[geeks] Powerbook LCD replacement; Windows Media suckage

[Matthew Braun]

Back to your regularly scheduled program...

I had a tragedy a week ago: my 15" TiBook's LCD cracked. I have *no* 
idea how this happened: I picked it off my bed, put my screen protector 
on, slipped it into my Brenthaven PB bag, walked to my GF's car, pulled 
it out, and voila: pain, sadness, cursing the fates ensued. I was told 
by Apple that they would replace it if it didn't show signs of being 
dropped, yet I just got a call saying it's going to cost me $1200 to 
replace the screen. [1]

Bollocks.

Anyway, I've found online places that advertise the same service at 1/2 
the price, but I'm not sure of the quality of the parts or workmanship 
(getting the screen apart is a PITA, and may not be put back together 
properly). Does anyone have any recommendations for good repair shops?

(There is a happy ending to this story, of sorts: Christmas came early 
because of the incident and I am the proud owner of a new 15" Aluminum 
PB. Strangely, my girlfriend refuses to kiss it....) [2]


Also, are there any options for playing Windows Media 9 movies on my 
Mac? The performance of the Windows Media player is gawdawful: I click 
somewhere in the video stream to advance and then wait 3 or 4 seconds 
before it skips ahead. I don't think VLC can play WMV9 files yet, so 
I'm looking into other options (barring that, is there any way to 
convert to MOV or MPEG)?


[1]  I actually worked for a week using the functional 1/5 of the 
screen in the upper left hand corner. That was annoying.

[2] Insert humor here...

--
"I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's;
I will not reason and compare: my business is to create."