It does need a new battery, although it's working sufficiently from AC at the moment. The optical drive is somewhat of a problem, since I swapped in an Intel Mac slot load superdrive it's had no issues reading discs, but has lost most of its factory originality, and the open electronics on the side don't make for a good view. I'd like to get another drive to slot in there, even if it's non-functional and just for the sake of keeping it clean. I can slide in the slot loader if need be for data access.

I dismantled the LCD housing and tested the hinges yesterday. At the hinge they have only 3 to 5 degrees of play, which isn't bad at all. At the top of the LCD this translates to noticeable play in the display assembly, but the clutches are very tight otherwise and can hold the display open with minimal effort. I'm satisfied that they're serviceable, if I can inject some machine oil into them to extend the life before they even begin to wear out then i'll do that before the machine goes back together.

I love the sound hardware in this machine. It could be the placebo effect in play, but the sound hardware almost has a distinct warmth that reaches clear highs and deep, bassy lows, all of which come together to leverage the hardware in the Sennheisers I have connected to it to make music sound noticeably better.

Possibly my only gripe with the machine, albeit a minor one, is how the fit and finish holds up after so many years. It's become a bit creaky, with the odd minor panel gap from its years of use, something that could probably be fixed quite easily with some internal padding or a sealer. However it's not getting any worse and it's arguably one of the better examples out there, so there's fairly little to complain about.

Overall, i'm looking forward to getting the replacement processor. The old one was cooked, but i'm certain that the rest of the machine is working, so it should be an excellent machine when it's complete.