Thanks for the suggestions everyone - particularly yours iMouse. I'll pass that info along to the computer tech guy working on my Pismo Powerbook. If it can't be properly repaired (the seller's paying for the service costs), the guy I bought it from online has offered a refund.
Are there any particular Powerbook lines that people have found are more sturdy than others?
-Blayne
: Blayne,
: I have seen this problem before. This is L2 cache failure on the Pismo's
: daughter card. You're gonna have to replace the module that contains the
: processor, RAM and L2 cache. While failure like this is not common, I have
: seen a pismo do this. You can get a 400 or 500Mhz daughter card for less
: than $100 on e-bay. Most of them ship with the memory already in the slots
: on the board if you prefer to upgrade what you currently have.
: They're not too hard to install. Only involves popping the keyboard, taking
: out about 4 screws (I think 6 for the 500 MHz model due to the copper heat
: spreader) and pulling the daughter card out of the slot on the
: motherboard.
: I would also recommend the PowerLogix upgrades that will put you at a G4/500
: or a G3/900. However, because the Pismo is a loved PowerBook, these
: upgrades are typically more expensive and harder to get your hands on.
: I hope this helps!
