My Imac may be dead :(

[BuddhaRhubarb]

from now on, all of it will be external, nothing but apps on the system hdd.

Wouldn't the key just be in redundancy (system, backup, google docs or one of the online backup places) rather than some magic of the system hdd?

I do back up a couple of times a year and have most stuff redundant, it had just been a couple of months. (I slacked off at an inopportune time)
i don't understand what you mean by magic of the system hdd?

[BuddhaRhubarb]

i took it to apple yesterday morning. it's the power supply. so likely good news for my files. To have it fixed at the apple store would be 228 plus tax. I called around to a couple of other mac dealers in town and got a better deal from one on the west side. Can't get it done til Saturday morning, but they can do it while I'm waiting and will put in a better quality power supply than apple.

So by Saturday aft, i should be back to normal computer wise. 1st thing I'm doing is backup. which i have learned to do more regularly with this happening.

[derspiess]

Yikes, $228 to replace a power supply.  Wonder how much it would have been to just buy the part & DIY?

[Barrister]

Yikes, $228 to replace a power supply.  Wonder how much it would have been to just buy the part & DIY?

If there's something I would not want to mess with it would be the power supply.  Remember the iMacs are essentially laptops and use laptop components.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Yikes, $228 to replace a power supply.  Wonder how much it would have been to just buy the part & DIY?

the part is about 110. the rest was labor. The used mac store charges half the cost of a mac tech and puts in a better quality part (for less cost on the part also.) If it was a real desktop, I'd do it myself. I've built lots of skookum PCs in my day. If they let me watch how it's done, i may do future stuff on it DIY.

[MadBurgerMaker]

If there's something I would not want to mess with it would be the power supply.  Remember the iMacs are essentially laptops and use laptop components.

Laptops aren't that hard to swap stuff in and out of, just slightly more irritating, since everything is so goddamn small and it's cramped in there (assuming it's even something you can change).

A quick Google search turns up this (the same type thing you linked earlier):

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/imacg5_17inch_power_supply.pdf

If yours is anything like that, Buddha, that's not too difficult at all.  But of course, if you're not comfortable with it, have the Apple dude do it for you and eyeball it while he's screwing around in there, so you can fiddle with it yourself next time like you said. 

Edit:  YouTube video (not the same as the above type):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bezd48pn5tY

[BuddhaRhubarb]

ooh thanks mbm. that is my plan. it's the only think i miss having gone mac(laptop/imac that is), is futzing around with new inside parts.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Update. my imac is at a repair shop awaiting me trying to get a case # so i can get a free replacement mobo as it is that problem that plagued some 40% of this generation of imacs. Mac did offer replacement fixes for free for three years after purchase. Mine is older than that. so no go

the guy at the repair store said i may have to try a few times to get a sympathetic apple tech borg.

Today's call did not go well, like me trying to argue with grumbler kinda bad. I can't deal with those corporate knuckledraggers. I'd rather just buy a new computer than have to deal with the moronic hoop jumping.

So I may be doing the tiny linux thing for  afew months while I save up for something that will last longer. I will research this next purchase much more closely,: itellyawhat:

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I'm still so chuffed at apple, I may even buy a pc instead.

[Caliga]

I'm still so chuffed at apple, I may even buy a pc instead.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Dude you're getting a Dell!

[derspiess]

I'm still so chuffed at apple, I may even buy a pc instead.

Or you could go halfway & make a Hackintosh

[Caliga]

Dude you're getting a Dell!

I wonder if that kid is turning tricks in an Arby's parking lot yet.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Dude you're getting a Dell!

I wonder if that kid is turning tricks in an Arby's parking lot yet.

Given how obnoxious he was? Hopefully.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

can't write to my ntfs drive plugged into the linux box. life continues to annoy me in small ways electronically