Several Hardware Problems

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1337 H4x0r
I've been ignoring several hardware problems with my Aluminum PowerBook G4 for months, mostly because I need it for school and can't afford to send it away for a week and because most of the issues are cosmetic. But I have some vacation time coming up and I'm considering having Apple look into them. Here are the problems:

1. Lower casing has at least two dents and the CD-ROM opening is sagging a bit. I'd like to have the entire lower casing replaced.

2. Paint on the upper casing around the right palm rest is wearing, causing little black spots to develop.

3. Upper casing has come loose from the lower casing in one particular spot (near the right palm rest). The entire upper casing may need to be replaced too.

4. The screen has a white spot towards the center-left of the LCD.

5. The screen latch doesn't always hold and frequently comes unlatched. I've read tutorials on pushing the latch back into place, but nothing has really worked. I have a feeling it needs to be replaced.

6. The screen hinges are loose, and the screen wobbles back and fourth readily.

7. Sometimes after I use headphones, the jack still thinks they're plugged in when they aren't, causing the speakers to cut off until I plug and unplug the headphones again. This is the most minor problem, however it would be nice to get it fixed.

So anyway, my question is how I should go about consulting Apple on the repairs. My warranty is expired and I don't have Apple Care, so I would be paying in full for all of the repairs (I don't mind), with the possible exception of the screen (covered under a replacement program). However to my knowledge, since I don't have a support plan, there's no way to contact Apple without paying a fee ($50?) per support call other than going to the Genius Bar at my local Apple store. Should I make an appointment, or is there a more convenient way to find out if Apple can make the repairs and what they will cost?

Do you think it would be cheaper to just buy a new computer? I would really rather not considering the latest PowerBook is almost entirely the same thing as this one.

Thanks for reading,
H
 
I would take it to the Genius Bar. You will get a better picture of the costs up front and then you can decide if a new one would be prudent.

What did you do to the poor thing? It sounds like it went through a war zone.
 
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