Ass Covering and Excuse Section

This s a placeholder/partial page for what will eventually certainly be an inadequate page on iBook G4/PowerBook 12 inch disassembly. Detailed instructions with good photos are available on a number of sites so this page is intended to have a few helpful tips for the really eager ones one might read this site, but don't feel the need for "details"

THESE TIPS are for those who KNOW what they are doing (or think they do). You can easily fry your system doing this and if your system is under warranty then this will VOID YOUR WARRANTY (including the extended one). Do this AT YOUR OWN RISK. Pay attention, look, and make sure I haven't mistyped. Be gentle. Put the screws you have left over in a container...who knows, you might need them some day....

Introduction

I struggled to figured out too take these things apart and the hope is some of tips I stumbled onto might be helpful to others...hence this page.

I had a first generation PowerBook G4 12 inch (no, I didn't hurt it this way) that I could take apart completely enough to pull a CD out of the optical drive (when stuck) and then put it back together in arounnd 20 minutes with tools I kept in my laptop case, so it is not all that hard. I would do it on my desk at work (I am not a computer professional).

Apple did try to "disguise" how to take apart the PowerBooks.

When I had to send in my newer PowerBook G4 12 inch 1.33 Ghz for being a lemon the repair technician told me it took 45 minutes to open one up... Hell, in 45 minutes I could open one up, change out both drives, put it back together, take it back apart, connect up the damned power button I forgot about, put it together again, and still have hour screws left over I didn't even need . . .

Basic iBook G4/PowerBook 12 inch Take Apart Tips

Before You Start:

Most Apple's seem to require, somewhere, a Torx #8 driver (a little screwdriver like thing with a star tip). They can sometimes be hard to find but get one before you start. Electronics hobby shops and Mac repair shops routinely sell them. I have used a good quality flat head to to it, if you are lucky and they are not too tight.

When dealing the electronics static electricity can fry the components. The way to prevent this is to where rubber shoes and drag your feet along the carpet before working on your system .... KIDDING!!!... Get a grounding strap. They are cheap and self explanatory. And no, I don't follow my own advice. I have never fried a system and my wife gives them cement poisoning before I can hurt them anyway.

Unplug the systems while you work on them.

I know that pictures would be nice here... maybe the next time it is apart...

The iBook and PowerBooks 12 are not hard to take apart, but it is sometimes not obvious where to just push hard,er or whether there is a trick, clip, or other attachment you just haven't figured out yet.

iBook and PowerBook G4 12 inch Construction Overview:

The iBook has a top and bottom shell (the plastic part). The PowerBooks has aluminum shells that bend and dent easily.

An alloy frame is bolted the bottom half of the shell and the motherboard, drives and other hardware are bolted to that (or to the bottom shell), although you rarely need to remove the motherboard.

The top and bottom shells are bolted to each other and to the alloy frame and also snapped together along the outside (on the iBook), or have small insert like guides (cliplike) and a "friction joint" on the PowerBook.

The motherboard and components are covered by a metal shield that lies between the plastic shell and the motherboard/components. The keyboard sitz on this shield.

General Instructions:

Note this is not detailed and every screw and attachment and plug is not mentioned. They are easy to find if you look.

Remove the keyboard.

For the ibook that involves pulling the two clips that hold it at the top down and lifting it up from the top first followed by pulling it out of the button where it inserts.

The PowerBook G4 has tiny screws hidden under two of the keys at the top on either side - I forget which. Those screws are hidden under little white stickers that can be recognized because they are round and punched out.

The iBook and PowerBook keys are the same design but different colors. The PowerBook keyboard feels better because the computers structure is solid underneath whereas the iBook has memory and the Airport card there. You can removed the keys by just putting your fingernail under them and popping them off. Putting them back on is a little trickier... Underneath each key is (at least) two plastic pieces that fit together to sissor. (Take a good look at how they fit together if you take any off). The two pieces are joined the the center the the smaller having small pegs that insert inside the larger. (Top and botton for each is important). The trick is to put those two pieces together and then, whithout the key attached, snap them onto the keyboard plate. The larger piece has little pegs that snap into small metal brackets and the small inner piece has a small bar that catches on a small metal lip towards the bottom. Once this assembly is togehter and snapped on the plate it will sissor slightly (like a mm or so). If it is tight then one of the pieces needs to be flipped over. You then just set the key on top and press down until you here it click in to place.

Some larger keys have little metal supports attached to the key. After the sissor assembly is working (and with the metal support snapped into place on the key) do the same thing but make sure the metal support has its ends inserted (from the top down) into the two little holes that hold it. Then snap like before.

It can take some experimenting so be patient and keep trying. The keys and sissors components much stronger than they look.

On the iBook remove the small tray covereing the airport card (the keyboard cable runs beside it) and then removed the airport card and extra memory (if present).

Detach the keyboard cable by gently prying of on the little plastic clip that holds it. This cannot be done on the iBook until the tray covering the airport card is removed.

Unlug obvious leads running from the top case to the motherboard. (If you aren't sure, unplug it since you are going to put it back anyway).

The metal under the keyboard is part of the metal shield. It has openings for certain plugs. Unplug anthing you can. The plugs you see are for the speakers and power button. As you go you will also see plugs for the trackpad. All this stuff is part of the top shell and unplugging them now helps to not pull on them later. Don't worry, the tolerances are tight so it is obvious where they plug back in.

Remove any other screws holding the top case to the botton case.

For the iBook don't forget the two screws on the botton near the display on either side of the hinge. They are long and go all the way through.

For the PowerBook don't forget the two screws in the top corners on just above the keyboard (the PowerBook analogues to the iBook screws). They are long and go all the way through. Also DON'T forget to take out the Airport card (it is in a little compartment under a little metal door accessed via the battter compartment) so you don't pull it out. The PowerBooks extra memory (if you have extra) is under the little cover on the bottom held on with 4 tiny screws. Memory or not you need to take this cover off because there is a long screw under itlooks scary like it holds some circuit board on, but it doesn') that goes all the way to the top shell. You must remove that screw. Also, take out the tiny screws along the lateral sides of the case and on the back by the hinge. These hold the top and bottom together as well.

Don't foget the tiny screws in the battery compartments of both computers. If you get hung look for screws you missed. It is real easy to miss one in the batter compartment on in the shield under the keyboard.

Separate the top and bottom and remove the top cover.

Both the PowerBook and iBook have the top and bottom shells snapped together, although the PowerBook really has metal inserts and slots as guides. The screws really hold it together. The iBooks REALLY snaps together. You have to get a fine phillips screwdriver (or a wider metal ruler is good too) and gently pry the top shell off the bottom. The seam on the iBook is right in the middle. The PowerBook has its seem along the top edge with top shell having a lip that sits inside the botttm one. Its clips are not very firm.

Separating the top and bottom on the iBook is scarier since you really have to stick that screw driver in and pop those clips, or just pull hard. It is almost impossible not to scratch the plastics, as least at the seam, or the iBook, or rought up the metal edges of the PowerBook. The PowerBooks comes apart easier but be careful, it is aluminum and, unlike the iBook case that is very forgiving, the PowerBooks case will bend and stay bent. The PowerBook is an order of magnitude more delicate than an iBook.

On both machines, but especially on the iBook, you just have to work your way around the case prying it apart and not being too chicken. It is pretty easy to get off on the left and side but the back clips on the iBook can be scary (the two clips on either side of the hinge). It can also sometimes take extra effort pull the case over the power connector and off the optical drive. The mount of the optical drive DOES come off the top case when the clips on either side are popped and it stays with the bottom, it just feels like its attached to both.

One the top case is off remove the remaining screws and remove the metal shield. Don't bend it out of the way! If you bend it (out of shear laziness) then bend it back. It can short out on compoments (like the drive) it is warped.

Now the hard drive, optical drive, BT module (or site) and other innards are yours to ogle...

Counter Display Suspended by Page

Created 05/20/05

Modified 06/17/05 - Added Counter