Linked Today, Gone in 5 Minutes or That Was Just Linked Or Am I NUTS?!

Question

I started having the "iTunes Dropping Songs" problem about the same time as everyone else started to and I see that it's with different versions iTunes. So anyway, I'm using 7.2, and that was an unapproved update that was done to 6.0.2 that was great and all I needed, and have been losing links to songs all over the place. And now that I am having to hunt for them I see that there are 5 separate libraries all at different levels of duplication. I didn't make them. I did find the one Master Library and got relinked to it and all was great and then things started dropping again and am relinking music as I stumble on it. BUT . . . . now music that I have linked and relinked is dropping again. Even newly imported music is dropping. And now one pass through those that play and right after, start again and a whole different set of songs play and are missing. And another thing is that one or two songs in an album or "compilation" are fine and all the rest are gone, even, now that I have learned that you have to specify the a set of songs are a "compilation" or iTunes scatters them to the winds, they're all in the same folder right next to each other. They were there this morning when I played them and now iTunes can't find it. Also now songs that were missing and I didn't link them at the moment are back, relinked after being gone.
+*"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"*+
When I have about a week to waste and I can find some applications (why can't iTunes find things on its own or once you find a group of songs it sees them and relinks? Even Quark Express when directed to a missing file sees others if there with it and relinks in one step and this feature has been there for years.) to help weed through the mess that iTunes has made of my collection, I will sort through it all and rebuild. But with what has happened I'm scared to death and not going to waste time on this if these problems are going to continue. I have even thought about looking in to Windows Media Player as an alternative. There is really nothing I do that I need iTunes for except that I have been using it since it first came out and just as easy if not easier to make CD/DVDs in Toast and there can mix.
So . . .

Answer 1

Welcome to Apple Discussions, Mark.
I've never come across your first problem on any of the Apple notebooks I currently own (or have owned in the past). Then again, perhaps I'm not looking close enough.
Have you compared it with any other 12" PowerBook? If not, perhaps you might be able to try that at a local store with units on display.
Otherwise you might want to give AppleCare a call. Alternatively, if you have an Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider near you (I don't know where you are located) then you can take it in to be checked.
As for your second problem (uneven illumination), that has been known to afflict other notebooks. My own 15" PB has had its screen replaced on two occasions because of this. Depending on the severity, you might be able to get it replaced. Mine became so bad that the screen was effectively unusable.
To be honest, here in the UK, I would actually try for a replacement PowerBook - if the problems were severe enough and also because your PB is still very new. However the consumer laws in your country (wherever that may be) might be very different to mine.