Screen went crazy, then black - now iBook won't boot up. Help?

Question

So, my iBook has problems. therefore I have problems. I was spoiled and grew up using macs as well as having a computer obsessed father who kept everything running smoothly... unfortunately I never took the opportunity to learn from him. So now I'm lost.
Problem started yesterday, screen went all vertical lines and flickered on and off. Rebooted, got to the login screen, same thing again. Rebooted, chime and grey screen. Reset PRAM, same thing. Started up off install disc, alllllllmost started all the way up... then colored lines, black. Reset PMU, still black, no chime now, just fan/ optical drive noise. Got frustrated, left it alone for a while, tried again and it worked!
THEN this morning in the middle of chatting, colored lines and black. Rebooted, just chime. Reset PMU, rebooted, and it worked!
THEN this afternoon... colored lines/ black. repeated above steps, but no luck. Currently all I get is a black screen and fan noise, no chime.
My iBook was bought July 2005, so it's just over a year old.
I'm not a computer whiz at ALL... but from things I've read in these discussions it sounds like it could be a logic board issue?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated... I'm a broke college student

Answer 1

So, I suppose you've checked the link on the support page
http://www.apple.com/support/ in the lower right where you
can key in the computer's serial number, to see if you have
any AppleCare original coverage left...? The deal there is
with the extended optional policy, you get Support by phone
as well as Service repairs, for a combined period of up to
three years, total; including the first year's coverage.
If it is the matter of a few days, you could spring for the call
to AppleCare (pay per incident, out of warranty) and see if
you can get your issue covered, even though you probably
have lapsed official coverage. Sometimes sales support is
a way to go; other times, if you can get an AppleCare super-
visor; if you can point (hindsight?) to an issue that may have
grown into this current failure, that you were unfamilar with,
that now shows as a probable hardware failure... they may
be able to have the computer checked over anyway.
Out of warranty repairs are often expensive on compact and
portable computers where the parts are very hard to get into.
To get the computer tested and so on would cost you money.
If it cannot be booted from the included Apple Hardware Test
on the included media disc, someone else will have to do it.
Can your parents help you get a refurbished iBook G4 1.33 12"
from the Certified page online? Then, get AppleCare w/ in 11 mo?
These are less expensive machines than the MacBook on budget
and are significant in value as Certified units direct from Apple.
PS: I've owned only a few newer Macs; the total however is a
bit over 100 of them. At one time, I had over 40 in a room and
all of them worked very well; I restored them, & gave them away.