My sister has a 15" 1GHz powerbook. The logic board is dead. The service shop quoted $800 to fix it. Or, they will buy the laptop from her for $230.

From what I can find on the web, a replacement board will run about $400.

So I could have the thing up and running for about $630.

Yes, it's an older model. But it'll run everything I would want to run on it - FCP for offline editing, photoshop, after effects, dreamweaver, etc. (I wouldn't use a new laptop for the final editing anyway).

Anyone think it's worth it to replace the board?

I've already told her not to sell it to the shop - the screen is perfect, and that alone should fetch $300-400.

Possibly,

But you can get a refurbished 15 inch 1.67 for $1350, which would give you a speed boost and more screen area, for about $500 more than your estimated cost for replacing the logic board yourself (this includes the $230 price quote for selling the old broken one even less if you think you can get more for the screen somewhere else).

Most of the programs you listed are not universal yet (except for FCP), so you'd probably be better off with a G4 for that type of work. Reports have said the products are dog slow under Rosetta (elements is the only Adobe product I use and it is noticably slow when I use it). So if that's your primary use for the machine, it's probably worth keeping until Adobe gets off their butts and produces Universal versions of the programs.

Why $630? If you can get a logic board for $400 why wouldn't you have it back for $400? For $400, I would think it would be worth fixing. Much over $500 and I would probably just splurge on a MacBook - dual core goodness...

Oh, $630 would include the 230 I'd pay my sister for it.

She's not THAT generous as to just give it to me.

Ah! Dunno... all those applications you use will eventually be Universal, and if you aren't doing heavy editing or using lots of filters, people have reported OK results for Rosetta. And you will be future-proof.... My 12" PowerBook G4 is still going strong - and it's almost three years old. Think long term...