essentially a desktop machine. It was probably opened and closed 2-4 times a day for the past 16 months. None of the service dealers in the area can perform the necessary work of replacing the hinges because they cannot obtain the replacement part. I have seen used hinges on the black market.......Essentially, I'm trying to avoid a $400+ Apple repair for what is obviously a design flaw. I owned a Powerbook 5300 before this Wallstreet, so I seem to be in a bad streak. I have photo's of my machine at: http://www.ews.uiuc.edu/~ewwhite/clutch.html - VERY INTERESTING PICTURES!
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(7 previous messages)
(7 following messages)
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RE: RE: Wallstreet loose screen - bad hinge/c
(message #4.1 -
Oct. 9, 00 1:19 pm)
by: Bruce Debenedictis
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So I contacted Apple Support via telephone, and all they offer is repairing it for $310. Was that what they were supposed to say? It seems to me that there is more than enough evidence that the problem is at Apple's end, not the users, and that Apple should take responsibility for its faulty part.
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RE: RE: RE: Wallstreet loose screen - bad hinge/c
(message #4.1.1 -
Dec. 7, 00 10:10 am)
by: Ken Ott
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I called Apple Support yesterday and they told me the $310 number too. I fully believe that this is Apple's fault and not ours that the PowerBooks are getting crummy in as little as 18 months of moderate use. I am not willing to pay $310. I plan to contend this in a collective grievance letter. Please see
http://death.berkeley.edu/~kenao/unhinged/ and email me if you agree with what I'm saying. A lot of PowerBook G3 Series owners are really upset about this, not just myself. Ken
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Wallstreet BROKEN Hinges
(message #5. -
Oct. 11, 00 10:38 am)
by: Eliot Lovell
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Had my 300/12 Wallstreet a couple of years - the RH Hinge snapped, the the LH hinge snapped a week later. The Authorised ASP blew my soundcard and badly scratched the lid in the process of "fixing" the hinges...Great stuff. And on such a fab machine.
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Loose Screen
(message #6. -
Oct. 12, 00 12:55 am)
by: Phav System Info: Powerbook walstreet 233 14.1 512 cache, 32/2gb : Mac OS 9.0.2 \ 9.0.3 \ 9.0.4 :
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I've had this walstreet 14.1 233 mhz 512 back for more than a year, the screer is loose for about an inch or so. I want that to be repaired by apple, I have purchased the extended warranty, i do not have $300 or so to pay for the repair. I cannot believe that this is going to break while I am still paying th apple loan for students Help!
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RE: Loose Screen
(message #6.1 -
Oct. 12, 00 10:44 am)
by: jpl
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I have the same powerbook as you; I also have play in the clutches (3/4"), but this has been present from day one. I have been reading the various complaints on several forums and the consensus is almost all Wallstreets have 1/2" - 1" play...I don't believe that in itself determines whether you are going to have a failure or not. I am not arguing you do not have a problem, only that repairs will probably not be performed without a failure occurring. I do hope Apple clarifies their policy on this matter.
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Powerbook G3 Loose Hinge
(message #7. -
Oct. 13, 00 9:56 am)
by: Dean Baker
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on??een reading about this problem of the hinges breaking on
the Wall street Power books. I have a Wall street 266 and have
noticed that my screen has started to show signs of my hinges
going bad. The play at the top of my screen is 3/4". With the
repair cost so high and the obvious situation of a manufacturer
defect, Apple needs to take care of this problem with a free fix. Dean
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Waiting for the inevitable
(message #8. -
Oct. 21, 00 6:54 am)
by: Scott Bellefeuille
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I upgraded from a Powerbook 520c to a G3 Wallstreet in 1999. One of the reasons I ditched the 520 was that the hinges had failed on that model too, cracking away from the plastic casing. Now my G3 has 3/4" play in the screen and after reading all the posts here and on the Go2Mac Power Page (http://www.go2mac.com/displaynews.cfm?newsid=7420), I feel like I'm simply waiting for the day the clutches will fail completely.I've used Macs since 1984 and always taken excellent care of my machines- my powerbook functions mainly as a desktop machine, so I'm quite confident the loose display is not a 'wear and tear' issue. I was anxiously awaiting an upgrade to a Powerbook G4 once they came out, but am now reticent. I feel like if I tried to sell my G3 with the loose hinges I would be selling a defective product (Apple may feel this is an acceptable practice, but I certainly do not!) A notebook is by definition portable, made to be open and closed- it is completely unacceptable that this design flaw will render Powerbooks useless after 18 to 24 months if you are not willing to invest $300+ in a repair. Steve Jobs in a recent meeting talked about 'loving their customers more,' Well love us Steve! Acknowledge the problem, take responsibility for it, and address your customers concerns!
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Clutch info
(message #9. -
Oct. 22, 00 1:22 pm)
by: Hardy Geer
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There is a web site which might be of interest http://www01.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/ba2/nsxt/faq15.html
It shows the bad clutches and gives part prices in yen it converts to about $25. US. Unfortunately most, but not all of the web site is in Japanese. Can anyone give a translation?
Perhaps a large part of the problem is that Apple prefers that repair personell not work on PowerBook displays, it's too easy for a clutz to do expensive damage.
Could one send one's PB in with instructions to replace part # so and so?
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(7 previous messages)
(7 following messages)
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