Fix it or sell it??? Opinions please!

[jazzman42379]

Hey Everyone,

So here's the situation: Summer 2001 I got a laptop off Ebay. To make a long story short, it went kaput this summer...barely a year old! From talking with IBM support (top notch support, by the way), it seems like the system board, or at least the power regulating part of it, is toast. Cost of taking it to an IBM support place to fix...approximately $900 or more. Just getting the system board from IBM....$500. It's not under any warranty anymore, so I haven't got much to loose replacing it myself.

I did, however, find a seller on eBay that is selling the mainboards that are conveniently for my laptop for $145.

So here's my question...would it be more worthwhile to sell to remaining laptop and get some cash (maybe enough for a pocketPC) or to spend the $145 and try my luck at replacing the system board? Here's the specs:

IBM Thinkpad A21p
P3 850MHz w/ speedstep
384MB RAM (1 128MB stick stock, then I added another 256MB SODIMM from crucial...that should be worth something)
15" UXGA 1600x1200 LCD
ATI RageMobility 128 w/ 16MB RAM
8x DVD in the Ultrabay2000
Built in 3COM LAN and Modem

Before the system died, it was running WinXP Pro quite nicely. The laptop is incredibly sturdy (according to IBM, there's a titanium sheet in the screen to increase durability, and I'd beleive it!), and a great overall laptop. It had a 32GB hard drive, but when it died, I got an external USB2 adapter and now it lives as a portable backup drive.

To clear up any suggestions about which I'd prefer, I don't care either way. I'd almost lean towards selling if it'd help get a pocketPC. If I were to sell it, I'd rather keep the HDD and sell the remainder, but if necessary, I'd include that too (it's an IBM 5400rpm drive).

So I guess my question, all said and done, is does anyone have any opinions on what the laptop would be worth now to anyone? Again, it'd be an IBM A21p with bad system board and no HDD, but everything else is fine, and has significant memory.

Thanx in advance!
Jazzman

 

[Adul]

if you have need for a laptop, and for that price I think it might be a worthy try to keep it going. Certainly cheaper then getting a new laptop or PDA

 

[jazzman42379]

I'd like to have something portable, but if the laptop is worth something to sell, I'd rather go the route of a pocketPC. So I'm interested in finding out how much people think it's worth.

Jazzman

 

[Adul]

parts wont be worth to much, check on ebay and see what people get of them.

 

[ai42]

Personally I would fix it myself jeez if your going to Pay $1000+ to get IBM to fix it forget about it at that price get a new laptop.

If you don't feel you can do it without screwing it up pay someone else to do it, local shop (if they will do it) or perhaps someone on this board, would surely be cheaper than paying up to IBM.

Also what do you mean the power regulating the board is dead? Because if it is a busted cap, or power regulator etc that isn't impossible to fix. And probbably very cheap to fix as far as part cost goes.

BTW if you do sell it I'm sure you would get a good amount as the LCD alone should go for around that. Body, floppy, battery, DVD etc should put you in the $400-500 range.