I received the replacement power adapter today, but the PowerBook is still not turning on. I know at this point that I should assume the laptop itself is malfunctioning, but I still get this nagging feeling that the adapter is to blame.

I’m willing to try one more time, even if it’s another $20 to be absolutely sure. I’ll see if one described as tried and tested (although that’s hardly a reassurance, since there’s no way of telling if a seller is being honest on ebay) is any better. I think if this fails, I’ll have to call it a wash and strip it for parts.

It would be disappointing, but there is a limit to my enthusiasm for hardware, if it’s just plain broken.