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  • Re: Starting a Repair Service Jun 18 2009 @ 8:23 AM

    I know what you mean, I just look for stuff that's already broken, usually there is something in there valuable enough warrant buying it.

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  • Re: Starting a Repair Service Jun 17 2009 @ 11:49 PM

    Here I go again...

    iPods are pretty simple in a complicated way, my favorite ones to take apart are the 3rd generation and 4th generation(both are very similar.)

    Here's a tip: to access the diagnostic mode on iPods, 1) plug it in, 2) flip the hold switch on and off, 3) press and hold both the menu and center buttons simultaneously untill the screen goes blank, 4) when you see the apple logo, press and hold both the previous and center buttons untill you see "diagnostic mode" or something similar, 5) select "manual test" or something if neccesary.

    From here, you can run a whole battery of tests on the iPod. I think that the sequence varies a little on the third generation iPod, but I can't remember it right now.

    A 50 dollar budget isn't bad actually, I started on two. You may want to look into any Junior Achievment programs in your area, I just got a 500 dollar scholarship from one.

    I'd hold off on the website for now, but go and look at everyone else's sites. Google will be your friend for life, use that whenever you get stuck on something. You might also want to re-think your aversion to ebay, I've hat about 40 transactions and gotten burned once. Think also about selling stuff on ebay, I made over 100 dollars selling parts from an old & dead powerbook G3 wallstreet.

    Everyone's advice above is really good.

    I'm gonna go to bed now before I start to go cross-eyed(it's like 1 A.M. here.)

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  • Re: Starting a Repair Service Jun 17 2009 @ 11:23 PM

    Hello, hope no one minds if I butt in and add my two cents.

    Timmy, I'm 15 and make 25-30 dollars an hour fixing computers, but I started by taking anything apart that I could get my hands on. Go to garage sales, thrift stores, goodwill, salvation army, etc. and pick up whatever looks interesting. Look for garages sales in the rich and moderately rich neighborhoods, I found a iMac G3 Snow a couple years ago for $20, complete with OSX 10.3 installed, and OS 9 OSX 10.1 and OSX 10.2 install discs at one of those. Go make friends at the local thrift store. I made friends with the person who tested all of the eletronics that came through there, and she gave me all of the broken (and sometimes not-so-broken, LOL) stuff that they got. As for a repair shop, start very small, and don't expand too fast. Unfortunately, there are nasty people out there who won't accept that the fact that their nice macbook pro is more broken when it came back to them then when it left as an accident, so you need good insurance before you get very big.

    One last thing(and I can't stress this enough,) DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING THAT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY!!!!!

    Thanks for listening to my rambling, and have lots of fun!!!

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