Steps to remedy the situation

I took my laptop to an Apple repair store in Sarbrücken this week where to my dismay I was told that the problem could only be fixed with a totally new display unit costing 600 Euros!! You can buy a new laptop for that much today and exactly half the cost of a new Mac G4.

I was absolutely speechless as I had expected that it was just a loose or worn out cable connecting the display to the motherboard.

How on earth can a display fail after only two years with normal usage on a machine that costs so much money??!

Well, it seems I am not alone. A review of forums like this, told me that this is a common problem which only gets worse.

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/8300945231/m/529008336731

I phoned up Apple customer services in Germany, and spoke with a Frau Miko*ya.
Name obscured to protect identity) She politely informed me that:

1. Yes Apple is aware of problems relating to the displays of the Mac G4 Powerbook, but these problems do not fall under the serial number that I provided, and in any case they have all been fixed (Hmm then why so many threads retaining to it, and so many shut down by Apple?)
2. Sorry, Apple provides only one year Guarantee and you have surpassed that. I can understand that you are angry and you can let it out here if you want (how nice, I guess you can put your feet up and listen to some music while I rant, and at the end of it, it won't have cost you a penny).
   

I then asked to speak to her superior. After being put on hold for a while I was eventually put through to a Herr Lieb*g who told me in no uncertain terms that:

1. It was not unreasonable to expect this sort of problem after two years (Oh really? I think others, not just myself would have a problem having to shell out 600 euros after only two years for a well known fault which Apple should take responsibility for. My friends have also had their non mac laptops for up to 5 years without any problems)
2. This problem is not so common, I was unlucky, besides there are more people on the internet that complain about Macs when things go wrong than people who praise their machines and therefore it looks unrepresentative (Right...)
   

And my favourite line of all, when pointing out that Apple has an obligation to show some goodwill and pay some of the costs towards fixing an expensive KNOWN fault of the model that has occurred after two years.

"I am glad that you brought the subject of obligations up. It is a customers obligation not to bother the producer after the warranty has run out".


Thanks Apple! :)