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High Definition Video for Independent Filmmakers
A How To Guide for Digital Filmmakers
Welcome all! This is my blog to share my latest research,
thoughts, etc. on utilizing HD for independent filmmaking.

YES, I am available for consulting
Contact me at mike@hdforindies.com

All content copyright 2004-2007 Mike Curtis.

Monday, July 11, 2005

LIVID 

....so I spent a goodly chunk of Friday and Sunday installing software on my laptop drive-to-be (in an external FireWire case). Sunday afternoon I took it up to the local Apple Store to get them to install it....which they won't. Oh....shit. They said they won't install non-Apple purchased parts, which makes a vague profit oriented kind of sense. But mostly, it's just irritating as hell. They recommended a Mac authorized service shop, or doing it myself.

So I started cracking open my laptop based on a PDF found by praying to Google. And I broke one of the tiny, mouse toe bone sized plastic wishbone looking pieces under the keyboard. God dammit! When I broke a similar thing working on my Mom's ancient iBook, it was $400 to fix it by replacing the ENTIRE keyboard. Hell.

So if anyone knows where I can get one of these tiny pieces (from under one of the function keys) from a 12" PowerBook keyboard, I'd really appreciate it. Even an eBay partially broken keyboard would be great.

This, in conjunction with the ever ongoing problem with my Maxtor hard drives (on PC only, must boot from a floppy, must upgrade through THREE ROM versions, meaning 48 reboots from floppy from a PC), just pissed me off.

So I gathered up ALL the computer crap in the house, shoved it in the studio, and shut all the doors in there. It's impossible to walk in there, and I don't plan on doing so for a few days.

I'm just sick of this obnoxious crap.

Disgusted, is more like it.

LIVID.

-mike
Posted by: Mike Curtis / 7/11/2005 09:02:00 AM
Comments:
Mike,

Is this online guide to hard drive replacement of any help? Or is it too late?
http://www.pbfixit.com/Guide/53.10.0.html

Ian
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 09:47:00 AM CST
 
Anonymous - thanks, but I already broke something.
# posted by Blogger Mike Curtis : Mon Jul 11, 10:06:00 AM CST
 
Mike-

Between all my computers for my business, wife, kids, other family, friends and clients fucking up at the same time (and them expecting ME to fix them) I can feel your pain.

videomagician
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 10:28:00 AM CST
 
This happened to my wife's 12" PowerBook and I took it to an Apple Store (downtown SF) and a guy at the Genius Bar pulled out a spare keyboard and fixed it in a jiffy. I would definitely work that angle if you can.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 01:11:00 PM CST
 
me again, he didn't replace the whole keyboard, but pulled a key (I think it was the ; key) and replaced just the broken key.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 01:13:00 PM CST
 
The damned P key on my 17" was damaged from the start, The little plasticy bit snapped off whie I was in a hotel room and the hotel cleaning staff sucked it up in the vaccuum from what I could gather. They also got a chunk of my power adapter and pulled the wire loose from the computer side plug (which later burst into flames as I was using it! yay burns!).

Mind your Keys and never trust a hotel maid.*

*apologies to all hotel maids out there, but fuck you guys, my laptop caught on fire.
# posted by Blogger Random : Mon Jul 11, 03:09:00 PM CST
 
Doing any work on an Apple laptop that involves opening up the machine (beyond removing a _removable_ keyboard, like they have on the iBooks) is frankly not a good idea for anyone who is not an Apple Certified Portable Technician. This usually transcends the knowhow of the folks manning the official Apple retail stores, so give a local Apple-Authorized Service Provider some business -- might cost a couple hundred bucks, but better than damaging your laptop.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 03:36:00 PM CST
 
PBparts.com may be the place to go for replacement keycaps, including the spring bit you mentioned.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 04:23:00 PM CST
 
It's an absolute joke how difficult it is to upgrade the HD in a PowerBook. I swapped out my wife's Thinkpad's HD a couple weeks ago in exactly three minutes.
# posted by Anonymous art : Mon Jul 11, 10:02:00 PM CST
 
Hmmm...

It has always been technically difficult to upgrade a PowerBook.
You have to use a step-by-step guide such as by pbfixit.com.
Using a step-by-step guide is the best way to avoid breaking things.

Sorry to hear how you broke a plastic part.

It was understandable that the Apple store did not want to take on the job for liability purposes. What if they broke your hard drive in the process? Who would pay for a new one.
It was a good idea to bring it to a third party repair shop. This is why it is important to support your independent Mac dealers.

pbfixit.com also has parts for Powerbooks.

Your independent Mac dealer can also fix your Powerbook for you.

I wish you the best in getting your Powerbook repaired.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Mon Jul 11, 11:19:00 PM CST
 
Art, couldn't agree more. Back in my win/linux days, I didn't dual-boot my Thinkpad, I swapped drives--it was that easy. My PB HD is starting to fritz and I crap myself thinking about replacing it.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Tue Jul 12, 09:22:00 AM CST
 
Wow, just looking at the instructions, what an incredible pain the ass. I have a Lombard G3 Powerbook I upgraded to a G4 and have replaced the hard drive 3 times, and even pulled it and installed Tiger on it (Since Apple locked this machine out since it doesn't have built in Firewire) and re-installed it, and it is working great. It is so easy to do any work on this laptop, I can't believe Apple made the new Powerbooks so hard to work on. I have to say I like the old plastic case as well as it is really durable. If only this thing was faster I would keep it. Lets hope they redesign for the Mactel laptops and make it once again easier to get into these things.
# posted by Blogger Jonah Lee Walker : Tue Jul 12, 04:28:00 PM CST
 
I hear ya Mike. I think we've all been there. If you are located in or around NYC check out Tekserve. Friendly and knowledgeable. Good luck.
# posted by Blogger William : Wed Jul 13, 10:42:00 AM CST
 
hi
# posted by Blogger mb : Tue Aug 09, 01:27:00 PM CST
 
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