I'm an Apple Fan, not the iPhone type, the PowerMac type..

I recently got given an iBook G4 (1.2ghz / 12")..

It has a couple of minor issuse but is still fully functional and I'm trying to work out if it's worth fixing up or not.

Power wise it's fine, I've already maxed out the ram to 1.25gb which gave it room to breath and since then it's never complained about much and I've been using it tons.

It has the following little issuses.

DC board is semi broken. It still charges and runs of the power as it should but the light's gone bad, so rather than green for charged / orange for charging, it's green for charged and green+orange = yellow for charging.

(doesn't sound much, I'm just concerned it's doing other double power things it shouldn't)

Keyboard is a little yellow / beige due to previous owner being a smoker, rest of case still nice n white and in half decent nick, so new KB would finish it off.

HD Tick of doom has started.. when idle you get a faint "Tick, doooooooo" every few minutes.. Drives can go years longer doing this, or they can crunch the next time you boot it. It's a gamble. (Yes, I'm always backed up)

.. To round up,

HD is ticking

KB is yellow

DC board is iffy.

But system still fully functional as working as it should.

Should I spend some money and restore it?

Or maybe wait for things to actually break and then fix it?

Or wait for it to die and then just replace the whole system? (Which most likley won;t happen as it was free)..

I guess my main concern is the DC board because the Batt still gives me 4- 5 hours amazingly so I don't wanna harm it, maybe sort this, leave the KB and then do the HD once it's getting ropey?

Replace the HDD, see if the keyboard will clean up. Carry on using until it finally bites the dust

.. Well, I ordered a 100% working, yet 2nd hand DC board today (this was the part that was concerning me the most).. And I found a cheapish source of used ATA Hard disks for if this one goes pop.. And I'll put up with the KB until a reliable and cheap replacement comes along, even a used NON smokers would be an improvement.. it;s a shame really as the KB's in good nik apart from the 1990's PC beige colour scheme.