If you notice after watching a video online (A, A, A is for Arlo…) that you have suddenly lost sound (e.g. you can’t hear iTunes anymore, no startup sound, etc.) on your Powerbook G4, look at the Sound System Preferences and try checking and/or unchecking the mute checkbox. In my case, it was not checked, but checking it and then unchecking it brought the sound back.

… for a moment, and now its gone again and that trick isn’t working anymore. Grrr.

… and now it seems to be fine again. Weird weird weird. Software is goofy.

… No, wait, it’s a hardware thing. I can get the sound to cut in & out by pinching the case. Okay, I think my decision re: upgrading is getting made for me. Time to look into a more stable PowerBook, get this one repaired (still can do an insurance claim for the fall last November which could be behind the problem and I have Apple Care for it as well) and then sell it. It’s a damn pity to only get a year out if it, but the fall was an exceptional event.