help! ridiculous Mac problem...

[kiz]

so, this is what happened. i used a sub-mini jack from radio shack to connect to my microphone jack and the tip broke off inside! i spoke to someone in sam ash yesterday who said that this can happen with macs but i was (obviously) unaware of this fact. he told me to go ahead & open up the back of my machine and try & poke it back out with a paper clip. is this safe? and am i alone in this or have others experienced the same thing? any tips much appreciated (no pun intended)

finally...what's the best kind of mini jack converter to use?

thanks!!

[AlChuck]

...the tip broke off inside! i spoke to someone in sam ash yesterday who said that this can happen with macs but i was (obviously) unaware of this fact.

Since that jack in the back of the Mac is a pretty standard connector, I'd say that if it can happen in Macs it can also happen anywhere.

What you do, try to remove it sideways? You're supposed to pull it staright out. ;-)

he told me to go ahead & open up the back of my machine and try & poke it back out with a paper clip. is this safe?

It's safe enough if the computer is turned off.

and am i alone in this or have others experienced the same thing?

I think you're alone. No, seriously, I never heard of this happening before, but it certainly sounds possible. I would be a bit concerned that the amount of force required to snap off the tip of the plug might also damage the jack, though.

Hey, and how about capitalizing the beginning of sentences and proper nouns, etc.? It sure is easier for others to read if you do that.

[kiz]

Thanks for your reply. In response:

"What you do, try to remove it sideways? You're supposed to pull it staright out. ;-) "

- Well yes, I would have pulled the jack straight out if I could have but it is just the very end tip of the jack (plug) that has broken off into the machine. It is impossible to see or get to easily.

"It's safe enough if the computer is turned off. "

- My concern is whether or not I will run the risk of damaging the jack on my Mac risking future audio damage.


"I would be a bit concerned that the amount of force required to snap off the tip of the plug might also damage the jack, though."

- Honestly, I do treat my mac with loads of care! It's new and I've waited a long time to have it so I really was in disbelief when I pulled the plug out (gently at that) and the tip end was missing!

All this said I think I may have to bite the bullet and contact Techserve on Tueseday. Oh...the trials and tribulations of the closet musician...