Logic Board on iMac G5 busted. What can I do?

Hmmm where to start.
I bought my iMac G5 in July of 2005 so it is just over a year old. About a month ago I turned my computer on and i could not get any kind of hard wired internet connection. So i turned on my air port wireless and was able to get a connection. I then turned that off and rebooted my computer and was able to log on to the hard wire just fine. This has happened three or four times since. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time. Well, I was having trouble getting any kind of internet connection just the other day (hard wire or wireless) and so I decided to take it to a mac genious at a local store. When he plugged it in and went to turn it on nothing happened. That was kinda a kick in the teeth I won't lie. So he quotes me at $861 for a new logic board. $861?!?! I don't care that I didn't buy the warrenty, that's still a ton of money... thats more than half of what I spent on the computer itself. These are great computers. They shouldnt break after just a year. I decided to sleep on it and come here to see if I could get help. I was able to put my hard drive in my room mates Power Mac so none of my information is gone. Does anybody know what I can do? I know there have been problems with logic boards in the past on the iMac G5s (as I have been reading here on the discussion boards). Does anybody know how to get the cost of repair down or how to get some compensation from apple or a replacement board or a replacement computer? I'm at a loss...
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is new information.
I did not actually call apple. It was my mom who did... I'm in class all day so I had to rely on family. What she has found is that the reason the logic boards go bad is because the capasitors heat up and that is what causes to logic board to fry. Like I said I dont know squat about harware.
The reason I did not leave my computer at the apple store is for this reason: He had quoted me a bill for $861 to replace the logic board. I asked him if he was going to call me before he made any replacement decision (no matter what they discovered the real problem to be). He said the only way they would call me was if it was not the logic board. He said that by leaving it there with them I was basically agreeing to fork up $861. So i can't even leave it there for them to run tests for fear that they will just get money happy and throw in a new logic board. I can't stress enough... I don't have that kind of money. I mean ****. New intel imacs start at 999. For that price, screw the G5.
The genious said he doubted it was the power supply due to the internet problem history. As of now my hard drive is in my room mates power mac so i still can have access to all my school files. Thank God for good friends. I hav a friend who owns a computer repair store and he said he can get me a new logic board installed for $376. Granted thats a great price over apple, but how do I make sure that this one does not over heat? I cant be replacing LB after LB like some people have been doing here in the discussion boards. I'm tellin ya, I live a few hours from home and ive got a 96 Grand Am that isnt exactly a gem either.
So again everybody, thanks for all fo your help. More would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and when I opened it up, the compter wasn't really that dusty. I was thinking it was going to be way worse.
I apologize for my crabbiness... but its practically finals week and ive lost my greatest helper. All of your help is greatly appreciated.
Aaron

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Logic Board on iMac G5 busted. What can I do?

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