so lately ive been thinking that i could build an ibook or powerbook really cheap by buying broken ones on ebay and combining them together. ive seen several broken powerbooks and ibooks for sale for less that $100, and im wondering if this is a good way to get a laptop? has anyone else tried this?

i'd say if you can find the right combinations of broken ones for cheap, its worth a shot

hmm i suppose. i dunno. what im worried about is that ill buy two broken ibooks and both will be missing some obscure crucial part.

I once bult a whole B&W G3 from components bought on eBay. Its the least reliable Mac I have ever encountered.

Having said that, I took a G4 iBook with a cracked screen today and swapped the screen with one which had had wine or something poured through the keyboard. Works a treat!

I tend to assume a seller with a broken Mac and good feedback will tell the truth when describing any issues or mishaps. This can be a great indication of what will and won't work together.
If the feedback is low or the description is vague, steer clear or at least don't pay too much.

Some words of warning: There are alot of iBooks with dead logic boards.

well thanks! i am aware of the logic board problem, and my plan was to find one with a dead logic board but good otherwise, and swap the logic board from one with a cracked screen or something.

It can be a good way to get a deal. Like mentioned though, be careful about what you are getting and ask plenty of questions before bidding. Best of luck and keep us posted.

Yes. I agree as well but there is a chance you will be missing atlest on vidal part but you can always find it on a yahoo mall or something.

I have fantasies of a custom Powerbook comprising a high-end mobile motherboard/processor (G4, Intel Duo or whatever is available) in a Pismo shell.