Hardware issues - MacBook and Al. PowerBook 15" -please help!

[TheBattman]

Ok - I am posting for a couple who are young missionaries in Guatemala. They have a pair of Apple computers - a 15" Aluminum PowerBook, and a MacBook. All I know about their problems are posted below. I have already told them that I believe that the root of the problem is related to the extremely unreliable and inconsistent electric service they have to deal with - from really bad municipal supply, to running off of a generator - the electricity is a recipe for issues... but that is and argument for another time.

I would really like to help them - but it isn't like I can hop in the car and jsut drive over and take a look. They both have some skills in computer use and understanding hardware.

Their financial resources just don't have ANY room for major investments. They are trying to limp both machines along for as long as they can.

Below is their "story":
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Jim Shelley
Today at 3:37pm
The problem with Shelley's computer is pretty complex, so I'll start with mine.

White MacBook with SuperDrive. From all appearances and troubleshooting it seems to be a problem with the PMU on the motherboard. It is a $500 repair through Apple. Whole motherboard would need to be replaced. My old battery was a defective one, so we got the free replacement, but before it went out it melted the power cord right at where the connection goes and burned up that part. Now instead of having a bright green light showing charged or an orange light showing charging, there is a dim green light showing that there is power but no charging is taking place. This is not a HUGE problem as I just bought an external charger and I can still use the laptop plugged in while the battery is charging. The only problem is how careful you have to be because the magnet comes off really easily and you lose everything...

Shelley's is aluminum PowerBook G4 15". All of a sudden it would not charge, but even plugged in the battery lost power. We ordered a new battery and an external charger like mine and now she has about 4 hours of running time plugged in with the battery. The computer is not pulling enough charge off even to keep it running. With her Apple battery (not in the recall) it lasts about 45 minutes, but at least with the new one it is better. Lately we have found that her battery will charge (in about 10 hours) if the computer is asleep. Turned off it will not. If you take out the battery with the computer plugged in, even asleep it will shut off everything before you get the next battery in it and do a start up with the message OSX quit unexpectedly. Just battery not plugged in it will last about an hour.

So there you have it. We have them functioning, but neither is a good option. We know the laptop hardware is made by the same guys as everyone else. We are trying to save up enough money to buy Shelley a new laptop in a year or two, but when I replace my computer it will probably be an iMac. No sense in being tied to a powercord and not have the super power of a desktop.

I've tried all the troubleshooting stuff I've found online in the mac forums and help website. Spent hours unplugging, resetting PMU, little bit of everything. It all appears to be things that need to be replaced by Apple for more money than I'm willing to spend...

If you have any ideas though, I would be open to them!
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This couple needs some help. I wish I had the money to just send them new machines..or at least to pay for repairs... but I just don't.

Suggestions???

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Unfortunately, I don't think there's any magic dance or repair procedure that a consumer could do in order to rectify these problems. Definitely not in the case of Jim's computer -- there is physical damage to the computer that can only be fixed by a repair specialist. I had a buddy with the same problem (dim green light, no charge, etc.) and the computer had to go back to Apple.

It does, indeed, sound like power problems are the source of the woes. In the future, and if at all possible, it would be prudent to obtain some battery backup devices -- they can "condition" the power coming out of them so that they deliver a constant voltage and amperage, and then the computers wouldn't be subject to damages caused by inefficient/underpowered/unreliable power sources. The power fluctuations caused by generators and crappy power lines would be "fixed" by the battery backup device, which would then deliver "clean" and stable power to the laptops.

[TheBattman]

That is pretty much the advice I gave them. If they don't do something about the power issues, they will just toast their repaired (or replaced) computers...