Excellent iBook HD Replacement Instructions
I used to do a lot of hardware repairs. I knew the Wallstreet Powerbook inside and out and could do a logic board swap (or sound card/power plug replacment; very common in that model) with my eyes closed. For awhile, I was taking apart the Titaniums, but then my job changed and I began focusing more on the software side of things. Around this time, Apple shipped the first of the white dual-USB iBooks. I'd taken apart pretty much every thing else Apple had shipped for the last five years without many problems, so I readily agreed to help an acquaintance upgrade the 10GB HD in his iBook to a 20GB HD. How hard could it be, right? I couldn't have been more surprised at how significantly more complex was the take-apart for the dual-USB iBooks. Even with the official Apple take-apart manual (available to certified Apple hardware techs working for ASAP's), it still took me about six hours to do the job. Suffice it to say, the dual-USB iBook is a tough repair. Lots and lots of screws, complex wire routing, and a high propensity for damage to components unless you're very careful. To this day, I refuse to upgrade a white dual-USB iBook. Most people who want an upgrade or repair aren't willing to pay me adequately for the time it'd take to do the job properly and professionally. Nor am I willing to revisit that headache. I'm more than happy to allow somone else with more patience than I to do the upgrades and repairs on these units.
Which leads me to what I found earlier today. A British Belgian hardware wizard, has documented his HD replacement and internal microphone fix on his 800Hmz iBook G4. This is one of the best take-aparts I've ever seen. The pictures are great and the accompanying instructions are clear, with plenty of warnings about "gotchas." Make special note of how he draws a screw diagram for the many iBook screws. If you're learning Apple hardware take-aparts or studying for the Apple Hardware Certifications, this is one of the best tips you'll learn.
Very well done. This one is definitely getting printed and filed in my hardware tech file.